I have met many people who often fear changing their long-time jobs where they are miserable because they fear losing security, reliable pay, and other stability benefits. I see them lose their confidence in their ability and become enslaved to their jobs. Many said they want to avoid going through the interview process because they are lost in touch.

 

From my perspective, interviewing is an art. Like anything else, it requires practice to get to mastery. There is a belief among some professionals that even though you may not be actively looking for a job, it is essential to attend many interviews in life to keep your interview muscles more robust. It is like working out regularly to build and sustain stronger muscles, even though we may not be preparing for body-building competitions.

 

Many people get nervous about going through interviews. Even though they are technically more adept and may have the skills needed to perform the work, often there is a fear of the unknown regarding the process, the people, and the job itself.

 

Interviews are an excellent opportunity to share about ourselves, who we are, our passions, what we value, what we can bring to the table, and why we are the best candidate for the opportunity. Instead of going with a perspective of "What if I don't get this job" - which comes from fear of failure or being unable to face rejection, try going to the interview from a place of passion, care, and "I can create" perspective.

 

I coached someone in the past who despised rejections in their interviews. And guess what? They got more rejections in interviews. One technique I taught them was to create a game & collect more rejections. I learned from Master Coach Rich Litvin, "Yes lives in the land of No." Collecting rejections may sound contradicting, but it helped my client build a stronger muscle to face those rejections eventually with grace and curiosity instead of anger and disappointment. Then they started attending the subsequent interviews with more awareness, energy, and enthusiasm. And guess what? They got a high-paying job, senior title, and excellent benefits than they were aiming for initially.

 

Suppose this is a skill you want to develop. In that case, Pradeepa Leadership Development school will teach you more about focusing on your value and moving away from the fear factor and rejections. Be confident in your interviews and land your next dream job.

 

 

Pradeepa Narayanaswamy is a Leadership and Executive Coach in the technology space. She has worked in some of the biggest organizations in the world, including Toyota, Northwestern Mutual, Harley Davidson and Southwest Airlines. She is a thought leader in the Agile space, a best-selling author and a TEDx speaker. She is a lifelong learner and an International Coaching Federation Professional Certified Coach (ICF-PCC) and a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC). In her spare time, she loves to hang out with her son, occasionally binge-watch Netflix, and travel with her family. She resides in Grapevine, Texas and can be reached at: