Interviews are both an exciting opportunity for change, but can cause a lot of anxiety, especially with those who have received a cancer diagnosis. People often come to CAC to ask questions about resume gaps, a change in appearance that might cause lower self-esteem, cognitive changes that affect memory and therefor making it difficult to recall anecdotes to share, etc. Many people walk into an interview feeling a lack of control over the process. They see the interview as the hiring manager/potential employer holding all the power, asking all the questions and leading the conversation. But there are ways for you the candidate to regain some control and this article from Fast Company helps highlight some of the ways to do it.
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Do Your Research
The more prepared you are, the more comfortable you will be in the interview. You want to do as much research on the company, what they do, significant projects, etc as well as who you are meeting with. All of this will make you sound more informed and can tailor your answers more specifically to fit into what they are looking for. -
Prepare Your Answers
Spend time before the interview thinking about potential questions that might be asked. While you might still be caught off guard by something, it's good to have an answer ready to a common question such as, "Can you tell me about a time where you had to solve a problem?" Write down answers and get a friend or family member to practice with a mock interview. The more you say the answers out loud, the more comfortable you will be in the real interview. You can find more on this, as well as mock questions, here. -
Ask Strong Questions
Being well researched can also help you ask strong, specific questions. Most interviewers will give the candidate space to ask their own questions. While some questions may naturally come out of the conversation you are having, and that is wonderful because it shows you are listening and engaging in an active discussion, you should also come prepared with questions to ask. You want them to be specific and focused on the job itself. -
Use The Swivel
Questions you may not want to answer could come up in an interview. You may be asked about a gap on your resume or they might bring up your diagnosis after Googling your name. These are both great opportunities to use a technique we call The Swivel which involves acknowledging the question putting an "And" in the middle and then swiveling the conversation back to a place you feel comfortable. For example, in response to a question about a resume gap you could say something like, "I was dealing with a family issue that is resolved now, AND I am thrilled to discuss how my management skills can build the team and grow your business." We have more information on Swiveling in an interview here.
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