the dance

i have an interview today. i don't think it's considered a real interview, because it's a prescreen, a telephone interview. i told my mother it was simply to weed out the crazies so they wouldn't have to deal with them in a real interview room.

i told my friend about the interview and she told me that this is like an aptitude test. so, if it's like an aptitude test, that means i should likely study for it. and really study for it. like most exams though, most of the information will never be relevant. but for one split second, some tidbit of information i've picked up can be inserted into the interview.

conclusion: i should be able to study for most interviews to the extent that very few of the questions come as a surprise to me.

some other things i think about the interview (thanks in large part to information posted on the Brazen Careerist blog by Penelope Trunk):

take a lesson from george bush : plan my answers to questions with five varying scenarios. and then i just apply them as the question arises. this is what most great presidents do. so, george bush (bad example, i know) would have four or five main speaking points that he wanted to touch on during question periods after speeches. and then, every answer he gave would address one of his talking points. i suppose it's also an alternate way of keeping in control of the conversation, or at least feeling like you're in charge of the conversation. for type a personalities as myself, feeling as though i have some level of control in a seemingly uncontrollable situation is very comforting to me. so if i stumble over questions it's my own fault.

sit up straight, smile, and brush your hair. even in the phone interview. it will make you feel more professional. when i was in university, with a dorm roommate, this wasn't as much of a possibility. i once interviewed for a job in my closet, in my pajamas. this is bad. do not do this. (though i did end up getting the job).

dance the dance. everyone knows the interview is fake. you know it, the interviewer knows it. but it's like a well-choreographed dance. everyone in the audience knows it's a routine, carefully planned, and perfectly executed. this may not be the dancers favourite dance, but they've learned to perform it to such a level that it garners admiration. the ones who follow the moves the best, take the planned dance above and beyond the expectations, they get the prize. it's the same with an interview. it's just the way the world works right now. it's not right, not a complete reflection of how well you'll do at the job, but it's the way things are done. for now. one day, every firm will use LinkedIn and Twitter and Facebook and read your blog to see what you're about. many already do. but even more don't have the time.