By: Kevin Goebel
Kansas State University 2011
Palms sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy. No, this isn’t Eminem’s newest rap ballad. It is the all too familiar ritual I, and many others my age, go through when preparing for an important interview. The interview process can often be extremely overwhelming. The pressure to perform combined with the nerves that invariably accompany meeting potential employers and the possibility of a future career riding solely on one to three meetings can be extremely stressful. How is a college student or recent graduate expected to charm and impress a panel of interviewers when the pressures leading up to the interview alone can render a person speechless?
Well I personally would like to see this change. The formal interview process encourages those getting interviewed to put up a façade, a fake version of themselves, disguising who they really are and how they think. For some interviewees this may be a good thing. If they are not an intelligent, hard worker, who works and socializes well with others, perhaps a fake version of themselves is just what is needed for them to lock down a potential job. This is not fair to the employer. Unless they employ talented interviewers who are capable of seeing through the fog and mirrors, they may be potentially hiring an imposter, an unqualified employee. On the other hand, if you have a talented interviewee, who is intelligent, qualified, and works well with others, and pressure and nerves cause him or her to fabricate a “better” version of themselves, what do you get? Not only has the interviewee short changed themselves by hiding their natural skills, but the employer may pass on a quality hire. It is a vicious cycle.
Therefore, I propose more companies switch to more of an informal interview. I have sat through many interviews. I always put on a newly pressed suit, look my best, and prepare as much as possible. Often I have left with a bad taste in my mouth and a less than appealing result. But through my interview experiences, there is one interview that stands out. I was applying for a summer internship at a very competitive firm (I will leave it unnamed) for which I was, quite frankly, under-qualified. When I sat down with the interviewing party, I had my usual frazzled nerves and anxious sweats. This quickly subsided, thanks to the casual flow and conversation of the interview. The usual seemingly answerless “metaphorical” questions were replaced with practical day to day school and work questions. I was asked for samples of my school work, given challenging day-to-day scenarios to solve, and tested on previous industry knowledge. While seemingly informal in setup, the interview was still very professional and informative for both the interviewer and me. I left the interview confident that I had shown the interviewing panel my abilities, social skills, and industry related knowledge. This was confirmed when I was offered a second interview at their corporate headquarters and eventually, the internship position. While there are differing opinions on the proper way to give an interview, I believe that the informal and to the point method that this company used was the best way to determine a person’s abilities and potential fit within the company. I think many companies and interviewees out there could learn a lesson about how to present themselves from this company. Therefore I say “out” with the old, formal interviews, and in with more casual, informative, and less stressful modern day interview!
