How to Tackle Interview Questions That Make You Nervous

Faithful on the Clock is a podcast with the mission of getting your work and faith aligned. We want you to understand Who you're serving and why so you can get more joy and legacy from every minute spent on the clock. Thanks for joining us and taking this step toward a more fulfilling job and relationship with God!Want to join us on social media? We'd love to have you stay up-to-date with the show on all our platforms!TwitterFacebookPinterestInstagramLinkedInYouTubeIn this episode...How to Tackle Interview Questions That Make You Nervous https://faithfulontheclock.com/how-to-tackle-interview-questions-that-make-you-nervous Want a job? You’ll probably have to interview for it. Episode 64 of Faithful on the Clock reveals the interview questions people struggle with the most and shows you how to master them.Timestamps:[00:04] - Intro[00:34] - Interviewing has changed a lot over time.[01:10] - The questions that give most people anxiety are ones that deal with figuring out who you are, how you think, what your plans are, and what your strengths and weaknesses are.[02:17] - People probably struggle with interview questions because they get scared of making a mistake, getting rejected, not coming across as confident, or misrepresenting their strengths and weaknesses in a negative way.[03:10] - The American education system conditions people to think for concrete answers, not to think about process or abstraction. So don’t be upset with yourself if you feel unprepared to think more theoretically, as is necessary for solid interviewing.[04:10] - The first step to good interview preparation is asking yourself whether something is concrete or theory.[04:50] - Be transparent. Your brain goes through the mental processes needed to reach your answer anyway, so just practice verbalizing your thoughts. Considering the interviewer as someone who needs help or your guidance can reduce your stress through this step.[05:56] - As you try to be transparent about your thinking process, consider Jesus as a teacher and try to model your interactions with the interviewer after Him. Remember that in His kingdom, the greatest are the least and the least are the greatest — you have something of value to offer the company and shouldn’t be intimidated![07:14] - Self-reflecting on your life can help you nail self-awareness questions. You can consider personality and habits here, but consider what you do in unexpected moments, as well, as those times reveal what is truly in your core, too.[08:32] - It’s OK to admit that you’re still figuring yourself out as long as you can pull it back toward the job in some way.[10:05] - Prayer can be a powerful tool in interview prep.[10:52] - Prayer[11:32] - Outro/What’s coming up nextKey takeaways:Interviewing has changed over time and is something you might need to do throughout your entire life. The most difficult interview questions tend to be those designed to see who you are or what you think.These tough interview questions might cause anxiety because they connect to our natural fear of rejection or making mistakes, as well as uncertainty about our sense of self.Modern education teaches people to give concrete answers, but these questions require out-of-the-box thinking. Don’t beat yourself up if it’s hard to think more abstractly or in terms of process. Asking yourself whether something is concrete or theory can help you overcome this obstacle. Transparency connects to answering tough interview questions well in that you just have to show the processes in your head that already are happening. Thinking of yourself as a teacher and using Jesus as a model can be helpful in giving you the right attitude through the interview.Looking back on your habits AND the unexpected moments of your life can help you become more aware of who you are so that it’s not scary to connect and reveal that in an interview.If you’re not sure of elements like your strengths and weaknesses, it’s OK to admit it, so long as you present your journey in a positive way.Prayer can be a powerful way to prepare for tough interview questions and prepare for new work God might have for you.These Are the Interview Questions Candidates Hate the MostCTAs:Go through some mock interviews with friends or colleagues using the strategies outlined in today’s episode. Write down what went well, what needs work, and what was unexpected during the experience.What’s coming up next:The New Year is a time for setting new resolutions. In Episode 65 of Faithful on the Clock, you’ll get a handful of resolutions to try that could give your career and leadership a serious boost.Support the show!Visit the Faithful on the Clock Patreon page to choose a tier plan and become a supporting member. You'll gain access to goodies like early episode access, newsletters, and more based on the plan that's right for you.Support this Podcast