This month’s guest post comes from James Harlan; an aspiring novelist and a young community leader. He promotes lifelong learning and academic success through his contributions in the blogs, Master Dissertations and Oxbridge Dissertation.
Engaging in an interview is part and parcel of joining a company.
It is an essential screening measure that has been used for years. And while interviewers subscribe to methodical interview guidelines, applicants continue to struggle to effectively nail it down.
Why is that?
There are various factors at play. Listing all of them will not only take pages; it might also divert you from the obvious objective of this one-piece – which is to provide interesting approaches for amelioration.
And to provide better insight, some instances will be proffered under the perspective of an applicant vying for a freelance writing job.
Hone on interesting titbits
Have you noticed how easy it is for the interviewer to throw you unaware? The interviewer almost always possesses the upper hand – but that doesn’t mean you can’t do the same. Okay, before the technique is introduced, subscribe to this reminder: you are not to perform this to retaliate. Instead, perform this approach to show how in-depth your research had been.
1. Conduct an investigation with your eye on tricky issues. You can catch its whiff through an acquaintance who’s already working for the said company or through underground job forums.
2. Bring it out in your interview by politely asking about it. You can’t just ask for simple clarifications. Your best bet for a favourable response from your interviewer is by asking it in connection to the post you’re applying for (e.g., freelance business writer).
3. Express your satisfaction with the answer. And if you’re not really satisfied, feign contentment. There’s a reason why your interviewer is not giving it all. Pry more and your application might end up slouching in the nearby trash bin.
Bounce back with a bang
Perhaps, you’re the kind of applicant who gets real slumped when shoved down with heavy, out-of-this-world interview questions.
You obviously have a lot to work on your recovery techniques. Recovery techniques are methods that increase your chances of bouncing back from an unexpected interview question. It consists of the following:
- Laughing at it. A good hearty laugh produces the effect of taking away the aggravating tinge of nervousness.
- Repeating what was asked. Don’t be afraid to sound redundant. You are not repeating the question to mimic parrots; you are doing so to confirm the question – what it means to ask.
- Make a joke out of it. This applies for unexpected interview questions that aren’t characteristically funny (e.g., “this is your very first time to opt for freelance writing?”). Jokes give a good reason to laugh, fan the panicky feeling away, and allows you to go back to striking it.
Pullout your tricks
Did you always want to do something a little bit crazy than usual? List them all and pick the ones you could really muster to do during an interview. The following entries are just a few examples:
- Wear a coloured, chequered, or cartoon-themed socks or ties.
- Take with you an interesting toy (e.g., miniature toy).
- Bring a thickset and ancient-looking book.
For prospective freelance writers, you can sport an ‘I love Shakespeare’ shirt, or something of a similar ilk. Bring out your inner childlike creativity. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of crazy – as long as it doesn’t interfere with your job interview.
About the Author: James Harlan is an aspiring novelist and a young community leader. He promotes lifelong learning and academic success through his contributions in the blogs, Master Dissertations and Oxbridge Dissertation. You can connect with him on Twitter @c_jvinson.
