I drove to Vancouver yesterday evening, went to an interview today, and drove back home this evening. I live in Kamloops and it was snowing in the mountains. Needless to say I am tired. But I told this girl I met in the office that I am trying to blog every day. Then I realized I didn't blog yesterday or the day before. So, I'm sort of a liar. But I am trying. Anyway...
So I went to this interview. No, I don't need a job, I already have one. This interview was a part of the process of getting my accreditation with the organization I work for. It was a two hour interview with five guys from the org and driving home afterward, contemplating the afternoon, I thought of a couple of things regarding interviews that I thought I would share quickly before falling into bed exhausted.
First, be honest. I was honest with these guys when I didn't know something, when I had conflicting thoughts on a topic, and about my life before the organization (and no, I don't work for the mob or a crime syndicate - I work for a church). They appreciated my honesty.
Second, be prepared, but not over-prepared. That may sound like strange advice, but I think if you are overprepared you can be so focused on getting out all the information you know, that you might miss the actual point of the question. For instance, suppose they ask you what kind of tea you like to drink. The overprepared person might give them a short history of tea from China to India to England including all the major types of tea, the optimal growing seasons, brewing times, and health benefits, all without ever answering the simple question about what tea they like.
Third, be yourself. Again, I know, pretty basic stuff, but you'd be surprised at how often people go in to an interview and try to be who they think the interviewers want, and not who they themselves actually are. That is hard stuff to keep up for two hours. I'm casual, intellectual, and a little bit humerously cynical (does that sound like an add on a dating site?) That is who I was in the interview. I didn't try to be anything other than that.
This blog won't rock your world or tell you anything you can't find on a million sites dedicated to interviews and the interview process. It's just what works for me and I'm always looking for things that work for me.
My bed is calling me....
