Any interview tips?

Actually wanting to work there and feeling like it is serves everyone purpose helps you as it will show.

 

View every interview as a learning curve. Go over what you did right and wrong. If possible contact the person who interviewed you and ask them if they can offer some tips for your next interview.

You might also want to speak to a career advisor, they might be able to help you land the right job for you. I don't know where you live but if you're in the UK you can speak to a career advisor for free at the National Careers Service.

Finally, you might find the OpenLearn course Succeed in the workplace helpful. It's completely free to do and a section of the course is on interview situations and questions.

 

Maybe you're aiming too high.
Start with an easy job and try to keep that for 3 or 6 month. Building rhythm maybe is your first goal.
As an engineer I once cleaned houses. So what. Once you're moving you will rediscover yourself.

Look in your network. Let people know that you want to work.
Just try to move yourself a bit.

 

First up, I've been told by recruitment experts that getting an interview is most of the work. So that's no small thing that you're actually getting a number of them! But how to make the most of them...?

Truthfully, most of the interview comes down to personal preference. Do they like you or not in terms of whether you would fit in with the team. Are they all IT nerds? Does the company have a long track record with a community charity? How can you add in something about yourself that would 'click' with their culture there?

If they don't like you, try not to take it personally. There's a lot of employers out there you won't like either. Sometimes it takes a while to find 'your people'.

If you haven't already, I would be sure to add in life experiences for those years you haven't had a job. Any projects, courses, or volunteering you could add for example. They don't have to be relevant to the job, but you can highlight the transferrable skills or experience like communication skills.

You can make notes from each interview. The good and the bad to fix for next time. And reaching out for feedback can work, but don't feel rejected if they don't get back - it's common as people are quite busy in some jobs and have many daily emails. I've been offered feedback before I asked, only to not hear back - it's just how it is.

Finally I think one of the challenges is experts also indicate someone's 'energy' to be an important factor in an interview.

Don't worry, you don't have to be a 500 day NoFap veteran monk - but if you can get good sleep, eat healthy, and minimise the bad habits, you'll be that much better off for it.

Good luck! And if nothing comes up soon, I would recommend volunteering for a charity or offering some of your time to unpaid work experience - then adding the skills and experience from this to your resume. This will bring you up to date, give you more confidence, and employers love to hear from someone who has the character to volunteer their time!

 

Just keep at it . There’s no magic formula or secret piece of advice that will make it any easier . Just get power over your mind and don’t let it talk you out of not doing it . Your not your mind or your insecurities/fears

 

If it is an interview panel (multiple interviewers) make sure to "share yourself" with all of them. By that I mean take time to make eye contact with each of them as you speak and don't just focus on the one who asked the question. Also, some times they like to sit at least one of them in there that looks at you as if you are wasting their time. Ignore that and continue to share yourself as if they are looking at you with total interest.
Also, don't be afraid to smile and show personality.

 

Do your preparation. Research the company, know what their values are. Think of possible questions they may ask you and write answers down then rehearse them. Think of what value you can add to the role they are offering and the wider company.

Interviewers will probably throw in a few curveballs but you just have to improvise on the spot when that happens. Don't be afraid to take a few seconds to consider your answer.

Before the interview, take deep breaths. Remember it is 100% ok to be nervous, almost everyone gets nervous about these things. Just be your authentic self and not what you think they want you to be. Take the interview seriously, but don't take yourself too seriously.

 

I've had such dreams a number of times, apparently it is quite common for people who feel like they haven't accomplished much which does apply to me, but am working to be better. I would look at all the advise given above.

 

One more thing, when they ask if you have any questions, do not ask about pay, vacation, benefits etc. Make your questions about the company, not sonmuch what you get out of it. Ask about opportunities for upward mobility within the company, ask what brought them there and what keeps them working there etc.

 

The biggest thing is knowing it's not in your control. Literally. It's their choice. They could choose anyone for any reason. It might not have anything whatsoever to do with you. A lot of things go into it so if you don't get the job you shouldn't feel judged, or feel like you failed. Once you internalize this it takes a lot of stress away, and you can be more comfortable and perform better.

Basically it's an info session for both of you. In a way, you are also interviewing them.

Apply for jobs that might work, whether you are sure about it or not. Go on every interview you can. The more you do it the more comfortable you will be. If you make a mistake, that's a good thing because you will learn from it.

You don't have to answer questions directly. The more "touchy-feely" the questions are the more true that is. For example, "What is your greatest failing?" What they are actually asking is "Give us an example of how you improved your job performance in your last position.", or something like that. Obviously, technical questions are different, but you can also interpret those. For example, "What is your experience with Computer Network Administration?" You could tell them how you set up your home Wi-fi, media server, and file sharing. That's legit, even if it doesn't get you the job, and it might be enough for some jobs. Always look for something positive you can offer.

You can look up interview prep, like how to dress, common questions they ask, questions to ask them, and researching the company.

FYI: Some people interviewing are just as uncomfortable as you are.