The Power of Limited Time Prep in Interview Success
How I nailed the interview with two-day preparation with a bad cold holding me back?
I nailed the interview with just two days of preparation, while battling a bad cold!
On a cold Tuesday in March 2019, I received a phone call while I was returning books at the Toronto Public Library.The caller ID showed - University of Toronto.
Two Options🤔
The HR lady first thanked me applying to the U of T, and offered me an interview.
I had a flu those days, so I tried my best to focus and capture every word she said.
She offered me two options about the coming interview date:
- First option, the coming Thursday
- Second option, the next Tuesday
My first thought was the second option.
Until the next Tuesday, I had one week to prepare the interview, and the main point was that this bad cold was holding me back, and I couldn’t even capture every word she said, so how could I prepare well under this mental state?
Conversely, another voice in my mind vetoed that I could be more anxious when the interview prep time was extended for more than one week, and how could I pass the coming weekend knowing that I will have an interview in the coming Tuesday?
My weekend would be very miserable and dreading.
The two options hit me all at once, and fought each other to get my attention. They seemed all have their reasonings.
After thinking through this in about five seconds, I told the HR lady:
“This coming Thursday works for me!”
My interview was scheduled on Thursday, March 28, 2019 at 3:15 pm.
The Volkswagen Golf🚙
The day when I was driving to the interview, is unforgettable.
Curled up in the cramped space of the driver seat of that tiny Volkswagen Golf, my eyes heavy with the cold that I couldn’t open fully and watch traffic, I was filled with complexity - nervousness, unease, self-doubt, and anticipation. My mind kept replaying all the questions and answers on the way.
Three weeks after my interview, I received an offer from the UTSC as a User Services, Collections Technician.
Looking back on this decision, if I had postponed the interview to the next week, I don’t think I would nail the interview, let alone pass.
Overthink❌
Limited time creates a limited space that is able to trap myself within that frame.
I can’t overthink, because I don’t have time. I laser-focus on the content that matters - interview strategies. I’ve discussed how to thin-slice interviewers before interview in my past blog post, you can place thin-slice strategy on the right place - your answer or question. Overthink may mistake your judgement.
UltraStrong Determination🧠
Short-time preparation produces non-sleepy determination.
The night before the interview day, I prepared the interview until 1 am. I wrote down interview questions and matched answers on paper, bolded the key points to strengthen my memory, and highlighted headlines and sub-headlines so I know what’s next.
I even imagined I was having the interview with the interview panel. They are what they look like in the profile file picture. I sensed that they would positively reply to my great answer, and exchange conversations with me. I was feeling so happy and I had no interest to sleep.
I went to sleep at 1:30am, and not because I was sleepy, because I had to. I think interview preparation is a happy process in a limited given time. It creates enough dopamine in the brain, and more time will decrease the levels of happiness and prompt yourself to overthink.
This will ruin your interview, and in the long run, destroy confidence and doubt yourself.
Perfect fail🧘🏻♂️
If I fail the interview, I want to fail perfectly.
This is what I’ve been telling myself on the way to the U of T interview.
I’ve been working this hard in the prep, with a hope that they will like me and offer me a change. I have prepared this much, have gone this far, and if I fail, I have no regrets, and I have nothing to say.
My efforts putting all in deserves a good result, if not, I accept it.
One day I will make it.