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Interview Center
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Still Sweating After the Interview?
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The interview is over. Wouldn't it be nice if the interviewer handed you a
rating slip on your way out the door to let you know how you rated in the
interview? But lacking such a luxury, you must learn to review your own
performance so that you can learn from the experience.
Use this
opportunity to be objective about the situation. Were you prepared and
practiced, or were you just "winging" the answers? Could you have been more
effective with additional practice? What will you do to prepare for your next
interview?
One of the most helpful things you can do post-interview is
to let go of your self-recriminations by venting. After the interview, go to
your car, or stop in at a coffee shop, and take pen to paper to write about what
just happened. Just let your thoughts pour out. When you've finished, put the
writing away, and let go! After a few hours, or a day, when you have had a
chance to relax and digest the information, go back and revisit what you wrote.
What can you learn from this experience? What will you do differently next time?
Rate Your Performance
On a scale
ranging from one to ten (ten being high) how do you rate yourself?
My
overall feeling of satisfaction with this interview. ________
Did I
arrive on time? _______
How was my introduction -- good
greeting/handshake/posture? ______
Was I confident and professional at
all times? _______
How did I speak - calm, clearly, not overly
aggressive? __________
How was my nonverbal communication (body
language)? _________
Did I handle the difficult questions with ease, or
did I fumble aimlessly? _________
Did I have good rapport with the
interviewer? __________
Did I talk about my strengths? ________
Did I talk about my weakness in a positive manner? ______
How
did you do? Are you satisfied with your rating? If most of your rating numbers
are in the 5 to 10 range, you're probably doing all right. Look carefully at the
lower ratings -- what were the problems? You may want to consider practicing
with someone so that you can obtain more objective feedback on your answers and
style.
No matter how your ratings added up, remember that some of what
goes on in an interview, and behind the scenes, is out of your control. Also,
keep in mind that interviewing is a learned and practiced skill. If you didn't
do as well as you would have liked this time, work on your problem areas. Try
scripting and practicing difficult questions or issues.
By critiquing
your own performance, and learning from your successes and mistakes, you will be
more prepared the next time. And, as a result, you will become more confident
and accomplished at interviewing. You will also become more objective in
choosing whether the job is right for you -- not just whether you are right for
the job. |
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