Personal Experience during Interview

Personal Experience during Interview

Feeling before and after the interview

If there is any moment that one feels pressure to have a good impression is during a job interview. An interview is a do-or-die session that can be very difficult to handle even for seasoned professionals. However, some who are well-prepared for it can find the course interesting and can easily answer the questions posed by the interviewers. Even to us in the engineering field, job interviews can be fascinating if we put emphasis on adequate preparations. The level of preparation usually determines the interviewee’s feelings before and after the interview. The common emotions depicted by interviewees are anxiety, sadness, fear, anger and joy. In the interview I had, I was a bit uneasy a few moments before the interview. The calmness that I had was overtaken by anxious thoughts that nearly ruined my chances of performing well. I wanted to become very impressive to the interviewers in order to secure the job that I was very keen and passionate about. It was really a defining moment in my life, especially because it was my first interview. The reality of facing the interviewers and presenting my case before them had preoccupied my mind. I tried all means to regain calmness, including taking deep breaths and putting a confidence face. When my turn came, I handled the presented questions well. After the interview, I had a feeling that I had aced all the nine questions that I had been asked, but I was a little bit anxious about the outcome. I wanted to get the results as soon as possible, as I felt that other candidates might have performed well than me.

Preparation

In the back of my mind, I knew that good preparation was essential in getting the job. Of course, I had a strong engineering background, but that was not enough to hand me the job. I knew that many other candidates would have a strong professional background, and thus it was necessary for me to do extra in order to become an outstanding candidate.

The first thing I did was to research online about the company to get insights into their operations, the organization culture, and the overall recruitment procedures. I had predicted that the interviewers might ask me about the structure of the organization and the current issues in the industry. I knew that every employer would want to hire an individual who is well-versed with the nature of the business the organization engages in and general industrial aspects. The second thing I did was to understand the job posting well. I read loudly the information I had received in the mail from the recruiter in order to get a glimpse of what to expect in the interview. I also familiarized myself with the general aspects of engineering and prepared short notes of my skills and the projects that I have accomplished in the past.

As this was a video interview, it was also necessary to choose a suitable location and test my equipment. I checked on the microphone, camera, and made sure that the internet connection and battery were sufficient. Moreover, I practiced before a mirror in a number of times to put confidence in myself and to ensure everything was right.

Strongest and weakest answers

During the interview, I was asked nine questions, some of which I did not expect. The answers which I gave out where generally on point, but I feel that there are some which I answered adequately. There are also others that I feel that I did not handle well. My strongest answer was on the first question on why I wanted to have an engineering work. Being the first question and engineering being my passion, I could not miss to answer the question well. I explained that I like engineering because it helps in solving societal problems through the use of rational resources and materials allocation techniques. I also felt I had put a relaxed face that indicated a positive perception of the job. My weakest answers were on questions two and six. I felt that I did not answer the questions to my satisfaction and did not put the appropriate facial expression either.

Lessons

As a prospective job seeker, I have learned a lot from this interview. The greatest aspect that I have learned from the interview is the need for proper preparation. I have appreciated that preparation is the key determinant of success in an interview. Preparation makes one feel more control of oneself in front of the recruiter. Another thing I have learned is the need for confidence during the interview process. Everyone can be anxious about the interview, but it is always good to manage it. It is always good to take deep breaths before a job interview in order to reduce anxiety. If I could not have done this, I am very sure I could not have handled the questions well as I did. The mistake that I noted from this interview is rushing to the next questions without adequately answering the current question.

Future interviews

In the next interview, I will apply the lessons that I have obtained from this interview. I will maintain early preparation and confidence, but I will try to answer every question to my satisfaction. Rushing to answer the questions gives a bad impression of the job. I will also ensure that I have the appropriate facial expressions when answering every question.