Don't Take an Owl to Your Interview and Other Key Tips
Lisa Johnson • October 4, 2015
So The Bachelor has finished, and now we have The Bachelorette . Which is, if I may say, the most cringe worthy television ever . After a few episodes, the person I like most is Sam Frost. The blokes are doing an outstanding job of making me cringe. And it's because they didn't prepare themselves for their first interview. Yes, that initial awkward meeting (where one stood on his head, one gave Sam a crumpled serviette and one brought an owl) was indeed their first interview.
And most of them simply blew it. It's not that they were nervous – after all, most people are nervous in an important interview – it's that they didn't take the time to read the body language of the interviewer and instead focused on pushing their own agenda…and owl. (For those of you who didn’t lose an hour of their lives watching this episode – which I might add, they will never get back – one of the potential suitors, brought along his pet owl, I kid you not.) And most of them didn't make a brilliant first impression as a result. What can you learn from all those ridiculously good looking men making fools of themselves?
- Use appropriate language …telling someone you are nervous by saying that you are 'packing it' is going to put people off. Informal language is for when you know someone well, not when you are first meeting them.
- You want to stand out for the right reasons – you should aim to be remembered for your skills and professional manner, not because you tried something gimmicky to stand out. Whatever you do, don't stand on your head in an interview. It's just plain weird. Weirder than the owl (almost).
- There is always another candidate, so don't make out that you are all that special – nothing puts off an interviewer more than arrogance. Confidence is good, but arrogance is going to send you home alone and mildly humiliated.
- Listen – in an interview you are expected to do most of the talking, I get that, but take the time to listen to what is being said to you. And by listening, I also mean body language. Is what you are saying being received in a positive manner? If the interviewer is looking vaguely horrified and looking for security, you need to stop saying what you are saying. It's not working.
It’s too late for the blokes on The Bachelorette ; they have already made the blunders...but hopefully you won't be quite so awkward in your next interview!
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