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And on the subject of Interviews……

An interview is a fundamental part of getting a job, and love it or hate it, landing your dream job can hinge on how well it goes. So, it is no wonder really why most people dread going to an interview, in fact we bet that if you ask whether someone would rather go to an interview or to the dentist, they would choose the dentist.

So, can an interview really be worse than facing the dentist’s drill? We have asked a few of our friends and acquaintances to tell us about their best and worst interviews in this blog, so whether you are an interview-relisher or an interview-hater, you can see from the following that you are not on your own.

“I went to a product launch once and started chatting to a guy about how amazing I thought the product was and how much I would love to work for the company. Little did I know that I was actually talking to the MD and within minutes we would be eating canapes, sipping champagne and discussing my start date. Needless to say that was the best interview I ever had!”

“I went to an interview once where the woman interviewing me opened the meeting with “I got back from holiday today and they landed this interview on me, which is the last thing I need, so let’s make it quick shall we?” I have never felt so wanted.”

“My worst ever interview was conducted over the phone with a potential employer based in Australia. Not only did we have a horrendous delay on the line to contend with, but he rang me unexpectedly on a Saturday evening when I was standing in a pub garden having had one too many glasses of wine!”

“Unbelievably, my worst ever interview turned into the best job I ever had. The interview was a catalogue of disasters: I got lost on the way there and turned up late, called the interviewer the wrong name TWICE, got a tickly cough half way through, didn’t put my phone on silent (cue a call at just the wrong moment), forgot to bring along a copy of my CV and I managed to bend the interviewer’s finger back as I reached for a good-bye handshake! Leaving the interview completely mortified and convinced I wouldn’t hear a word from them again, I was a tad surprised when they phoned and offered me the job. I love the company I work for and have been in the job now for 10 years. And we still laugh about the finger bending incident!”

“An interview I had once went sour the minute I walked into the meeting room and accidentally trapped the office dog in the door as I was closing it behind me…..”

“I think I am lucky that I have always really enjoyed being interviewed! Someone told me years ago to remember that the interviewer is ‘just another human being’ and because of that I have never been nervous or scared. Talking to another human being isn’t scary is it.”

So there we have it – interviews don’t always turn out the way you think they will, so fearing the worst can be a waste of your energy; energy that can be put towards finding out a bit about the company, doing your research and preparing a few questions to ask instead. All of these things are a much better use of your pre-interview time and can show the interviewer that you have taken an interest in the company you want to work for.

Another piece of advice we can offer you is to approach an interview with open mindedness and honesty. Connecting with the interviewer is key so that they feel they can trust you to do the job you say you can do and fit into their environment.

So don’t let nerves get the better of you, just be yourself – be your ‘professional’ self – and the interview will probably go much better than you think. Now go and get that job!