I have never not been offered a job I interviewed for so this hit a little harder. Not in a sad way per se, this was more of an eye-opening experience. The best way to describe would be as a trip (yes, the LSD kind). The entire experience helped me rediscover my sauce. From updating my CV to listing my skills and achievements on paper. It was necessary and I ended up just being grateful for the ride. I had a renewed appreciation for my journey so far and my future (which I hope comes sooner than later. I’m sick of not being where I want to be now). I advise you to apply to jobs that you’re interested in, even though you might not meet all the requirements, women especially. It builds character, trust me!
For context, I’ll give you a brief background; I recently applied for a new middle-level management role at my place of work. I met most of the requirements and a bunch of people at my organization believed I would be a good fit and gave me a nudge so I decided to give it a go. However, there was a minor challenge: I hadn’t worked long enough in the company to apply for any roles but that didn’t stop me, I went ahead with my application. It was a grueling week of non-stop preparation and sleepless nights but I got through to the final stage with the country head. Let me tell you, I have never been so nervous in my entire life, and suffice to say that as I blurted out one half-thought-out answer after another, I KNEW that I was not getting the job and if I did, it’ll be a miracle. Now, this was not entirely because my answers were not correct but because of my composure and it is forever going to leave a sour taste in my mouth.
I’ll go ahead and highlight some of what I learned from my interview experience.
- Be calm and confident: This is the most important thing. I know it seems obvious and we all try to be calm during interviews but put in more effort. A calm person thinks about the questions asked and articulates answers. A calm person shows no fear. A calm person is able to have a level-headed conversation. I mean, I knew these principles before I stepped in and had applied it to numerous interviews in the past but I wish I did more to calm myself down.
- Do your research about the company and interviewers: Most interviewers have a style of questions they like to ask. Once you can figure out their style, you’re a step closer to acing your interview.
- Learn how to stall: Don’t be afraid to tell interviewers to come again or give context to some of their questions while you think of the best way to articulate your responses.
- Maintain eye contact: This helps to project confidence from you. However, don’t go staring people down. Look away a few times but make sure you maintain eye contact for the most part.
- Go with a jotter and a pen: This makes you come across as serious and ready to learn. Trust me, it works.
- Articulate your responses: Make sure all your responses are well-structured. If you’re giving a scenario, give structure by establishing your ‘why’, ‘what’, and ‘how’ [problem, objectives, solution]. make sure your story is compelling(exaggerate the problem and your role in solving it).
- Ask difficult questions: Let them feel the heat also. Ask about their career and how the organization has helped them actualize it. Ask about likely challenges you may face, ask about the company culture, ask about training and growth opportunities and structures in the company.
- Use the right lingo: Be intentional about your lingo. It’s easy to talk like you’re casually gisting with friends when you get comfortable but be sure to include very formal lingo in presenting your points. For example, instead of saying “I told my Mr Ajayi that it was better to change the arrangement of the shelves”, try “I proposed re-arranging the shelves so as to improve the overall look of the shop to my manager”. Also, reduce the use of fillers like ‘uhmm’, ‘as in’ and ‘like’.
That about sums up my lessons from that experience and I hope this helps you secure your next job. I know I’ll get the next one.
See you at the top!
