Being married and all, I have not been on a date in a long time; however, the more I interview at advertising agencies, the more it feels like dating.
First, you get the call and feel excited; then you start worrying about what to wear and first impressions. On your way to the actual interview, you start thinking about what to say and ask. When you finally meet the interviewer, you try to come across as confident but your hands are sweaty and as cold as ice. The person greets you by saying "Juan? Hi, my name is [blank]." and you introduce yourself by saying "Hi, I'm Juan!" even though the person has clearly mentioned your name already. At this point you are sarcastically thinking "Nice one dude." but the key to any date is to finish strong. You find yourself sitting right across from the interviewer and, minus the appetizers and drinks, you go straight into the discourse.
Personally, I feel better when interviews are more like conversations whether than interrogations. I usually start off by saying something to set the tone: this technique shows a sense of assertiveness and implies that you know what you want; it also lets you have some control and eliminates awkward moments of silence. You then ask each other questions and try to determine if you and the corporate culture make a good match; soon after, the interview ends and the worst part begins.
It has been 24 hours and 360 minutes since the interview and feelings of anxiety coupled with confusion kick in. You want to call but it seems to early and eager: the last thing you want to do is scare the interviewer off. The next day you convince yourself it is OK to call; the phone rings but it goes to voice mail and you quickly hang up. Damn!
Just like dating, the act of interviewing gets better with practice. I have been to about five different agencies since my graduation and am glad to say that each interview has felt better than the last. Let's just hope the progression continues because you never know what an interview/date holds.
First, you get the call and feel excited; then you start worrying about what to wear and first impressions. On your way to the actual interview, you start thinking about what to say and ask. When you finally meet the interviewer, you try to come across as confident but your hands are sweaty and as cold as ice. The person greets you by saying "Juan? Hi, my name is [blank]." and you introduce yourself by saying "Hi, I'm Juan!" even though the person has clearly mentioned your name already. At this point you are sarcastically thinking "Nice one dude." but the key to any date is to finish strong. You find yourself sitting right across from the interviewer and, minus the appetizers and drinks, you go straight into the discourse.
Personally, I feel better when interviews are more like conversations whether than interrogations. I usually start off by saying something to set the tone: this technique shows a sense of assertiveness and implies that you know what you want; it also lets you have some control and eliminates awkward moments of silence. You then ask each other questions and try to determine if you and the corporate culture make a good match; soon after, the interview ends and the worst part begins.
It has been 24 hours and 360 minutes since the interview and feelings of anxiety coupled with confusion kick in. You want to call but it seems to early and eager: the last thing you want to do is scare the interviewer off. The next day you convince yourself it is OK to call; the phone rings but it goes to voice mail and you quickly hang up. Damn!
Just like dating, the act of interviewing gets better with practice. I have been to about five different agencies since my graduation and am glad to say that each interview has felt better than the last. Let's just hope the progression continues because you never know what an interview/date holds.
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