Becoming a Desirable Candidate

I’ve identified existing types of anxiety that create stressful job interviews. I’ve also discovered the factors that drive them, and methods to cope. I consider this process pivotal to not only interviewing well, but also understanding one’s self. If you don’t know who you are, how will an employer? Don’t leave room for assumptions or false interpretation. Find out who you are, be confident, and be yourself. 

  With that being said, now its time to shift gears and center focus on performing well in job interviews. Overcoming stress levels and anxiety is just the first step to successfully interviewing. Now that we’re cool, calm, and collected, lets begin exploring strategies that will help us achieve our goal of being a desirable candidate.  

The first thing I would recommend is talk to someone in a professional position. Talking to people creates ideas and incorporates outside perspectives that one might not consider on their own. I began by talking to a few people within my network that I consider business mentors. I asked them, how do I perform better in interviews for jobs that I feel “unqualified” for? At first I got the standard response, just be yourself, or you’ll be fine, you’re ready. But I demanded more, I want strategies, I need advice! That’s when the truth began to come out.

NEVER SETTLE: My first piece of advice was from a mid-level manager at a software design company and this is what he had to say. Nate, that fact that you feel “unqualified” is good. It means you’re not settling for the easy job that you probably could have gotten without your degree. Never settle he said. He continued with a hilarious metaphoric example. Interviewing for jobs is like trying to get a girlfriend. Never settle, you should always go for the hottest one that you like the most even though 9 out of 10 times you’re most likely going to be rejected or maybe even slapped in the face. Don’t be afraid of rejection, because eventually you will land the perfect dream job, or girlfriend, and it will all be worth it.

SMART PEOPLE & STUPID PEOPLE: The next guy that I talked to I really admire. He is a successful CEO that has almost made a hobby out of getting software start ups off the ground. The first thing he said was, Nate, there are two types of people that will interview you: smart people & stupid people. He said, and I quote word for word “some of these people couldn’t poor piss out of a boot if the directions were on the heel”. His advice corresponds with the first guy in the sense that, if a girl can’t see what a great guy you are and rejects you off the bat, then she doesn’t deserve you. Essentially his message was, if someone can’t see your worth and the value that you would bring to their company then they aren’t smart enough to make decisions like that in the first place.

Overall the message that I got from these two was that you can’t control the personality or thought process of others. The most important thing is that you don’t doubt yourself, and that you make sure the “real you” shows up to each interview.

Within both of those conversations strategies to successfully interviewing and being a desirable candidate were discussed. That will be the topic of my next blog post.