Bring Joy to the Job Interview
10 March 2022
Joy is not an emotion that people often pair with job interviews, but rather than enduring your next job interview how about bringing a little joy to the experience for yourself.
Why? Because thinking that a job interview is something you have to just endure and get through will limit the cognitive flexibility of your brain and the access you have to creativity, innovation, diverse ideas, memories, and new thinking. The more joyful you find an experience the more access you will have to your own wisdom in the moment.
How? Ask yourself: What if this could be fun? What would I do then? Here are some ideas:
- Give yourself a challenge going into the interview e.g. make everyone laugh or say "wow"
- Promise yourself a reward after the interview
- Bring something fun along with you e.g. in your pocket
- Wear something you find joyful, even if it is under your outerwear
- Rock out, in your headphones, to great music as you wait for the interview
Reclaiming joy in a job interview doesn't have to be something big - it can just be a trivial little thing that puts a secret smile on your face. For example someone I know took a red nose in their pocket to their last job interview. No one else knew he had it with him, but the secret thought that it was there was enough to spark joy for him.
One approach to help you bring joy to a job interview (or to any other experience) is to start by listing the top 20 playful things you do that bring you joy. Then see how many of them can be retro-fitted to the interview experience, either before, during, or after. I would love to hear your ideas.
As a minimum, make the experience just a little more joyful by bringing gratitude. Before walking in the door, take time to just give thanks that this is something you are privileged to do.
Bringing joy to the interview panel is valuable too, but finding a bit of joy for yourself first makes it more possible for you to bring it to them.
As always wishing you a flourishing career
Katherine