Let the Games Begin. Are You Prepared?

sport of interviewingYou’ve spent the last several years of your life in sports. Training and working hard to be the best you can be and secure that starting position. You may have made first string at your college or university or you may have been one of the still important support men or women on the team, ensuring you made it to every practice and pushing yourself and your team to be the best. And now you find yourself in the real world. Everyone always told you that school was the most important part in life and that the skills that you learned there would have to translate into the real world. While this is true, the same can be said about sports. Some may see sports as simply an extra-curricular; something to stay in shape or a social activity. For most athletes however it is much more than that. It, too, can act as a training tool just as important as the lessons learned in school. Leadership, comradery, team-work, focus and dedication are just a few of these important lessons. As with school, sports’ lessons can be translated to real world situations. Interviewing for jobs is the next step out of university; taking what you have learned and using it to land the job that you desire. Athletes can think of interviews much the same way as they think about their beloved sports.

Preparation

Before game day arrives there is much prep work that is done by the athlete or the interviewee. The first and most important tool is knowledge. In the same way that you and your team spend countless hours reviewing film of the other team, so should you review your opponent or in this case, the company for which you are applying to. You must study the company. Know how they think and what they are trying to accomplish. In football or hockey, film reveals an opponent’s favorite moves or strategies that they are most likely to take. In the same way an interviewing athlete can learn an employer’s objectives before they are asked. Know their goals, expectations and strategies and you can build a useable and effective offense. Be prepared for anything they may ask and have knowledge of how the company operates. If you know your opposition, then come game day there can be no surprises.

Just as important as knowing who you are facing, is knowing yourself. Game film is not simply used to gain knowledge of your opponent but also to better yourself. An athlete must train and reflect upon themselves. Knowing yourself can help you answer those difficult questions. Know your strengths and your weaknesses. An athlete knows what they can and can’t do to beat their opponent. Know exactly what you want from yourself and from the company. Through this you can establish clear goals and know if the job is right for you. An athlete would not put himself in the game if he was not 100% confident in their abilities and know that they can perform. If you know yourself, you can better explain to the person asking about you in the most coherent way, as well as in the best light possible.

Training

After thoroughly researching your opponent and yourself as the player you undoubtedly have a list of what you need to do to improve and be ready. Just like before any game, a coach will put their players through rigorous training to prepare them for what lies ahead. Excusing the cliché, practice does make perfect. If a weakness is easily found in you, the best way to hide it is to practice and get better. In some cases, through practice, one can turn a weakness into a positive. If a defenseman on a hockey team is a great skater, knows his positioning and yet has a weak slap shot, you can bet that he will work every day on his shot. Getting advice from other players and taking the time to make that shot as good as he can get it. The player recognizes his weakness through studying himself but does not accept it as fact. Instead he works to make that weakness either a strength or less noticeable. The same can be done before an interview. It is absolutely worth it take the time to practice and get better at what you believe are your weaknesses. If you don’t handle high pressure or personal questions well have friends or family ask you certain questions at inconvenient times. This can help you be ready for those questions when they inevitably come. Training your body before a game is just as important as training your mind before an interview. Prepare for the worst and you’ll be prepared for anything they can throw at you.

Pregame

You’ve made it to game day. You’ve studied film and assessed yourself as well as your opponent. You have then worked to ensure you are ready for their strengths and improved upon your weaknesses. Moments before the game you should have a mental checklist. First, you’ve ensured that you’re well rested. You can’t give your opponent anything to capitalize on. You must be fresh and well rested and your opponent must see that. Second, you must ensure that you have all your equipment. One of the worst things you can do is forget a vital piece of equipment. You could be sent home right from the locker room. If they have asked you to bring anything, resume, references or cover letter, ensure that it is packed and in pristine condition. Third and one of the most important pieces is the uniform. In most sports a referee will throw you out before you even step on the field, ice or pitch if you do not have the correct uniform. The same stands for interviews. Dressing correctly could make or break you, and first appearances are everything. Be professional and look your best but most importantly dress for your correct sport. If the office is casual don’t come wearing a suit. Same as if you were a baseball player and you came dressed in football gear. This goes back to your prep stage and knowing what they would expect. Generally this means a nice suit and a professional looking face, including shaving (for men) and proper looking hair. You shouldn’t look like you just stepped out of bed but rather convey the fact that you have been preparing for this. Lastly, and most importantly, be on time for your game. No athlete would be let off the hook for being late to practice, let alone a game. They would be benched or forced to do extreme conditioning. The same goes for interviews, plan to be early and you won’t be late. Athletes are known for their punctuality because it has been drilled into you and you realize the danger of being late. Use this to your advantage.

Game Day

You’re in your proper uniform, you haven’t forgotten anything and you’re on the field. Ahead of you is your opponent, but luckily and unlike most, they don’t intimidate you. That is because you have done the work. You’ve studied and practiced hard to be perfect. You’re on time and everything is set for your victory. All that prep work has made this the best part of the process. One of the first things an athlete must do is maintain focus. You are focused on the task at hand, not thinking about what you’ll do after the game or if you studied enough. Instead the athlete knows they are ready. Through this an air of confidence is important. If your opponent sense nervousness they know that you are not ready and can capitalize on that weakness. You must walk into the interview ready and confident that you are the person they want to hire. The first snap of the game or the first move off the puck is often what sets the tone for any game. The same is true for an interview. The first move or words you make set the tone for the interviewer. A firm handshake and eye contact can establish a firm stance on who you want to represent yourself as. Next you have to exceed expectations to truly stand out. You want to make it onto the TSN or ESPN top 10 plays of the week. You don’t want to just be another person on the team but instead a stand out player, one that the commentators will be talking about for the rest of the year as a breakout success. This means you must separate yourself from the rest. Clichés are said by everyone, “I’m passionate about my work”, and this can mean nothing to the person who is interviewing you. Passion is important but you must have substantial evidence to show this. Instead give a play that you made at your last company or in your life that is worthy of the highlight reel. Make the interviewers say, “Wow, can they do that for our team?” Lastly, like in any sport, it often comes down to stamina and seeing what you can do in the 4th quarter or the 3rd period. You must finish as strong or stronger as when you started. Maintain your focus and score a couple of last minute points that seals the victory for you. Make a lasting impression so that the next time they think about you, they will remember how well you did.

Postgame

After you’ve left everything on the field and ensured that what needed to be done was done it is important to prepare for the next steps. After a game the athlete thinks only of the next game. What will they have to do to play again? Collect contact information from your interviewer so that they know that you are interested in playing for their team. After that you must return to the beginning. The same way that athletes must watch film of the game they just played you must reflect on your performance. Determine what you did wrong, what you did right and how you can improve for you next game. If this wasn’t a victory for you there’s always next week’s match.

Debbie Squier

President

IMPACT This Day Inc.

Connecting the RIGHT People with the RIGHT Company.

P.S. 

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