Your First Interview Will Probably Be Terrible

My words seem to be coming out of my mouth in random order, as my thoughts smash into each other like boulders tumbling down a hill in an avalanche.  This should be so much simpler!  I mean, we're talking about me, so how difficult can it be for me to form coherent sentences.  I'm being asked simple questions like, "what have you been working on lately," but I can't seem to even talk about that.  If this is how my first interview is going, how will the rest go?

Thankfully, the answer to that last question is: much, much better.

Most of us have a terrible first interview or two.  It's like with resume writing: we've got all the knowledge inside us, but have a hard time getting it out.

The standard piece of advice is: make sure your first couple of interviews are with places that you don't care whether you work there or not.  If it's a complete disaster, it's okay.  That happens to a lot of people, and the important thing is to get used to the interviewing environment, and think about what went wrong and how it can be improved next time.

If abject humiliation isn't your thing, here are some ways you might make even that first interview go a little smoother:

1. "Have a mock interview"

I haven't done this, but I've heard it given as advice.  Have someone you know act as an interviewer and ask standard questions.  That way, when you completely freeze up, you can say, "give me a minute," and fumble around, searching for the right answer.

2. "Write stuff down"

Sometimes before an interview I've thought about standard interview questions, and tried to write down the answers, as if I was doing the interview online.  It's silly, but for me at least it gets me thinking about things, and working on formatting my thoughts.

That's really pretty much it.

My only other piece of advice is: don't rely on your first interview going terribly.  It might actually go okay, if you're someone who often explains things, or are just good on your feet.  So I wouldn't apply to any places you specifically want to avoid.  If you have your eye on one particular job, I'd recommend lining up that interview too, but maybe try to make it your 3rd interview, if possible.

Good luck.  Hit 'em with your best shot.