How do I nail a job interview?
If you are not your own boss, then this question has probably plagued you (read: kept you awake at night) umpteen times. We all know that having the skills and the experience for a position are not enough to land you the job, especially not in these hyper-competitive times.
You know you have the right skills. You know you have oodles of experience. You are confident that what you bring to the table makes you the best fit for the job. But how will you convince the interviewers?
What Do You Need to Do During the Interview?
To nail a job interview, you have to do more than just answer questions about your trade. Sure, the interviewers want to know how much you know about a computer application or if you can crunch the numbers on a balance sheet. But they also want to figure out if you are a self-starter and a self-motivated individual who inspires others. They want to know if you are a person who has his eyes only on the corner office and the perks that come with it or are someone who has plans to take the company forward.
You have your work cut out: you have to convince the interviewers that you would be an asset to their business. Here’s how:
Convince the interviewers that you have the right skills and experience for the job.
This goes without saying.
But does it really?
Remember that you are vying for the job with probably scores of other candidates who have the exact skill set as you have and many are as experienced as you are. So you have to actually convince the interviewers that you have the RELEVANT skills and experience for the job.
Make sure that you are armed with testimonials, work samples, references, and anecdotes to convince interviewers that you have worked (and excelled) in jobs similar to the one you have now applied to.
Convince them that you understand their business and have a concrete vision to move things ahead.
Employers want to hire people who are not only good with the tools of the trade but also understand the nature of the trade itself. In other words, interviewers want to know how you can take the organization forward. They want to know how your skills align with their business goals.
During the interview, do not just rattle off your high school grades and the certificates you have received. Make sure that you tie in your knowledge, skills, and experience with the specific responsibilities of the job you have applied to. Ensure that you have understood the vision, mission, and organizational goals of the company and are well-up on the trends shaping the industry and the challenges the organization faces. Then spell out your vision of how you want to take the company ahead by overcoming the challenges, rising up to market demands, and trouncing competition.
Show them how excited you are about the position.
Employers want to hire enthusiastic people. Period.
Enthusiasm is contagious. It fires up other people.
An employee who does not crib about the salary or the long hours inspires others to find meaning in their jobs.
An enthusiastic leader is like glue that holds up the team. His enthusiasm rubs off on others in the team and inspires them to go the extra mile and put in their best.
Interviewers look for a sparkle in your eyes when you outline your vision for the company. They want to hear the song in your heart when you tell them how you want to make a difference when you are hired. In short, they want to be convinced that you are as passionate about the company and its growth as they are.
Exude boldness, confidence, and determination.
Make sure that the words you speak, the gestures you make, and the emotions you express exude boldness, confidence, and determination. Interviewers do not just look for certificates, a college degree, and experience. They are on the hunt for an employee who is not afraid to think out of the box, dream big and stand by her dreams, make bold plans, and go flat out to give shape to her ideas.
How Can Meditation Help You Succeed in a Job Interview?
Interviewers are looking for authenticity, clarity of purpose, and courage of conviction in you. They want to uncover what’s within you. So you would want to look at what’s going on in your mind and ensure there are no doubts, negative thoughts, and false beliefs crowding in there. You want to present yourself as a calm, collected person who is dedicated to his craft, passionate about the job he has applied for, and sure of his abilities to excel in the position.
Meditation lets you delve into the deep recesses of your mind and get in touch with the real you. It is an established mind-body relaxation practice to help you tweak your mental processes and replace negative thoughts with helpful positive attitudes. Here’s how:
Meditating regularly sharpens self-awareness.
The real you is hidden behind the mask you have put on. The masked you conforms to societal standards, speaks and thinks like your peers do, and adheres to conventions. You are not aware of what your real wants are, what makes you tick, and where lies your real happiness. If you don’t know yourself, how can you hope interviewers will?
Meditation lets you shut out the external chatter and dive deep to uncover the real you. When you know the real you, you can figure out your motivations for seeking the job.
Meditating brings clarity of mind.
The clarity of mind you glean through regular meditation lets you analyze your strengths and weaknesses and determine what you bring to the table and how you can add value to the position. In particular, this clarity lets you figure out how the job resonates with the core of your being and syncs in with your ideals. These are powerful insights. You need to first convince yourself about your why for seeking the job. Your why should be powerful enough to fire you from the inside. When you are truly motivated, you will have an easier time convincing your interviewers.
Meditation creates the quiet space where you can visualize yourself emotionally aligning with the job.
Now that you know your why, you need to exude the right vibes that tell the person in front of you how emotionally aligned you are with the job. A guided meditation session creates the quiet mental space you need to “see” yourself in a job that molds into your life’s path. You need this mental space to see yourself evolving as a person while you are at the job. Use these mental images to spur you and bring a sparkle in your eyes.
The more you take part in these guided meditation sessions, the more you can “feel” as if you are one with the job.
Meditating helps you visualize yourself succeeding in the interview.
Practice makes a man perfect. Practice helps you figure out what you are doing right and what strategy needs to be tweaked. Practice also banishes fears and builds up confidence.
But what if you can’t practice for real? Practicing in your mind is equally powerful.
You can visualize yourself going through the interview, looking confident and feeling relaxed, responding promptly, and impressing the powers-that-be with your answers. To make this exercise more effective, make a list of all the questions that you expect interviewers will shoot at you. Then prepare the answers, either in your head or the Moleskine you carry around with you.
Figure out at least three compelling reasons why you want the job. Mull over the tasks you would be required to perform on the job and find out how you can add value. Find out about the challenges facing the organization and determine how you can use your skills and knowledge to solve the problems.
Now see yourself on the D-day. See yourself turning every difficulty into an opportunity. You have not only conquered stress but also managed to turn your anxiety into a steady, humming source of excitement that powers you through the interview. You are answering every question with ease, aplomb, and conviction, and the interviewers are clearly impressed by you.
Meditating lets you practice affirmations and positive self-talk.
You need to radiate oodles of positive vibes to impress your interviewers. You need to be optimistic, enthusiastic, and convince them that you are not afraid to take the bull by its horns. Affirmations and positive self-talk can help you cultivate and stay in that positive frame of mind before D-day. Your positive attitude will automatically show in your posture, gestures, and the language you speak.
A lot of the preparation for a job interview clearly takes place in the mind. You need to focus and not let your mind get distracted. It definitely helps if you are guided through the process, just so your thoughts do not run haywire. A guided meditation session especially designed to walk your mind through a job interview helps you focus more effectively. The Meditable guided meditation app makes your meditation sessions (read: mental rehearsals for your interview) more focused and thus more effective.
Team Meditable
