Hey folks.

I've been meaning to offer a bit of advice about job interviews for a while, and finally found some time. Before we get started, a few disclaimers.

First, I know that many MGTOW are minimalists, with some striving to avoid structured employment altogether. Others have no problem working, but avoid the corporate rat-race. Still others want to open their own business. If you're one of those flavors of MGTOW, or someone that doesn't need advice on the interview process, please just click to one of the other threads here. I'm not interested in arguing the merits of one type of lifestyle or another.

Second, this is just my personal advice, not some list of objectively best advice for candidates. I've been involved in the interview process from both sides of the desk, and this is advice that I've found useful. If you don't like it, look elsewhere. Similarly, if you follow my advice to the letter and don't get the job, that's life. There are many reasons why a perfectly qualified candidate may not get a certain job. Maybe the manager put up the listing to fulfill HR requirements, but he really intended to hire his cousin Jose all along. Maybe you did great but another candidate did stellar. Maybe the manager's coffee spilled on his tie and he was in a bad mood that day. Keep trying and someone will bite eventually.

Third, this is not meant to be an exhaustive list. I happen to believe that most lists of practical advice are useless prima facie, because you're never going to be able to implement 10 pieces of advice during an interview. You'll spend all of your time just trying to remember all the things you're supposed to do (and probably fail) and this will make you nervous during the interview. Thus, I'm going to give a bit of advice for prep, and only a few pieces of advice for the interview itself, with only one requiring actual attention. That's right, this is really only one piece of advice.

Finally, if you need to be told to shower and shave before the interview, dress appropriately or the like, the exit is that way, as you need more help than I can supply. Not trying to be mean, but you're not my target audience.

So here we go.

 

 

BEFORE THE INTERVIEW

Before the interview, you need to do at least 2 things.

First, you need to do as extensive research as possible on the target company. It's important to know this information regardless, but the information you find might be critical for the interview. The more information you find, the better.

Second, you need to prepare answers for the "standard interview questions." These include, but are not limited to:

1. Tell me about yourself.

2. Why do you want to work here?

3. Tell me some of your strengths/weaknesses.

4. What's your salary expectation?

5. Tell me about something you achieved in a previous position.

6. Tell me about a challenge you faced at work, and how you dealt with it.

7. Where do you see yourself in X years?

8. Why are you leaving your current job?

This is not to say that the interviewer won't ask other questions, or ask a question I've never encountered. But you're bound to face these questions sooner or later, and you need to have reasonable answers prepared.

So how do you answer these questions? Simple. Just use the advice I give below about questions during the interview. It's the same piece of advice.

 

To summarize the interview prep stage:

1. Learn about the job.

2. Be prepared to answer the standard questions.

 

 

DURING THE INTERVIEW

Now we come to the interview itself. As I said, three pieces of advice.

First is the "don't." Don’t ever refer negatively to a former job/workplace/manager/coworker. If you hated the guts of your last boss, or hated the position itself, you need to say something along the lines of, "I wanted to broaden my horizons," acquire different experience, time to move on, or the like. Speak positively of them instead. You want to avoid lying, but tell the truth that puts you in the best light.

Second is your body. You need to behave in a relaxed manner. This means making a conscious effort to avoid nervous ticks, and to display calmness. Note that I never said you actually have to be calm. You might be shitting bricks inside. But you have to display the outward signs of calmness. Sit in a relaxed position – not upright like you have a stick up your ass, and not slouched like you're on weed. Don't fold your hands under your chest (which is a defensive posture,) intertwine your fingers, or hold your chin in your palms. Instead, keep your arms relaxed on the arms of your chair, palms up. If your chair doesn't have arms, resting on the interviewer's desk (about halfway between palms and elbow), or on your thighs with legs crossed (man-style, with one ankle on one knee) are good options. People have a tendency to speak quickly when they're nervous – make sure to speak slowly and clearly. Focus on your breathing, making it slow and regular. If there is a lull in the conversation, or the interviewer takes a call, use the opportunity to reset your position.

Third, and by far the most important piece of advice, is how to answer questions during the interview. The secret is: all your answers should relate to the job at hand.

You have to understand that when an interviewer instructs you to, "tell me about yourself," he doesn't actually give a shit about you or your story. Nor does he care about your strengths or weaknesses, or where you plan to be in 5 years. All he really cares about is how you answer the question. And to make your answer compelling to the interviewer, your answer should always relate to the job and field at hand. So let's have some examples:

"Tell me about yourself."

"Well, I was raised in Idaho, I went to UCLA, I'm married with three kids, I have a dog named Fluffy, and I fish for large-mouth bass on the weekend." WRONG! Nobody cares about you, your pets, your hobbies or your life.

"Well, to be honest, I've wanted to be a chef since I was a kid. I remember the first time I ever tried boiling water, I let the water boil out entirely and the pot burned, but I swore I would improve my skills from that point on." CORRECT! See how we tied it to the job?

"Tell me about a couple of your weaknesses."

Finance: "Well, I sometimes tell white lies; I'm a bit disorganized." WRONG! Honesty and organization are crucial for positions of trust.

Graphics: "Well, sometimes I have these massive explosions of creativity, and I get a bit disorganized." CORRECT! You’re the artsy type, perfect for this job.

"Why do you want to work at Planet Fitness?"

"It's always been my dream to be a strength coach." WRONG! Nobody cares about you.

"Because I believe that Planet Fitness is the leading chain promoting healthy lifestyle and fitness to the public, and I want to be part of that." CORRECT (even if total bullshit).

"Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"

"Well, I'm in a Master's program so I'll see how that develops my career skills." WRONG! Nobody cares about you.

"From people I've spoken to about your company, it sounds like you're intensely interested in developing your employee's skills and careers. Given the right incentives, I hope I'll be here." CORRECT!

If you're going to mention your strengths, make sure to pick ones that are important in your field of work. Don't state a weakness that might make you dismissed out of hand in your field. Do you get the idea? Always make your answer about the job itself. Always focus on the company and the position. Forget yourself. Keep your eye on the job.

Keep this in mind when you're doing your interview prep as well, and you'll be able to prepare answers to the standard questions that are relevant to the job.

 

To summarize the interview itself:

1. Don't refer negatively to your former boss or job.

2. Sit in a relaxed, open position.

3. Frame your answers to relate to the job at hand.

 

That's it folks. Let me know in the comments if something isn't clear, and be sure to follow up with stories of interview success and failure, especially if my advice helped you seal the deal.

Go Your Own Way, folks, even if you're doing it incognito as a corporate bitch.