Interview tips (8 of 8): the final secret to the interview
Today’s post will be very short, as you all have interviews to prepare for the next few days. And it’s less a tip than it is an observation.
All of the successful, wonderful interviews I have seen have been very different – interviewees use different strategies, different methods of preparation, different kinds of answers, etc. It’s very hard to point to one thing that can guarantee a successful interview. Over the past seven posts I have shared a number of ideas with you about the discrete elements that, taken together, comprise a successful interview. And I hope it has been useful.
But there is one thing that all good interviews, in my experience, have in common:
The person being interviewed exudes confidence. They look and speak like they believe – that they know – that they have made the right decision in applying to the program, and that the program will make the right decision in selecting them.
Note that there is a difference between confidence and arrogance. Confidence is quite often of the silent variety – it is rare that a confident candidate actually says something like, “I know I’m the best for this program and you will select me.” They don’t need to say it, they know it.
Also note that confident does not equal loud. Many times candidates who are not particularly talkative exude confidence.
Confidence is, more than anything, a state of mind. Now, I have to confess I don’t know how someone might summon up confidence for the purposes of an interview. It may just be something you either have or don’t. But I do think you would benefit from thinking about all of the wonderful things you have accomplished, and all of the wonderful things you could accomplish, before you go into the interview. That might be a way to activate your innate confidence.
And also remember that the KAEF interview is not, in the scheme of things, aprticularly important. Yes, it does exert an influence over whether you become a fellow – but if you don’t become a fellow, well, there’s always next year, and also many other opportunities to develop your career. I say this because I think you can increase your confidence – or at least decrease your anxiety – by putting the interview process in perspective.
Well, that is that. We have come to the end of our tips for preparing for an interview. For those of you who will be undergoing a KAEF interview this weekend, I’ll see you soon (and don’t worry, you’ll do fine). For thos of you not participating in KAEF, I hope these tips will provide useful.
Good luck!
Tags: interview process, interviewing secrets, KAEF interviews