Poll of the Day > How do I stop bombing job interviews?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I noticed the more I practice, the worse I do. The less I practice, the better I do, but this is sometimes mixed, it is not a foolproof plan. I get too nervous and anxious...

With thinking of things to say sometimes. I get blanks. My voice and hands also shake

well, for starters, how do you look, what kind of job do you want, what kind of work are you willing to do, that sort of thing
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GreenTreeClub posted...

The less I practice, the better I do

Good, that's usually how it is (for the most part)

The only real "practice" you need to do is research the company. Other than that, it is a basic conversation

If you're bombing interviews you should look back and ask yourself why you're bombing them. It just looks like you have a bad case of the nerves, the fastest way to work around this issue is to have confidence or fake it. Oddly enough anxiety is one of the easiest issues to resolve

I can give you more advice if you want. I have had tons of interviews and also conducted some of my own. Just remember a lot of people are not good at interviewing people, just like a lot of people aren't good at interviewing
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Leave the bombs at home.
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The experience issue is also the problem. Even entry level jobs or jobs without experience requirements on the posting, inevitably, the interview brings up experience.

I'm also not a good conversationalist either.

GreenTreeClub posted...

The experience issue is also the problem. Even entry level jobs or jobs without experience requirements on the posting, inevitably, the interview brings up experience.

I'm also not a good conversationalist either.

Experience is easy, if you get the interview then you really need to sell yourself. You can use any experience to answer questions, whether it be school or personal life related. A lot of people act tlike they need to answer all interviewer related questions with work experiences

Work experience definitely trumps all though, but that's not your only option

Again, with the issue of not being a conversationalist you should fake it til you make it.
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Since you have been on a few and feel like you have not done well, think about the questions they asked you, and how you maybe should of responded. You will most likely get similar questions in the future, so have a game plan for those type of questions.

I recommend thinking of something that you think is a negative about yourself, but can also be a positive. Weak points is a common question. I usually answer this by saying that I sometimes feel like I overly research something, so it may take a while to make a decision. This is a true statement about me, but can be seen as a weakness but also positive.

Without job experience, try to think of things that may relate to the job that you have done, like work you did in college.

Also, think of a couple questions to ask about the company. They will almost always ask if you have any questions. I think it is better if you have some, then just saying no. For example, ask about their benefits packages.

Being nervous is not that big of a deal. I am generally the same, but usually do pretty well. The interviewer will expect you to be nervous.

Most importantly, dress nice. I am not sure what kind of jobs you are interviewing for. If it is an office job, wear a suit.

Biggest thing is to go in prepared, know a bit about the company and what they do. Have a good personality and show that you know the stuff they are looking for. When I interview people I understand there is some nervousness and anxiety. That is normal. What I care about though is I want someone who not only knows their stuff, but that I won't mind working with.

Also, ask questions about the job, the work environment, the people, that kind of thing. Interviewers LOVE that, it shows passion in what you do and where you work.
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Far-Queue posted...

Leave the bombs at home.

...beat me to it...

I was hoping this topic was going to be a heartfelt plea from a jihadist wanting to change his ways

Always work in whatever you can to impress them. For instance, when asked how I decided to apply for the company, I said "Well I was on my way home from volunteering at the soup kitchen when I saw an old lady in need of help crossing the street; after helping her cross I gave money to a homeless man who was sitting right outside this store. It was fate."

From what my manager told me a few years ago, interviewers are usually listening for a handful of key words and phrases. Finding out what they are depends on the job, but just a bit of research goes a long way.

And yeah, pocket a question or two about anything. Doesn't matter. Managers eat that shit up.

You need confidence, try a little liquid courage before the interview.
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Archgoat posted...

I recommend thinking of something that you think is a negative about yourself, but can also be a positive. Weak points is a common question. I usually answer this by saying that I sometimes feel like I overly research something, so it may take a while to make a decision. This is a true statement about me, but can be seen as a weakness but also positive.

Eh, you sort of want to think of a negative that's a positive, but I've also heard it's better to just give a sincere weakness and instead talk about how you would like to improve it. The problem with giving a negative that's a positive is it leads to a lot of cliches and employers can see through it. I think your example borders on cliche. Definitely don't use "I'm too much of a perfectionist" or "I work too hard."

Also, think of a couple questions to ask about the company. They will almost always ask if you have any questions. I think it is better if you have some, then just saying no. For example, ask about their benefits packages.

Don't ask this. Everyone knows you're ultimately there to get a job, so of course you'll want to know about salary and benefits, but if that's what you gravitate towards when they ask you for questions, it's a bad look. You want to ask questions about the position itself, structure you'd be working in, company culture, etc., that show you actually have an interest and passion in the job beyond getting paid. The company will bring up salary and benefits on their own if it gets to that point, at which point then it would be okay to ask questions.

I guess if you've been through a long day of interviews with multiple people and you're wrapping up with HR, then it is probably okay to ask, but make sure you ask specific questions. Most companies have at least an overview of their benefits on their website, so asking "Do you offer a retirement plan?" is almost always going to be a dumb question, but "What percentage of employee contributions do you match?" might be a better one. Just do your research and find out what info they already have out there.

Thanks.

I spoke to my friend and he told me to lie if they ask whether I know or have experience in something, just say yes to everything they ask even if you don't know much about it.

Is this also a good strategy?

GreenTreeClub posted...

Thanks.

I spoke to my friend and he told me to lie if they ask whether I know or have experience in something, just say yes to everything they ask even if you don't know much about it.

Is this also a good strategy?

Only if you think you can back that yes up with an explanation if they ask for one.

GreenTreeClub posted...

Is this also a good strategy?

How confident are you that they won't give a follow up question to gauge your experience?
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GreenTreeClub posted...

Thanks.

I spoke to my friend and he told me to lie if they ask whether I know or have experience in something, just say yes to everything they ask even if you don't know much about it.

Is this also a good strategy?

Anytime someone says yes the first thing I do is ask a question that only someone familiar with it would know. Conversely, if you say no with something, I usually assume we can teach it to you if you have experience with something similar.

So in short, no.
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GreenTreeClub posted...

Thanks.

I spoke to my friend and he told me to lie if they ask whether I know or have experience in something, just say yes to everything they ask even if you don't know much about it.

Is this also a good strategy?

You still haven't told us what kind of jobs you're looking for, so maybe, maybe not. If they ask you if you have experience with C++ and you've never written code in anything, then it's not a good idea. If they ask you if you have experience operating a cash register, you can probably lie about it because anybody with common sense and the ability to read can figure out a cash register easily.

Or you could just tell the truth and hope they'll be interested in teaching you.

You might be worrying too much about saying the right thing so you are left trying to figure that out in the heat of the moment. Better to be genuine so that when you do land a job it will be a good fit for you.
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mastermix3000 posted...

Good, that's usually how it is (for the most part)

The only real "practice" you need to do is research the company. Other than that, it is a basic conversation

This is really bad advice if it's any sort of technical interview.

Zangulus posted...

Rockies posted...

Also, think of a couple questions to ask about the company. They will almost always ask if you have any questions. I think it is better if you have some, then just saying no. For example, ask about their benefits packages.

Don't ask this. Everyone knows you're ultimately there to get a job, so of course you'll want to know about salary and benefits, but if that's what you gravitate towards when they ask you for questions, it's a bad look. You want to ask questions about the position itself, structure you'd be working in, company culture, etc., that show you actually have an interest and passion in the job beyond getting paid. The company will bring up salary and benefits on their own if it gets to that point, at which point then it would be okay to ask questions.

I agree. Dont bother with benefits or salary talk unless they start it. Everyone wants to make money, thats the point. What they want to know is if youre worth what theyre going to offer.

Its best to not talk about it until theres an offer on the table, then you can begin negotiations.

I disagree. I don't think you should talk about salary, but I think ask about benefit and and other perks of the job is perfectly fine. You have to look at the interview as a 2 way interview. They are interviewing to see if you are fit, but you also want to see if you are fit. You want them to have to impress you as well.

I guess depending on how you ask, it could come off as bad, but this has always worked well for me.

Arrest more ISIS recruiters.
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Just calm down.

You can make your job interview. Just pretend that you are talking to a friend, albeit one with amnesia.

GreenTreeClub posted...

I noticed the more I practice, the worse I do. The less I practice, the better I do, but this is sometimes mixed, it is not a foolproof plan. I get too nervous and anxious...

What are you basing these observations on? And if you're having trouble, you could try seeking out coaching. For general nerves and anxiety, you may even consider seeking out normal counseling.

mastermix3000 posted...

GreenTreeClub posted...

The less I practice, the better I do

Good, that's usually how it is (for the most part)

The only real "practice" you need to do is research the company. Other than that, it is a basic conversation

Winging it is generally terrible advice. You should at least rehearse some talking points, especially in regards to how your experience qualifies you for the position.

And keep in mind that some hiring managers won't know to ask the right questions -- because they might have skimmed over a relevant portion of the resume -- so it's really up to the applicant to know how their experience makes them a good fit for the job.

GreenTreeClub posted...

The experience issue is also the problem. Even entry level jobs or jobs without experience requirements on the posting, inevitably, the interview brings up experience.

I'm also not a good conversationalist either.

If they called you in, they must think that you have the baseline experience to do the job. So while experience makes a difference, the fact that you're sitting there means you shouldn't feel too nervous about lacking experience unless the employer massively fucked up somehow.
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