Hey, I’ve got a little task for you: You’re going to walk into a room with one or more people you’ve never seen before in your life and pretend to be happy about meeting them. Then you’re going to sit down and have a cordial conversation in which you try real hard to be relaxed, charming, smart, well-informed, and unflappable, while what’s really going on is that you’re terrified of making a mistake because then they won’t hire you and YOU REALLY NEED A JOB!!!
Doesn’t that sound like a barrel of laughs?
An Interview is a Mind Game
(And sometimes, a mind f**k as well.) So what is a job searcher to do?
First, get public speaking coaching (in person or by Skype). Seriously. Here are the kinds of things you can expect your public speaking coach to provide:
PERSPECTIVE: Job interviews have four possible outcomes: They like you and hire you; they like you but don’t hire you; they don’t like you and don’t hire you; they don’t like you but hire you anyway. A good coach can help you step back and appreciate that, no matter how brilliant and well-prepared you are, you can’t control which of those things happen; you can only do your best.
- CONTENT: It is always helpful to refine and focus your content — and when you’re talking about yourself, your career, and all the reasons you should be hired, that’s even more true. Your coach will help you with everything from your posture, to your pauses, to how you’re presenting your challenges and strengths; and will help you tell stories that are fresh, exciting, and relevant.
- PRACTICE: Very few people know how to practice for an interview, so imagine the edge that practicing will give you! Your coach will show you how to practice effectively — and more important, she’ll make you sit there and do it!
Interview Coaching Is a Collaboration
I love getting emails that say, “It went great,” “They called me back,” or “I couldn’t have done it without you.” (And last week, I got a basket of scrumptious snacks from a client who’s loving her new job!)
And maybe that’s the most important thing a speaker coach brings to your team: Because we know “what good looks like,” we’ll cheer you on until you get there — and nobody will be prouder or happier when you tell us you’ve been hired!
