INTERVIEWING: How to Show Enthusiasm - Not Desperation
It's painful to look back upon my early career. I had a bachelor's degree, but not a career. And, because my financial obligations were mounting (wife, house, kid, car, high-tax suburb, etc.), I had this mentality that I had to get a job - any job - to pay the bills.
As a result, I interviewed for jobs for which I had no business interviewing. In those interviews, I all but got on my knees and begged. I had financial concerns, after all, and I needed income. Unfortunately, I projected the the "Plllleeeeeaaase!!!! I NNNNNEEEEEEEDDD THISSSSS JOOOOOB!!!!" image.
In short, I was desperate - and it showed.
And, on the rare occasion when I landed a job interview for something within my field, I reverted to this desperation mindset and image projection.
As you might guess, some of the work gaps early in my career were much longer than they needed to be because I looked, acted, and was desperate.
Luckily, I realized what I was doing wrong and made corrections.
I started this post by saying how painful it is to look back upon my early career and the mistakes I made in trying to find work. And I feel that same pain every single day when I speak to my clients - many of whom are desperate and act desperate in their job interviews.
If you feel desperation when interviewing, then you - like my clients and my younger self - are doing it wrong. You should be showing enthusiasm instead of desperation. Here are five things I learned about professional desperation during that painful period of my career:
Don't apply for jobs
until you're ready. I sent off 20 resumes the
day I was last laid off. That was a mistake. Starting a job search
before you mourn the loss of your job is counterproductive and
immediately puts you in desperation mode. This can hurt your early
job search efforts and extend your search. This causes your
desperation to snowball. Mourn first, get your wits about you, and
apply for jobs only when you're done mourning.
Only interview for the
right jobs. Many desperate job seekers don't
care what kind of job they get or who they work for as long as they
get a job. But consider this: if you buy a lottery ticket, then you
have a chance of winning; if you don't buy a ticket, then you have no
chance of winning. If the prize you win is guaranteed unhappiness,
then why would you buy the ticket in the first place? When you know
that you'll probably have to look for another job very soon? Know
what kind of lottery you want to win and only buy those tickets.
Coyness.
Job interviews are about a balance of power. Desperate job seekers
give all of the power to the interviewers because they just want the
job - no matter what it is. They tell hiring managers that their
skills match the job requirements. This wording shows you're willing
to fit yourself into any job - which reeks of desperation. A better
method is to play it a little coy. Tell the hiring manager that the
job seems to match your skills, but you want to know more. By
changing the wording, you show your interest and enthusiasm - but
without giving all of the power away.
Don't wag your tail.
Dogs wear the same expression every day, all day long. The only way
you can tell if their excited is if they're wagging their tails. In
poker, this would be called a "tell." And, because job
interviews are power balances, you want to be sure you don't seem too
happy by wagging your tail. Ask about the job, the company and the
industry. Ask about products and services. This shows you're more
interested in determining whether the job is right for you than
morphing yourself to fit the job. Wagging your tail, on the other
hand - showing overboard excitement - is a clear sign of professional
desperation.
Confidence.
Confidence is one of those intangibles. You either have it or you
don't. Those who don't project confidence project desperation. To
project enthusiasm instead of desperation, put yourself in a
confident mindset. First, read your own resume. Second, remember a
time in your life when you were sure of yourself and felt "in
the zone." Feel your pride. Notice how intelligent you felt.
Get in that place before your job interviews. By getting back to
that place, you're increasing the chances of repeating your
confidence. Remember that success breeds success. Ditto,
confidence.
IN THE CARAVAN: Project enthusiasm instead of desperation in your job interviews by first mourning your job loss, being choosy about the jobs to which you apply, be confident, and hold your cards close to your chest.
NEXT THURSDAY: Juggling Two Job Offers
Check out last Thursday's posts:
INTERVIEWING: Interviewing for a New Job In a New Field
INTERVIEWING: New Job In New Field: Interviewing Challenges (Supplemental)
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