It's all pretty simple when you step back and see it. You get notified that the Company wants to have an interview and a subconscious decision is made.
You make the determination that the interview process is (1) a massive sales pitch from Company representatives and they need to dazzle you with the opportunity OR (2) you cross your fingers, dwell on the correct possible answers and interaction, and hope for the best.
Let's admit there's a lot of in-betweens that could take place and maybe you flip-flop between (1) and (2). But this really isn't necessary. There's an approach that creates a peaceful experience and extinguishes any anxiety.
First of all, to set yourself up for a constructive interviewing event(s), please realize that you will be compared, objectively and subjectively, to other individuals in the same situation. So there's competition right from the start, accept that fact and press forward.
The first interview or even the first two interviews are pure "discovery". They are learning the key elements about how you operate and you're DISCOVERING what the Company is all about. Think of it as a genuine back-and-forth with a stranger.
Take notes. Survey the company interviewing approach. Look around the workplace, notice the interaction among employees, carefully scan for an organized environment (versus sloppy), and digest the real scenario that you're witnessing. What you experience in these interviews is WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT WORKING THERE.
You may find yourself (chosen by the Company) heading into a second or third interview which you should consider the "final" interview. Your primary three objectives are as follows:
1. Determine, through words and ignore the job description, what the FIVE PRIMARY activities you will be conducting there. They will tell you and you need to write this down because this is where they are telling you what precisely you will be responsible for 90% of the time you're working there.
2. What is the business status of the Company? You MUST determine if they are struggling or killing it right now! You MUST determine, through clues, if things are toxic there. The method of accomplishing this is having them, through a back-and-forth exchange, based on your prompts, what the over-arching plans are for the Company and the department you'll be in.
3. Regardless of your feelings one way or the other about the opportunity, you MUST relay signals that your are massively interested in "moving to the next step" and you find the opportunity "exciting" and that you CAN DO THE JOB.
YOU HOLD THE BALL WHEN IT SEEMS CLOSE TO THE COMPANY'S "DECISION POINT". It's UP TO YOU to carefully fill in ALL OF THE BLANKS about what exactly you will experience with that job.
It's THAT simple!
