The Stress Interview

The stress interview is a tactic used by some companies or individual hiring managers to gauge how you will handle stress.

Or they could simply utilize this sort of interview because they're mean and like being in control.

The point is that this sort of situation is one that you might suddenly find yourself dealing with because chances are that you will not be told ahead of time that you're about to face a "stress interview!"

Not everyone you interview with will be a "people person" as they say.

A stress interview could occur in a number of different ways:

1. The interviewer(s) could fire off questions very quickly without giving you much time to think about your answers.

2. You might be interviewed by a group of people at the same time and maybe they take turns grilling you.

3. You might be interviewed by different people who take turns coming into the interview room without giving you a break or much time to rest.

4. Maybe the interviewer asks off-the-wall questions (ie. situational questions, riddles) or maybe they cut you off before you can finish your answers.

5. Maybe they get you to ask the questions. This happened to me once where the interviewer flew into the room, plonked themselves down on the seat and said "OK, what do you want to know?"

Trust me, there are many more things a company could do during a stress interview!

Your best bet is of course to remain calm and to try as quickly as possible to recognize that you just might in the midst of a stress interview.

You may have heard the old expression related to not allowing people to see you sweat. Try not to let the interviewer(s) see that you're nervous. That just might be what they are looking to try to accomplish to rule you out from further consideration for the job. Don’t give them what they are looking for.

Try to take further control by adjusting to the treatment you are receiving. If for example you're being constantly interrupted while giving answers to questions, try to maintain eye contact with the person asking the questions and keep your answers brief to avoid being cut off.

Again, don't let them see that you're nervous.

Of course, if you attend a stress interview and you end up doing well and are being considered for the job, depending on the severity of the stress that occurred, you can decide for yourself if you feel this type of interview was necessary and whether it's still a company you want to work for.



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