Ever been anxiously waiting for a job interview for a role that feels perfect and like a step up…. but you're nervous?
You know you're up against the competition, and it's getting under your skin.
You find yourself obsessing over all the things that you don't feel qualified enough for.
You're worried that your anxiety is going to get in the way of bringing your best.
If you've ever felt this way—know you're not alone! Here's some advice to help you get your mindset in place and make you more likely to ace the offer.
- Before the interview, create a plan of your first 90 days *as if* you've already been hired. Based on what you know about the company, the job, and its goals, write down what you would plan to accomplish in your first 30, 60, and 90 days.
- If you're not sure exactly what should go on the page, look at the job description, and pretend it's a school assignment to create a model 90-day plan based on this job
- Identify any key questions you'd need to fill in to be sure your 90-day plan would work and be the right fit for the company. These are some great questions to ask in the interview!
- Before you walk into the interview, bring yourself back mentally to what it felt like to believe that you already have the role.
Here's why it works:
- When you go into the job interview as if you already have the job, you're thinking more specifically about what the role would entail.
It's easier for those on the other side of the table to see you seamlessly in the role.
- When you spend time acting like you have the job, it moves you from feeling powerless and just "hoping they will pick you" to a place of confidence as a collaborator in getting the goals of the job done.
I used to coach candidates for a national fellowship program, and I gave someone this advice just as they were interviewing for their dream role and were so nervous.
But they sat down and wrote the plan and aced their interview. The interviewers were so impressed at this person's level of focus and the questions they asked in the interview that they blew the competition away.
And going into the interview this way can change the entire trajectory of how your dream role unfolds.
Because from the very start, you're bringing vision and ownership to the role. It's an amazing way to start.
