Selling Yourself in the Job Interview 139
In fact, the applicant who feels this desperation (and worse,
shows it) will unwittingly magnify all these fears into a huge and
haunting specter.
Desperation always manages to show itself in the eyes.
Insecurity is betrayed by the entire body.
The face and hands send all the signals you hope to avoid.
The voice quivers and trembles, and a mind in panic is in no
condition to cope with the interview at hand.
What can you do?
First, as in any stressful situation, gain control of yourself by
doing the breathing and relaxation exercises in Chapter 4.
Second, bring into play all of the basic communication skills
you learned in earlier chapters. Use your face, your voice, and
your body to gain control over the situation rather than let it gain
control over you.
Next, consciously adopt a counterpsychology. What allows you
to do this is the knowledge that the intimidating dynamics of the
job interview are false.
They are negative.
They have no reality.
They are imagined and born of fear, stress, and intimidation.
Here are three factors to consider:- Your worth and your value are in you. They have nothing
to do with whether or not you are employed, holding a
job, or earning money. You’re the same person regardless
of your situation. - Your interviewer isn’t intrinsically superior to you. Yes,
because of the transient circumstances of the moment, he
or she is more powerful than you are. But the interviewer’s
power isn’t ultimate. There are other jobs, other employ-
ers out there. You’re a free person. You and your inter-
viewer are essentially equal in two respects. You’re both
human beings and each may have something the other
needs and wants. Only your roles are different. They could
very well be reversed. The interviewer needs to fill the job
vacancy as much as you need the job. Don’t lose sight of