Career Tips

Do you have good habits to keep your nerves in check?

• First and foremost, take care of yourself

• Taking care of the basics that focus on making you feel your best.
• Eating healthy meals starting at least 2 days before the interview.
• Keeping healthy snacks on hand before and after the interview that do positive things such as Macadamia nuts which will help with your mood.
• Keeping your brain healthy and sharp for the interview. According to research, sugar and other high carb foods can give you brain fog and make you feel lethargic during the interview.
• Other foods that many people have identified that cause brain fog are wheat gluten, dairy, fried food, and white sugar.
• Fluids add oxygen and energy – such as green tea, flavored Kombucha, water, water with lemon or lime, carbonated water, or hot teas such as Lemon Grass tea, Peppermint tea or Ginger tea. Ginger tea will give you energy. If you need a sweetener for your tea try Monk Fruit or Stevia. Two other healthy sweeteners for tea are manuka honey and royal jelly in honey.
• Some people believe that taking vitamin D3, B-complex, vitamin-C, zinc, and probiotics daily keeps them feeling energetic with no brain fog.
• A brisk walk, a low-key bike ride, yoga, qi gong, or tai chi on the day of the interview will give you energy and allow you to think more clearly.
• Identify colors to wear that compliment your complexion, give a positive or cheerful impression and provide you with confidence.
• Second, remove the unknowns

• It is impossible to remove all of the unknowns, but you can certainly take a bite out of a few unknowns.
• There are two types of unknowns: (1) the unknowns that belong to you and (2) the unknowns with the people that you will meet directly or indirectly at the interview.
• Address what you can control and do your research on your unknowns.
• Ask who will be conducting the interview and the format of the interview.  Will this involve several interviews with different people, or a group of interviewers in a single meeting?
• Ask if there will be a walk-through of the work environment.
• Ask about proper attire for the interview and if you will need to make shoe or clothing adjustments for any tour of the work facility.
• The unknowns for the interviewer and their co-workers can be an uncomfortable concern for them.
• The interviewer unknown is how your personality will fit or clash with their culture.
• The interviewer unknown can also include a concern of whether you listen and not over-talk the interview process.
• Look for opportunities to remove the unknowns for the interviewer by being a good listener and keeping your personality in check until you know more about their culture.
• Do not over-talk the interview with additional information that was not asked. The interviewer is not a priest, and this is not a confession.
• Unknowns for the other people that you meet at the interview – Most employer team members will likely not know there is a job opening and/or wonder why you are there and walking through the facility with the boss.
• If one of the employees ask you directly about your presence just simply reply that you are visiting the facility and complement their facility and/or work environment.
• Remove the drive time unknown by driving the route 1-2 times before the day of the interview.
• Remove the nerves by arriving early and spend the waiting time reading a favorite article or book. This does not mean gazing at your phone like a bored teenager.
• Third, know who you are, your best traits, limitations, and what is most important to you in a job

• If you are self-aware, in tune with your basic natural abilities, skills, and what tasks energize you, then you are a step above many candidates.
• Sometimes personalities in an interview may not align, so the best approach is to be genuine, honest, and show natural zeal about this job opportunity.
• Be able to describe yourself.  Ask a friend or relative to describe you so you can have diverse adjectives. Prepare your ‘elevator pitch’ well in advance and practice before the interview.
• Few people know where they want to be in five years but those who have an appetite to learn, to be mentored, and to be involved with opportunities that may be out of your comfort zone are of great value.
• Walk in the door with mindset of a listener-extraordinaire instead of a know-it-all.
• Trust your instincts, take notes, and ask questions when it seems appropriate.  Think about a couple of questions ahead of time.  While other questions may occur to you during the interview, you will have some good questions in your pocket in case you go “blank”.

• Fourth, you want to answer all of the questions to the best of your ability

• There will be interview questions that may need further clarification. Interpretation of your answers can sometimes be the wrong interpretation, and you may see that on the face of the interviewer.
• How to correct a potentially perceived wrong answer: Ask the interviewer if you covered the topics they wanted to hear about.  Ask if they would like for you to further qualify and/or provide additional detail. That will give the interviewer the option to possibly reword their question and allow you to address the question again with more direct or relevant detail.
• Never play to the job description and tell the interviewer what you think he or she wants to hear.
• Stay calm and alert, confident, and courteous.  This is an interview not a “This is Your Life”, so do not provide information that is not requested.