Whats your belief system?

They will leave the interview room dazed, frustrated and vowing to do better next time. Of course, they do not… and matters worsen with each interview that passes!

Add to this the perplexing outcome when, after a particularly uncomfortable interview, the employer telephones and actually offers the job in question to the candidate! How can your senses have been so misguided?

A fundamental question must be asked. Why do some people glide through interviews without so much as a hint of nerves while others abandon all hope?

Naturally, some levels of trepidation and uncertainty are crucial in giving you the edge at any interview. However, when those levels of anxiety remain unchecked, they can easily reach ‘suicide’ proportions. The interview process then becomes artificially skewed – in other words, the most confident person will secure the job rather than the individual who is most capable for the role in question.

The self-fulfilling prophecy

While there is much debate surrounding whether it is a chemical reaction or an electronic pulse that stimulates our bodies to generate these feelings, there’s little disputing the fact that it is how we interpret what is happening around us – allied to our own belief systems – that lies at the core of how we both feel and react.

Moreover, the two are related. One begets the other. Low and falling levels of confidence during an interview often lead to the self-fulfilling prophecy which begins something like… “They think that I’m unworthy. I must be unworthy. I feel unworthy. I am unworthy”.

In much the same way that the symptoms of ’flu we feel are not the effects of the ’flu virus, but rather our own body’s defence mechanisms fighting it, our core beliefs – in other words, what we say to ourselves – are the cause of what we feel, and are not necessarily related to what is happening around us. Do we actually need them, and are they right? To do something about them, first you must identify what your core beliefs really are. Then you can set about changing them (and the attendant feelings associated with them).

Core beliefs are found in our everyday actions, such as how we respond to the demands from others or how we expect others to respond to us. One way of identifying the level of disruption these beliefs cause us is to score the level of that ‘upset’ or the physical discomfort suffered (particularly when events are not running to plan). A high level of disruption will indicate a core belief that may be irrational – and is therefore unnecessary.

What are rational beliefs?

Rational beliefs are those that are Flexible, Logical, Opportunity-focused, Realistic and Actualising (FLORA).

Rational beliefs are flexible enough to cope with an unexpected outcome (for example: “I want to be selected for this job, but it’s not so bad if I’m not picked”). Contrast this with an irrational belief. Something like: “I really must get this job. It will be a disaster if I do not.”

In context, consider the following core belief that impacts on almost every interview situation and ask yourself: ‘Is this rational’? “I am a professional security manager with years of experience and must have the correct answer to every question asked or I will look stupid or bad”. Is this you?

On reflection, most job seekers will admit that this particular core belief does apply to them. We genuinely believe that we are expected to know all of the answers to every situation that arises. It is also clear that such a belief is far from reasonable. Inclusion of the word ‘must’ is in no way flexible and, without prior knowledge of the questions and model answers, it is impossible to answer those same questions in the manner expected.

As soon as we sense a threat coming, our mind actually sabotages our own efforts with a range of self-doubt (negative self talk), unwanted emotions and inappropriate physiological symptoms which impede us

Holders of such demanding and unrealistic irrational beliefs are predicting failure. For many of us, failure – either real or imagined – automatically triggers an unpleasant emotional response. As soon as we sense a threat coming, our mind actually sabotages our own efforts with a range of self-doubt (negative self talk), unwanted emotions and inappropriate physiological symptoms which impede us.

Given such an ingrained mental handicap, the moment we hear a killer question – or a difficult scenario arises – we watch ourselves ‘shutting down’, and our mouths often resort to a babbling, uncontrolled ‘freefall’ mode.

From disruption to flexibility

Having identified disruptive core beliefs, the next step is to change them to a more flexible belief such as: “I will strive to answer every question but, if I can’t, that doesn’t mean I am not a good security manager”. By undertaking this simple change in mindset, an unanswerable question or difficult scenario becomes less threatening, less personal and less risky. Our psychological and physiological defence mechanisms remain in the background, and do not impede our responses.

Some managers who thrive at interviews adopt a belief that such occasions are a great way to meet new people or to discover how other organisations select staff. Alternatively, they think of interviews as a way of exchanging professional thoughts and ideas. All of these approaches are great ways to adapt our core beliefs so that they become more reasonable and far less destructive.

Many will argue that you need confidence. Confidence stems from adequate research. Before attending any interview, brief yourself as fully as possible. The more information you have to hand the better equipped you are to offer an effective response. However, all of that information will be squandered if you are impeded from recalling the salient facts at the time when you need them.

Belief systems are not the only factors influencing how we react to events. Other cognitions such as perception play an equal part. Our senses are very good at recognising what is happening around us, but over time we have honed this system to go beyond what is actually there… Did the person smile, or were they smirking?

Living with your emotions

We also make inferences by adding the emotional ingredients and evaluations. We guess how an event will impact upon us. Sadly, cognitions are beyond the remit of this article.

What if you choose to do nothing and live with your emotions? Well, you certainly will not lose more than you are already… but then again you will not gain anything, either!

Remember former Conservative Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who suffered acutely from his emotions... Those emotions did not stop him from governing a country at war, but could the war have ended years earlier?

Are you successful at every interview?