One of the most brilliantly simple, yet impactful quotes I have ever read is by Joe Frazier, who said
Champions aren’t made in the ring, they are merely recognized there. What you cheat on in the early light of morning will show up in the ring under the bright lights.
Joe was an American professional boxer who reigned as the undisputed heavyweight champion from 1970 to 1973, so he knew what he was talking about! You’re probably wondering how this relates to interviews – well, if you don’t put in the time and work in “the early light of morning”, you’re not going to be able to perform “under the bright lights”! Performing well under pressure doesn’t happen by accident, so please don’t wing it and expect to be impressive.
I’ve been a big believer in preparation for most of my professional life – I’m being honest and saying ‘most’ because, hey, you live and learn! However, when I was going through one of Butler Street’s awesome e-learning programs a couple of years ago, they presented the Joe Frazier quote above to emphasize the importance of good habits and I’ve never forgotten it.
No matter how many interviews you’ve cleared in the past, remember that it’s a brave new world and the job market is more competitive than ever. Continuous improvement is the name of the game and you’ve got to get better faster than your competitors – that’s another thing I learned from Butler Street that stuck with me. It’s so true, though! The most successful professionals are constantly working on upping their game and keeping abreast with relevant technology trends and certifications and research … but somehow, when it comes to interviews, we think that we can walk in there with minimal preparation and blow them away. Keep in mind that the interviewer does not know you, so they can’t read between the lines like your friends and family do. Research, practice, and prepare – there’s no shortcut to excellence.
Let’s not forget the one thing that we all deal with – pre-interview jitters. I don’t care how experienced you are; if your heart doesn’t start racing a bit right before your interview, you’re either on meds or over-confident! Now, there may be some superheroes who never get nervous, but for most of us mere mortals, this can be a nail-biting process. Putting in some solid prep work is wonderfully reassuring when the nerves start to fray. You can tell yourself, “Hey – I got this! I’ve done my research, practiced my answers, I know what to ask and what not to, got my outfit all picked out … I’ve totally got this!!”
Now that you’re properly convinced that you need to prepare for that upcoming interview, I’m not just going to leave you hanging to figure out the rest on your own. My team and I recently created some interesting videos on preparing for virtual, phone, and in-person interviews. Check out these videos to gain excellent tips and guidelines, right from how to dress to what questions you can ask the interviewer. So, get going and ace that interview!
Feel free to share these amazing interview tips with your friends.
