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I'm a bit of a perfectionist, and I hold myself to a very high standard when it comes to interviewing, because I'm generally very good at it.
The problem with this is, when I do stumble, have an awkward moment, freeze on an answer for a few seconds, etc. I'm pretty hard on myself about it.
But then I remind myself that as long as it's something very minor, and not a complete meltdown on my part, one moment is probably not gonna be the difference between getting hired or not.
In fact, I've gotten hired to jobs in the past where I've stumbled at a question or two in the interview.
I am a perfectionist too, but when it comes to interviews, I've had to learn to let that go a bit. I make sure that I follow the checklist: study the company, look up the person I'm interviewing with, go through the job description, know my resume line by line, know the answers to "the questions" (I found Glassdoor.com has a good list that's updated frequently) - like strengths, weaknesses, a time when you had to make a difficult decision, a time when you made a mistake etc. Know why you want this job, why you want to leave your current job etc. I've found that if I really review these the day before the interview, I don't have any stumbles. I mean hopefully the job you are interviewing for matches your skill set and you can provide examples of your work - I find that nervousness is my biggest problem. I don't know why, but I'm almost shaking before the interview starts and once we get going I'm fine. For WHATEVER reason, this happens more in phone interviews!!!
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I used to be that way, often experiencing the dreaded prolonged pause or mumble. What helped the most was becoming a supervisor and sitting on the other side of the table. With experience interviewing and hiring others, the more recent interviews for promotional opportunities have been a snap. Not that I got every one I applied for, you still have to be the best, but the stress and stumbling is gone. Part of it may just be that after more years of experience working you have more of the answers in your head, and don't have to make anything up or stretch.
I used to be that way, often experiencing the dreaded prolonged pause or mumble. What helped the most was becoming a supervisor and sitting on the other side of the table. With experience interviewing and hiring others, the more recent interviews for promotional opportunities have been a snap. Not that I got every one I applied for, you still have to be the best, but the stress and stumbling is gone. Part of it may just be that after more years of experience working you have more of the answers in your head, and don't have to make anything up or stretch.
I find this to be true as well. I have direct answers for all the questions that they ask me, so I don't have to make anything up or stretch and that comes with experience.
I used to be a perfectionist. Nowadays, I don't like them. Perfectionists tend to worry about minor things and miss the big things that matter. They're annoying to work with.
Being a perfectionist sucks esp if you are a person who can read people like I can. I will know I messed up on a question so I get more nervous and mess up more trying not to make more mistakes. It's like that episode of my favorite TV series Sabrina The Teenage Witch. It was the one where she got rid of her appendix. By making herself apparently perfect, she ended up being more imperfect. So see even in a TV show with supernatural characters perfection doesn't even really exist.
You do have to just let go. I think I have been able to do that on rare occasions with things like texting but never been easy going with things I know that matter like interviews so I can't say how since I'm terrible at trying to change myself. I guess baby steps are better than nothing. I guess what it is is it makes more difficult because I treat every interview I have gotten like my last one because being a realist I know not many people will even bother to let me get near the door as I have too many strikes against me (unemployed for long time/have had only formal job, went to a college that is considered a joke, don't drive, bad credit, look younger than the years I have been alive etc.)
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