A pessimistic optimist's job search journey

I don’t know how many times I have rehearsed inside my head my answers for those most frequently asked job interview questions. In the morning – when my mind is still fresh and clear, I run through it. During or after my lunch, I run through it again. In the evening after I watch a bit of tv and before I go to sleep, I play it for the last time. I try to speak it out loud several times throughout the day as well. Speaking it out loud is probably even more important because you can listen to yourself, your tone, your level of energy, your fluency when you tell your story – and improve.

I find that it is much easier to ” memorize” your answers if you really own them. I used to follow all those advices I read online, try to write an “essay”, then memorize it, and read it out loud. Then there was one time – my husband (yes, him again) imitated how I sounded when I answered this question, and I realized how uninspiring it was! No wonder I always had to look at the text; my essay was so boring that it was impossible to memorize!

So I spent time really reflecting different stages in my life, identifying the “defining” moments, trying to understand why they were meaningful to me – not to other people. Once that thought is cleared – I incorporate it into my story. Only then I feel like I actually own the story that I am telling. How I feel in each instance, why I cherish it are what makes it my story.

I also think we should try our best to tell our story in the way we feel and the way we see it; and hopefully it will resonate with the interviewers. It is hard if we try to guess what the interview is wanting to hear and tell our story in that direction. The interviewer today will want a different story than the interview tomorrow, so it is impossible to cover all the possibilities. But there is only one way we feel about our story – and we should focus on sharing that perspective.

Practice makes progress. I’ve seen myself telling my story more naturally, feeling less awkward and expressing my pride more genuinely when I talk about my achievements. Owning my story also helps me less nervous; and the positive energy is spread to the interviewer as well.

Finally, I started feeling comfortable in the uncomfortability of job search.