Books abound on how to answer specific resume questions, from the absurd (if you were a fruit, what would you be?), to the mundane (tell us about a time when you provided excellent customer service), to the sublime (could you share with us what motivates you, what you are passionate about, and how these relate to this position?). However, there is little information on the following topics, all of which impact the interview’s outcome.

Using Your Imagination

Take a lesson from a technique popular with sports professionals. Spend some time visioning. In this exercise, you “see” yourself in the interview, as if watching a movie, and you envision yourself handling the questions with ease, behaving professionally, exuding charm, wit, intelligence. This technique enhances athletic performance, and it will certainly improve interview performance.

Managing Your Attitude

Some people approach interview questions with suspicion, perceiving every question as a ploy to eliminate them. Although true that most must be eliminated, why assume it is you? Instead, assume “Here’s another opportunity for me to shine, for me to share how I can do this job better than the others, how I am perfect for this job.”

Calming Your Nerves

If you are landing interviews, but no offers, perhaps your nerves are getting in the way. Here are three nerve-calming strategies:

1. Prepare. Most interview questions are behavioural, and it is the job-hunter’s duty to read, research, rack her brain, and prepare answers to typical questions. Being prepared will relieve most of the fear.
2. Eat bananas. If you tend to be the nervous type, visit your local health food store for a suitable product that provides instant relief from those pesky jitters. Or eat a banana; apparently the potassium relaxes as well!
3. Breathe. To relax your vocal chords do a few breathing exercises, for example: breathe in, and while exhaling, quietly utter “la-la-la” for the entire exhalation. Another example: inhale deeply, hold it for the count of four, and then exhale slowly. This makes optimal use of the oxygen you’ve inhaled. (It also works well the night before you interview.)
4. Here’s a singer’s trick for a nervous symptom that causes a dry mouth: spread a tiny bit of petroleum jelly, or even lip gloss over your teeth. This will prevent your teeth from sticking to your gums, a very embarrassing nervous symptom!

Using Your Voice

We all know someone who could benefit from vocal coaching. Common speech-afflictions include a nasal or whiny tones, and boring or rapid fire delivery. Be pro-active: ask friends and family for honest input, or record yourself speaking.

Establishing a Connection

Looking for work has many sales parallels. Establishing a connection is the first of three steps to a successful sale. (The second step in sales is to sell the company, and the third, to sell the product. The job hunter could be seen as the company/product rolled into one.)

Borrow this sales strategy: find a connection, begin establishing a relationship, and land the sale-job that is! Present a relaxed presence, with a well-modulated voice, and a friendly demeanour, and without a doubt you will come across as confident, knowledgeable, a relationship-builder and great communicator… in short, an outstanding candidate.

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