Job interviews – don’t look at it as an interaction where people are judging you – try to see it as an opportunity to learn, network, and as an avenue to discover your strengths and limitations.
There’s more to it.
Job interviews are important. When you are interviewing – it’s not just about getting hired. Of course, getting a job offer is important, especially for ones without a job in hand or for those who want to escape a bad manager or workplace. However, job interviews may be much more than that.
Let’s look at job interviews, and their relevance to a job seeker -beyond just getting an offer letter.
Ascertain your value.
Job Interviews as an opportunity to calibrate yourself as a “talent” and ascertain your value in the market.
A good number of mid-career professionals feel that their career gets stuck – because of their reluctance to switch, and their reluctance to look beyond their “comfort zone”. Over a period – this may lead to stagnation in career, and pay grades. It’s good to be loyal and dedicated to an employer, and it’s good to be comfortable – but then it may not be a bad idea to ascertain your value in the market. It may be wise to check the price that the industry is willing to pay for your experience and learning’s, from the years you have slogged. It may be wise to see if your experience and learning is able to get you a bigger and more responsible role.
Ascertain your relevance.
Job Interviews as an opportunity to calibrate your skills and learning’s vis-à-vis the changing expectations of the industry.
Businesses change. Industries change. Speed at which innovation and change happens every day is some thing that’s difficult for most of us to understand and grasp. Over the course of their career – one fine day, people realize that the world has changed while they were busy with their keyboards or sales calls. One reason why mid-career professionals finds themselves stuck and stagnated is that they are not prepared for their next move. One fine day, they realize, they lack skills and competence to move forward. In their relaxed approach to their career – and in their comfort zone they fail to see the changing landscapes and their own limitations.
While trying to explore job opportunities – you research – you try to understand the position you are interviewing for, organization you are interviewing for. You get to understand the changing needs of a business, new businesses and the industry. All of this allows you to look beyond -makes you aware of your own limitations, areas where you may be lacking, and available opportunities. If your present career is going great, and you are at a great workplace – all this may also allow you to appreciate your experience, your present employer, and your present standing.
Reflect. Brush up.
It’s an opportunity to reflect, prepare yourself, brush up and present your best foot forward.
It’s an opportunity to reflect on your learning’s and experience. You need to realize your strengths and limitations – to be able to pitch yourself as a valued talent in the market. If you are unable to pitch yourself properly, it may be a time for reality check on your competence. It may be a time to explore opportunities for self-development – brush up and prepare for your next pitch.
Meet People. Network.
It’s an opportunity to network – with a new set of people in new business or industry.
Every opportunity to engage with people is an opportunity to network, and one thing that really helps in corporate world is your network. If you are a mid career professional, you would already know the value of a good network. In corporate life – you are bound to bump into people you have already met somewhere. Those whom you meet and every contact you make has a potential value. The same is true for those whom you meet during a job interview.
Next time you think of a job interview – don’t look at it as an interaction where people are judging you – look at it as an opportunity to learn, network, and as an avenue to discover your strengths and limitations. You may look at it as an opportunity to be more aware of the industry, and yourself as a professional.
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Praveen is the Founder & Principal Consultant of KHEdge, a boutique HR & Business Process Advisory firm. Over last 15 years he has advised & worked with promoters, founders, business leaders, HR leaders in areas of - Business Strategy, HR Strategy, Organisation Design etc.