Why Are Interviews So Scary?about 2 weeks after the interview took place. She sent me a greet-
ing card with the face of a sad, cute little puppy on the front of
it. The inside of the card said, “Before, I felt like a scared puppy;
now I feel like a lion! Thank you for helping me land the job!”
Just like Christine, many of us shy away from “tooting our
own horns.”
But that’s just what an interview is for. It’s your
opportunity to tell an employer what you’ve
accomplished in the past and how you’ll help
them in the future.When Christine was able to interview successfully for the
financial analyst position, nothing new or magical was added to
her personality. She simply picked up the tools that we’re going
to discuss in the coming chapters.
Most important, she learned to let the employer understand,
in clear and specific terms, that she couldand wouldmake a sig-
nificant contribution to that firm.
This is the key to fearless interviewing: knowing
your strengths, being able to provide concrete
examples of those strengths, thereby building the
lasting confidence to present yourself and your
skills in the best possible light.In the next several chapters, you’ll learn the following:- What interviewers are really looking for
- How to charm your way into the interviewer’s heart in
the first 20 seconds of the interview - How to express your strengths and skills with power and
laserlike precision - How to handle even the most difficult questions
- How to use body language in your favor