Dealing with Difficult Situations at Interviews
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Interviewing requires poise even in ideal situations. When you
face additional psychological obstacles thanks to difficult situations,
staying poised requires perspective.
Laid Off or Fired
Losing a job disrupts a worker's sense of stability and career
plans. For people whose work is a source of personal pride and
value, sudden loss can be disorienting.
That's how Jim felt when his pharmaceutical company laid him off
to reduce costs. Despite his understanding of the financial reasons
for eliminating his position, it still seemed as if his company
had rejected him.
Since he had managed multiple teams and thrived on the ability
to influence others, he felt frustrated by his loss of power and
the sense of significance that it had brought him.
Then Jim refocused. After all, his layoff was not the culmination
of his professional history or an evaluation of his merit. Instead
of dwelling on his loss, Jim made a list of his professional and
personal accomplishments.
For example, he had successfully launched a new medication, taking
it from experimental testing through marketing. He had initiated
and developed a new employee mentoring program, effectively training
other mentors to provide guidance to employees. As a result, the
morale of the office and communication flows improved.
After highlighting several other accomplishments, Jim made a list
of the constructive feedback he received from his team, colleagues,
and managers. Several people had noted his initiative and his organizational
abilities, others had thanked him for his encouragement and accessibility.
Still others saw him as an excellent negotiator. Two of his managers
had commented on his attention to detail in quality standards.
He could see on paper that his colleagues respected him.
As Jim considered his career at the pharmaceutical company, he
began to gain an appreciation for his experience and contribution
there. In addition to helping him feel better, the process refined
his goals. Jim saw more clearly what kind of position enabled him
to flourish. With a renewed sense of confidence in his objective
achievements and value, Jim launched himself into the search.
Prolonged Job Search
Jim searched for an extended period. His layoff had occurred during
an economic downturn that dampened the entire industry, and now
he found himself networking,
searching job banks, and dragging
himself to job fairs. Discouragement
began to seep into his psyche, and his enthusiasm for his skills
and achievements began to dissolve. Knowing that he had previously
overcome sapped confidence, Jim pulled back from his immediate
emotions to reflect on his overall situation.
Jim identified the facts: he had usable skills and qualities and
a proven history of adding value to his company. He wanted a job
that would challenge and grow with him, enabling him to build his
career. He knew himself well enough to realize that he thrived
in large companies rather than small ones, and in positions in
which he was able to assume significant responsibility for outcomes
and people.
He also had specific salary goals and minimum requirements. He
did not want to settle for any open position. His circumstances
would have been discouraging for anyone, but he needed to find
the right fit. His extended search did not reflect upon his worth
as a viable candidate or person.
Eventually, an attractive company invited Jim for an interview.
Since his resume indicated that he had stopped working at his previous
company five months prior, he anticipated that the interviewers
would question him about his employment gap. He carefully prepared
an answer, focusing on his desire to find a job that matches his
specific abilities and goals. He could guarantee his skills, but
he could not control the availability of positions.
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