Please do not act like this in an interview

Trying to find a job is a lot like trying to find a boyfriend or girlfriend.

Success comes with confidence and desperation is your worst enemy. 

If you find yourself in the challenging position of being out of work, it is essential to maintain control of your composure and to keep a positive outlook.

You may need to spend more time on adjusting your internal temperature and control.  Meditation and yoga are great ways to achieve this desired result.

Too many people in transition, fail to practice take this approach.

They often fret over that big interview that they were able to secure later in the week, and spend all their time focusing on it and practicing their answers so that they will come across as the perfect candidate for the open position.

This will almost always backfire!

People that use this approach, usually come across as being too "salesy" and desperate.

They usually end up talking a lot more than they should.

Desperate people not only give off a negative vibe, but they often deliver poor answers in interviews. These candidates can often lose their train of thought as try to find a way to insert their sales pitch into the conversation, they stumble on questions, and their anxiety makes them lose their ability to provide concise answers.

Do not try to position yourself as to why you are the best candidate for the position!

You might as well be telling that cute girl at the bar, why you are the greatest catch in the room.

When desperation is evident, the situation will go south really quick.

My wife calls it the “ick” factor. It is awkward for the listener and nobody wants it around them.  People want to take a shower after being around a used car sales profile.  When it rears its ugly head in an interview, it usually has the interviewer looking at their watch and contemplating the fastest possible way that they can exit the interview. 

If you are not working, stay active.

Network and make sure that you are having at least two meetings a day, but with the remainder of the day, get exercise and work on a project outside of job search. Home renovations, painting, cleaning out the garage are ideas. This mixture of tasks will allow you to feel more balanced and provide a sense of accomplishment. These experiences often provide learnings and insights and provide opportunities to build confidence and a sense of self-worth.

Farewell,

Mike