Job Interviews: What Everyone Loves and Hates Most about Them

Most of us are not locked into tenured positions within financially (or bureaucratically) stable companies; indeed, most of us are now struggling to restructure our resumes and cover letters to land that one-in-a-million job.  And because of this current economic depression, any nine-to-five job these days, whether it be slinging DVDs at Blockbuster or running the corporate mainframe, can now be deemed a one-in-a-million opportunity to make a living.

But keep the faith, ye persistent, yet, unemployed one, because while we writhe and wriggle endlessly re-writing resumes, our future employers are also sweating, restructuring what they look for and how they interview as they try to fill these limited-time-only positions.

For both the interviewee and the interviewer, the job interview is like a blind date. The only information one has about the other is limited to tidbits of facts collected from recommendations, resumes, or profiles on Facebook.  Neither party truly knows the other, and from the jump, there is only a minimal emotional investment and, therefore, nothing really to lose. So, interviewee, fear not the job interview.

In fact, the job interview is less about intimidation and more a function of building personal relationships between potential incoming employees and already-established, team leaders.  While the process is just as tedious for the employer, – who most often than not must plan recruitment meetings, delegate hiring responsibilities to other members of the company’s team, and reevaluate qualifications for new recruits – the job interview process provides an opportunity to heighten employee solidarity and duty efficiency.

As an interviewee, you may experience a more hate then love-filled relationship with the job interview experience (that is until you receive the long-awaited, “You’re hired!” phone call, then somehow the love pours back in).  The tediousness of the endless revisions and fine-tuning of the resume and cover letter is enough to throw even the most level-headed and rational person off kilter.  Then, as you wait your turn in the lobby, clutching onto the resume you re-wrote five times for this specific position, anxiety sets in and the sweat from your palms stains the ivory-toned paper you choose particularly from Kinkos.

And to top it all off, after your name is finally called, and you seat yourself in front of your potential future boss, you must now fight through the intimidation and nerves to successfully sell yourself and your skill-sets to a complete stranger who holds the viability of your financial future in his/her hands.

But quell those nerves.  Because once you are able to swallow the fear and realize that these interviewers and potential employers are just people, too, there is, indeed, much to love.  With every interview you experience, whether passed or failed, comes the much needed practice in solidifying your sense of self and confidence.  And the more companies you interview with, the more exposed you are to different work environments and the more likely you are to find and land a position with a company that suits your work habits and desires best.