2nd interview - question about questions

[Snorkers]

hello all

I have a second interview tomrrow for a dream job. I'm a strong candidate, normnally confident and can 100% do the job, but interviews are my absolute nadir. I crumple, mumble and waffle and self fulfilling anxiety often makes me forget my prepared experience scenarios and then I do as bad as i thought I would, etc etc. I did explain this to the interviewers and asked if I can have advance questions but they said they could only help with the topics for dicussion, not the actual questions.

First interview was okj - amazed I got a second based on my interview but I did do a presentation which i thnk they liked.

So based on that - would it be a really bad thing to have a bullet list of my experience/areas that i want to refer to just in case I freeze on a question? Not whole answers - literally just like:

stakeholder engagment experience - project x wt y company
Conflict resolution experience - person a at place b

and so on.

FYI it's a management position if that makes any difference, so fairly pressured.

Would you downgade an interviewee for doing this?

Sorry for spelling etc writing witg a sore finger

No I wouldn't. I do give the candidates a cope of the questions in front of them to help.

I wouldn’t no. The interviewers always write notes, and aren’t expected to remember everything so why should applicants have to memorise every possible question they could be asked with their answers. Any company that would mark you down for that are not someone I would want to work for.

To be honest, in my industry (Financial Services) we'd absolutely mark you down for having a crib sheet on your own experience. It would make us doubt your veracity. Especially for a management position. We get people trying to big themselves up and talking about what 'the team' did or what someone else (and pretending it was them!)whereas we specifically want to know YOUR contribution and we would expect you know that inside out without needing any notes.

If you'd asked us for the interview questions in advance, we have politely turned the request down (but privately been very unimpressed). We don't have set interview questions. We don't want rehearsed answers. If we sense your answers are rehearsed, we're probably going to drill down and really put you under some pressure (of course this can be an opportunity shine!) because we want to know that you're talking about YOUR experience and that you're the right fit as a person in terms of values etc.

You need to work on your anxiety. I don't mean to sound unsympathetic but it sounds like this is really holding you back.

Thank you. You're right it really is holding me back.

If its a reasonable adjustment for disability then fine

I don't have a disability - I just get really nervous.

Have you done practice interviews? That will help. And I don't mean soft and fluffy ones with a friend who you're comfortable with. You need someone who will push you a bit. You need to get comfortable being uncomfortable. And think about why you're anxious? What's the worse that could happen? So you make a fool of yourself and don't get to the next round? You'll never see these people again.

A former boyfriend of mine was prescribed beta blockers for interviews to help with his nerves which made him stammer to the point of no words coming out. Not sure if this is still an option but worth finding out?

Some useful reading here for you @Snorkers

https://www.robertwaltersgroup.com/news/expert-insight/careers-blog/how-to-calm-interview-nerves.html

https://www.theguardian.com/careers/careers-blog/10-quirky-tips-beating-interview-nerves-job

Thank you this is all so helpful. It's targeted nerves whereby I just forget everything I've ever done. I just go blank. Doing a presentation is absolutely fine as I have it in front of me so can't forget, then I forget to be nervous.

Loved the tip on clenching buttocks to stop hand shakes or sayinh humpty dumpty wit the tongue out to stop voice shakes! I don't have that issue thankfully.

It's a very creative role so I guess attracts more introverts and oddballs like me so perhaps they can be forgiving!

Good luck for tomorrow! And try not to worry. You'll be fine! If you do freeze, just be honest with them and say "my mind has gone completely blank, sorry I'm a bit nervous, can we come back to that question?" or similar. Engage with the interviewer. If you focus on them, it'll distract you from worrying about yourself and help you stay relaxed.

Then sorry no I wouldn't allow you to have the answers first

Questions even!

I hate structured interviews for this exact reason. Some people interview badly but are phenomenal at their job.

I do interviews for senior roles on my team by inviting them for a coffee somewhere and having a conversation rather than firing questions at them. I do integrate competency questions into the discussion but it's dressed up in natural conversation rather than traditional interview pit stop questions.

OP - when they ask you a question, take a deep breath and it's honestly ok to have a think before answering. Don't feel you have to answer on the gunshot, this usually leads to an answer full of waffle. Sit and think about your response for a moment. If you do take notes with you, write STAR on the top to help you structure your answers. Prepare by documenting your top 5 career achievements and other situational responses that might be needed. Remember to use "I" instead of "we" or "they".

The people interviewing you are human too and will be looking at you as a person as well as your competency. Smile and be yourself :)

I think for competency questions for candidates outside the company letting them have the questions beforehand is a good idea.

If they’re going to make examples up , how would you know , as they’re outside the company.

Might as well let them know what’s important to you and let them prepare in advance. Don’t you get the natural them in this case?

Of course you still have the ‘feel’ you get when interviewing candidates face to face so the bullshitters should still standout ( especially under further questioning )