Job interviews should make you feel valued

No one likes job interviews– but is that so?

Really?

I hate the nerves of getting dressed, trying not to spill coffee on myself, picking shoes that I won’t trip over, worrying about traffic or getting lost or sticking my foot in my mouth.

But on the good ones…

I leave feeling empowered, confident and excited. Regardless of whether the employer decides to hire you or not, a good job interview has the person in the chair thinking about their own skills, their history, their past. And if it’s a good company, and a good interview, a person can leave understanding more about their own value and with a clearer idea of self-worth.

Even if the company feels wrong– if you leave an interview with a better concept of what you want that is valuable. Of you see red flags and think “oh no, not working there,” that’s a sign you’re getting more sure-footed in your decision-making.

But sometimes you leave thinking you just had a good conversation with some new people, and you heard statements come out of your mouth that surprised you with their succinctness and relevance.

Those are the days you have to think, “Wow. Maybe I belong here.”

Those are the days it’s also easy to get discouraged when they say no, but it’s important to remember that culture and fit plays a very important role in choosing new employees and that there’s always a lot of people looking for jobs. So it might not be something you did.

Keep going, my friends, keep going.

And in case you are interested, I very much felt like I belonged when I went to the interview today. No doubt in my mind that I could do the job, do well at it, and grow as the opportunities came. We’ll see what happens. I wore a Calvin Klein sheath, sleeveless, very pink, princess seams, high neck, and black cowboy boots. Bold choice perhaps.