Interview or not

[rosenylund]

I'm in a quandary; I have an interview for a job next week I never thought I would get an interview for.

I've applied for a number of jobs in a mild panic as I know my role ends in December in current job. It's a completely different role, one I haven't done for a few years.

I am literally terror struck at the interview process, as it's one where they give you a topic on the day and some time to prepare a presentation. I've done pre-prepped powerpoints in other job interviews which were bad enough!

I'm debating dropping out as I just don't think I can do it, I don't think I will able to do the job and I feel I won't fit back into a corporate environment when I've been out of one for a good while. I've been advised to go for the experience and all that , but I also feel I'll be depriving someone else of an interview.

The bad thing is it would also mean dropping out on the morning of actual interview as it's Monday.

If it was just a sit down interview I'd go, but now I feel like my fears around the presentation really point to me not being able to do the actual job itself. Hence me being on MN and not revising...

Any thoughts? Be brutal, I can take it!

”I also feel I'll be depriving someone else of an interview.”

Very unlikely. They will have shortlisted people they think they might appoint. If there are other people they thought that about, they’d already be shortlisted.

Be honest with yourself, dropping out would be for your benefit not anyone else’s.

Do you think there is any chance at all you’d accept the job if offered it?

Do you know what, no, I don't think I'll fit in and maybe not in a good enough or confident enough place at the moment. Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Is there any chance you might want to work for the organisation in the future? Be careful of burning your bridges.

It would be good experience and stepping out of one’s comfort zone is healthy. But if you wouldn’t accept the job and are this worried about it, maybe cancelling would be better.

I think you’re talking yourself out of it and it’s purely down to nerves. I can’t believe that anybody goes to an interview without any nerves, it’s completely normal.

Personally I’m a big fan of doing things that scare you as the feeling of “I bloody did it” so rewarding afterwards. So I say go for it, stop talking yourself out of it, see it as an opportunity, you’ve been shortlisted so you’re already a strong competitor and the experience may fare you well for other interviews if you don’t get this job.

If you need work after December why wouldn't you take this opportunity to gain practical experience in the interview process? even if it doesn't work out, it gets you back into practice.

See it as very low stakes, don't be over invested in it, but give it your best shot.

Seems too good to waste. What type of work are you looking for?

Sounds like you are letting your fear control your actions.

Try looking at it another way, if you never go out of your comfort zone, how will you grow and learn?

I used to be terrified of these sorts of assessment centres but on doing a couple last year, I found I actually enjoyed the challenge of coming up with the goods off the cuff.

You may surprise yourself like me that these aren't so bad after all. If you know your subject area/ job role inside put then it's just putting together existing knowledge together and sharing what your thought process is.

Why not tell yourself that you are going to go to the interview purely for the experience and/or so as not to drop out last minute, with 0 expectation you'll get the job ? With your baseline expectation that you simply get through the day, that in itself would be something to be proud of?

I know the feeling of dread that you'll embarrass yourself (I get it myself), but would you believe me if you say that I've interviewed 1000s of people over the years (work in HR), and can count on one hand the people I genuinely think any less of as a result (and those people are the kind of twats who think they can blatantly lie to the panel or get aggressive with the receptionist etc.). Everyone has some nerves of course but some people are affected much much worse than others, I've interviewed a lady who was so anxious she shook like a leaf throughout, and a man who was so nervous he threw up in the bin mid interview!) - I honestly only have sympathy for them and admiration for having the guts to go through with it- sometimes it's a bit frustrating if someone's nerves get in the way of them doing as well as they could but I tend to think that's at least 50% on the person doing the interview to set the right tone and ask the questions in the right way so everyone is able to show their abilities, so again I wouldn't blame the person for that. I am sure the panel won't mind at all if you are a bit nervous especially as you are out of practice being interviewed...

Good luck, I hope you went...!