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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