How to Handle Interviews

The interviewing process is something that you can only be so ready for. No matter how much you prepare, there's always a little element of surprise involved. Regardless, there are many ways to make the process run as smoothly and comfortably as possible. The first article I chose was the article giving advice about answering the toughest interview questions. The article taught me that there are no right or wrong answers to the questions. Instead, it gave advice on how to best answer them, such as answering with confidence while still being humble and having some research done prior to the interview to help you sound knowledgeable and prepared. The part of the article that I benefited the most from was the part referring to the "where do you see yourself in five years" question. I learned that instead of specifics, that saying general hopes, such as growth, is an appropriate answer.

The second article I read pertained to dealing with interview stress. I chose this one because the ability to feel calm and confident in an interview can completely affect how smoothly the interview runs. Stress is inevitable before any interview, so the article gave a few techniques and pointers on how to keep the stress to a minimum and with whatever stress is present, what to do about it. I learned from the article that a few seconds of silence should not be thought of as awkward and that nothing has to be done to avoid it or prevent it. Let it happen because it shows confidence in the interviewer and that they're not feeling awkward and pressured to talk, as well as giving a few seconds to regroup and refresh thoughts.