Author: Lavie Margolin, Career Coach
Interviewing is all about perception. Do you appear poised and confident even when you are really nervous on the inside? What about when you are completely relaxed but something is making it appear that you are nervous.
An interview that I went on happened to occur on one the hottest days of the summer. I was wearing a jacket, button down shirt and tie. I was feeling pretty overheated on the way to the interview, especially rushing to make it over my lunch break . Remembering to stay well hydrated, I figured I did not have much to worry about. Until the interview began. It was a two person interview (usually no problem), until after I answered the first question, tell me about yourself. The interviewer’s response: “Relax”. Huh? I was not feeling nervous and could not understand how I was giving that impression. I then answered another question. “Relax, calm down”. Ok, now I actually was getting a bit nervous. What was I doing wrong? I responded, “Thank you but I am relaxed.” The response? “But your face is all red!”
Ah. Now I get it. Due to the sweltering conditions of a New York summer, I appeared to be really nervous because I had a red face. I made a note to myself to drop into by bathroom next time before I go into the actual interview and cool down a bit. Thankfully I was offered the job anyway. Nervous or not.
About the Author: Lavie Margolin is a New York-based Career Coach and the author of Lion Cub Job Search: Practical Job Search Assistance for Practical Job Seekers. To learn more, go to Lavie’s website, Lion Cub Job Search:www.Lioncubjobsearch.com