www.businessinsider.com: A job interview can be a stressful time, especially if you really want that job or have been looking for a job for a long time. The stress can cause you to make mistakes.
Nerves and insecurity are two of the biggest factors to overcome when interviewing for a role. They can cause you to utter a phrase that, although it may seem harmless, ends up ruining the whole thing.
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A lot of these tips seem to be rooted in the idea that you should be confident and prepared in your interview, which I agree with. Number 5 seems pretty obvious; I would think for your own sake you would want to know what you’re signing up for when you apply for the job. Number 6 stood out to me as great advice, as having some preparation for questions makes it less likely that you mess up and misspeak, or don’t mention the most important things. Unfortunately sometimes I’ve gotten nervous during interviews and even though I practiced, rehearsed questions, etc, I just end up forgetting everything I’d prepared. Thankfully with online interviews, it’s less nerve-wracking for me because I’m less concerned about my body language, and the only thing in frame is my face/shoulders. Hopefully even once covid becomes less of an issue, we are still able to have virtual interviews available for any job.
The main message of this article seems to be: make sure you are prepared for an interview. Do your research on the company! Be confident in what you are going to say! Know why you want this job! These were all things I knew already, so it lacked a bit of usefulness in that area. I think an important thing this article missed was what happens when you go too far with the confidence you present yourself within a job interview. While it is important to be assured in yourself, you shouldn't be bragging. Having a lot of experience and skills is important, but so is being an enjoyable person to work with. No one will want to work with someone they think is narcissistic or full of themselves. I've had a lot of people I've interviewed to discuss their careers tell me the importance of being an enjoyable person to work with. Especially in theatre, a smaller industry, if people know you aren't a good person to work with or think you aren't (for whatever reason) it will affect your career.
All of these tips felt kind of like common sense. I feel like I have always been told to put forward the most qualified and confident version of myself for anyone who has ANY impact on my future and career. Being polite, confident, and qualified is so important to me in my professional life. What really hit me was the idea that you shouldn't be too modest in an interview. I famously undersell myself whenever I get asked about my work in theatre because I strongly believe “even if you REALLY think your good at something, there is always someone better than you to learn from”. This has helped multiple situations where I’ve had issues with people I’m working with/ getting consultation from. The idea that modesty should be largely put away in an interview is a little bit new to me but makes sense because of the importance of confidence in the interview. I want to be more conscious of that idea.
A lot of this article was actually pretty insightful but the first suggestion did make me chuckle. I have pretty much taken a Bootcamp on how to sell myself and I wouldn’t say I’m anywhere near an expert but I know enough not to say “you’re not gonna want to hire me…” Something that I have struggled with is being too modest with myself. There are a lot of reasons to be modest especially as a woman but I do think it's time we come to interviews knowing that we are exactly what they’re looking for. I find myself not thinking the work I have done in this industry is “real” enough, it seems like everyone around me has done more and is doing more. The imposter syndrome kicks in quick when you’re a part of this program. I think it is wildly important to know what the company you’re trying to work for does. Aside from that, you will want to know if you align yourself with their mission statement. This is an incredibly important idea to explore when you’re wondering if a job is a right fit for you.
David Boevers said read this in preparation for upcoming summer stock interviews and so I did. And honestly? I am, glad I did. While yes some of these tips might sound more like rookie mistakes or something we could pass for common sense, getting some extra guidance never hurts. The industry we have chosen as our profession demands a lot, to say the least. A big part of it, whether we like it or not, is being able to talk about our work– more than often in an interview-like setting. As Olivia points out, a few of these tips and tricks seem to be rooted in confidence and preparation. And I mean, coming into any sort of meeting unprepared is never the way to go, but in the case of an interview, doing some extra research on the company, job, or even the person interviewing you is definitely a great tip.
I think this article is pretty much common sense as most people have said, but a good reminder. I think normally it is instinctive to refrain from “bragging” about yourself or from talking about your accomplishments, but in job interviews that is super important, as you want the company or organization to hire you. I also think sometimes when there is something in the job description that you are less familiar with we (or at least I) often try to make it clear that I might not know that thing well, however I forget that there are ways to pitch yourself so that those gaps in knowledge are smaller. I definitely have issues with word fillers such as “uhm” and I think I personally have to remember when I want to say that to stop and think. It is totally ok to say something like let me take a moment to think about that, and in the end I think that also shows that you are a thoughtful person and is actually more of an asset to you.
I am really happy I read this article… not just because David told us to in production planning. I actually had this one pre bookmarked to read because I think it is really easy to say the wrong things. Personally, I am a very professional person, but when I am interviewing with someone I may already know or am familiar with it is easy to drop that guard. It is hard enough as twenty somethings to be taken seriously. It is so important to be straight to the point. This is where confidence really comes in. You can’t shy away from being confident in your abilities and experiences. You must be able to speak about them clearly. I always research the person I am interviewing with in addition to the company in depth. I try my hardest to understand what the company is looking for and what appeals to them, but also what will appeal to the individual interviewing me. Subliminally things down to the color you’re wearing can impact someone experience in meeting you. I always try not to show any bit or fear or nerves, and if you’re prepared you really shouldn’t even feel nerves.
The tips given in this article seem very simple, but I am not surprised that these are common mistakes people make in an interview. In my experience, I have had to realize that the people interviewing me know nothing about me, so although it may sound repetitive to me, the qualities I am describing about myself are only being heard by my interviewer for the first time. I enjoyed reading these tips because they were a good refresher to feel comfortable getting back to being interviewed. I also find it helpful to practice answering the “big questions” because until you practice saying the words allowed, you may break some of the practices mentioned in this article. For example, when I was preparing for college interviews, I used a lot of filler words, but with time and practice, I have drifted away from them and now sound more professional and concise in interviews and everyday life.
I agree with everyone else that a lot of these tips aren't much tips for a job interview as much as skills for communicating in general. It really all boiled down to being direct and honest without fluffing up your own speech or rambling. But I do think interviewing is one of those things that one really needs to work at to get really good at. Tangentially related but I have a friend that interviews for jobs even though he has no intention of leaving his current company, he does this so that when he does eventually leave for a job he wants more than his current one his last interview won't have been 10 years ago. That always stuck with me but it makes sense. You can be the perfect candidate for a job but if you come across wrong just due to being way out of practice with the whole song and dance you might screw yourself out of advancing your own career.
This article was super useful for people like me who haven’t had a ton of experience interviewing but are nervous about even the idea. “Job hunt” articles typically say the same thing over and over, but this one was affirming and straight to the point. Playing modest is one of the worst things you can do in an interview. The employers can’t tell that you’re playing modest because they don’t know you, on their end you’re just less qualified than you should be. I’ve even heard of some professionals lie or fudge their qualifications so that the interviewers are impressed, and then they just learn on the job. I also have a hard time marketing my skills, especially as a production tech major. All theatre technicians essentially have the same skillset, so this article reminds me that I should spend some time thinking about what sets me apart from literally every other technician/designer.
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