successful job interview

Replace Frantic Energy with Calm Confidence to Get the Job You Want

February 9, 2016 By Marta Goertzen

I remember a few years ago, the director threw a disappointed look in my direction. “You really need to stay on pitch. Keep practicing.”

It was a dream to be singing a Broadway musical, Children of Eden, with such a talented group; on my bucket list actually. I screwed up my courage and auditioned for Voices of Canton last fall then struggled to keep up with these experienced singers. I sang loud enough to get noticed for a small solo but had trouble getting it right. Over and over I tried. As we inched closer to opening night I got more and more frantic because I still missed the mark.

Then in the final dress rehearsal, after another awful attempt this time in costume with lights and an audience, Loren pulled me aside and said something that finally opened my eyes. He said, “You are trying too hard. When you push like that you push your voice further off target. Just relax and sing the notes.”

Wow! Really? It couldn’t be that simple. I went home with renewed enthusiasm to try again. Anything was better than what I had been doing.

I pulled out the music and went over it softly one note at a time. I realized that the soundtrack I had been singing with repeatedly in the car was the problem. The actual notes were different from what the singer sang on the soundtrack. Over and over I repeated the actual notes to correct the mistakes I learned from the CD.

Two nights later, 20 minutes into the first act, it was time. I stepped out into the light and sang the correct notes on pitch, clearly enunciating the words. Impossible! I did it correctly. As I returned to my seat Loren nodded in my direction. Finally.

Just relax and let the music flow out. What a concept? A life changing concept.

We all have moments like this. The concept applies to many situations.

Job seekers start out optimistic. They believe they can do the seemingly simple task of finding a new, better position or get that promotion they deserve. As time goes on, they start to doubt themselves. If money is running low, they start to get frantic and push harder in any direction hoping that something will happen.

Frantic candidates push too hard during interviews, pushing so hard they push the hiring managers away. We say desperation comes out of the pores like garlic. You can smell it.

Frantic energy misses the mark most of the time. Frantic energy pushes people away.

Brian Tracy said, “You are a living magnet. What you attract into your life is in harmony with your dominant thoughts.”

You can tell when you are frantic. Your thoughts and blood pressure race. You seek any combination of solutions that might work. When that happens next time, consider your energy. Take a deep breathe. Look at your notes again. Then put your notes aside. Stand up straight. Look out into the lights and let the music come out of you naturally. It will if you let it.

Take a few moments today to consider the energy you put out into the world. Isolate the frantic energy. Stop pushing frantic energy out into the world.

Figure out a simpler way to approach the problem. Follow your plan. Then relax and let your knowledge, skills and abilities sing out clearly into the world. The positive energy will flow back to you in the results you seek.

Job Interview Tools Part 2: Create a Great Impression

December 15, 2015 By Katherine Burik

The tools you bring to a job interview reflect the impression you want to leave. Be sure the tools you carry are right for the job you want.

A kindergarten teacher can have portfolio with cute little apples on it. It is not ok for a vice president to carry a portfolio with cute little apples. I don’t care how nice and friendly you want to appear. It just looks goofy.

An advertising or marketing professional can have a more colorful portfolio, maybe something with an attitude.

TA supply chain specialist should carry a more subtle brown or black portfolio reflecting the more serious nature of the job.

An IT person is given a little more leeway than a finance person who should carry more straight laced props.

The writing instrument is another prop that should reflect the position. An executive should have a really nice pen. It doesn’t have to a Montblanc but avoid that golf pencil. A finance person might use a mechanical pencil. A safe bet for everyone is a nice plain ball point pen.

Remember, you are trying to create an impression. Leave the pens from the dentist or the landscape company at home. Skip the pens with the feathers on them or the glow in the dark fairy wand pens. You think I am kidding? I’ve seen it done!

The bottom line is a prepared candidate always brings paper and a writing instrument to a job interview. You want to take notes. In the hustle and bustle of the job interview you might forget something. Taking notes allows you to go back and refresh your memory later when you write thank you notes.

Here are some important documents to bring with you in your portfolio:

Two or three copies of your resume, printed on nice paper
The questions you want to ask about the company and the job – typed
Your typed responses to frequently asked questions so you can prepare immediately prior to the interview. Tuck these sheets in the back so the interviewer cannot see them.

Do not take this issue lightly! Hiring decisions have been made on seemingly unimportant issues like this. Preparing for a job interview? Sign up for our free download, “30 Most Frequently Asked Job Interview Questions“.

Words and Music

June 6, 2014 By Marta Goertzen

“Music is what feelings sound like” – Georgia Cates, Beauty from Pain

“I shut my eyes in order to see.” – Paul Gauguin

Something happens when I close my eyes to listen to music. Sometimes the world falls away and I hear the essential core of what the musician is trying to say. I understand most people feel this way. You don’t have to be a musician to appreciate wonderful music.

What is going on that makes this strong impression outside of your basic senses? We are “seeing” differently. We are seeing meaning instead of the words or musical notes.

Let’s think about being outside at night. It is dark. If you close your eyes you can hear the insects. Maybe you can hear small animals wandering through your yard. You can hear the dog barking a few blocks away. Perhaps there is a siren a few miles away or a train whistle in the distance. If you have your eyes wide open and concentrate directly you might actually miss some of the detail. Closing your eyes opens other senses to what is really going on.

There is a real scientific principle at work here. The McGurk Effect shows that we automatically and subconsciously integrate visual information into our own perceptions.

A job interview is a choreographic exchange between two people, almost like music. Two people are talking and listening.

If you close your eyes (figuratively) or look away while talking to someone else you can almost understand what the person is really trying to say.

Do the words match the music you are hearing from your other senses? What is going on behind the scenes with the person you are talking to? Are the responses genuine or do you sense a strain or incredulity about the words you are hearing?

Try it next time during an interview. At some point look away for a few seconds. Does what you are hearing (the words) match the sense of what the speaker is trying to say? Do the words and music tell you the same thing?

If not, then ask questions to understand what the speaker is actually saying.

For hiring managers, this is a way to get insight into whether the person you are talking to is speaking genuinely. This is not a lie detector test but a way to understand whether you are hearing the real story or if you need to probe more.

For candidates, this is a way to determine if the person you are talking to is accurately describing the work situation or if you need to probe a little more.