Job interviews

lazerock said:

I suppose it's due to a) monofocus, and feeling like I don't have time to focus on it in the way I want to because of everything else that is going on, b) fear of failure, c) fear of embarrassing myself by not being prepared.

I have 4 decades of experience on both sides of the recruitment process and have been through the issues you describe early on. For me I find it much more effective to assume I will not get the position so it immediately takes the pressure off and I can relax and treat it almost like a practice session. The difference it makes in how I can respond more normally in significant for me and has earned me many roles (I used to contract a lot so had roles that lasted for 1-3 years typically).

Embarrasment is not something I ever allowed myself to think about - if you think the interviewer is going to think badly of you personally then you are almost certainly wrong. They will be interviewing dozens of candidates most likely and you become just another in a long line of people who they have to assess, score and rank in order to get the best candidate. You are unlikely to be seen even as a person but as a collection of skills and abilities on a checklist.

Monofocus is likely to be your biggest failure point. The recruiter will want someone who can adapt to changing circumstances and demands quickly so if you cannot do this then the chances are you will be seen as a less capable candidate than the dozens of ofther NT candidates they see.

I would recommend working on this - find ways to practice rapid changes in focus for maybe half a dozen things in 20 minures to train yourself out of this limitation. This was how I did it. Monofocus is most likely used because it is comfortable for you but in a work situation if an emergency comes up you need to be able to pivot and respond - think about if a colleague is knocked unconcious and you are the only person around. Are you really going to finish the task you are working on for 30 minutes before calling an ambulance? Of course not - you respond because you have to and this is an ability you can strengthen with practice.

Working on our weaknesses is difficult and takes effort - it is uncomfortable but I think it is well worth the effort if you want to be able to get into a work role.

Speaking as someone who has recruited many staff in my career I can tell you that for roles where monofocus is an issue will result in you failing the interview every time. Some roles can use it (eg researcher) and here it won't work against you but most positions require the flexibility you lack. 

So adapting will give you a lot more options, enable you to work with these new skills and increase your chances of geting a job significantly.

Only in my opinion of course.

lazerock said:

I suppose it's due to a) monofocus, and feeling like I don't have time to focus on it in the way I want to because of everything else that is going on, b) fear of failure, c) fear of embarrassing myself by not being prepared.

I have 4 decades of experience on both sides of the recruitment process and have been through the issues you describe early on. For me I find it much more effective to assume I will not get the position so it immediately takes the pressure off and I can relax and treat it almost like a practice session. The difference it makes in how I can respond more normally in significant for me and has earned me many roles (I used to contract a lot so had roles that lasted for 1-3 years typically).

Embarrasment is not something I ever allowed myself to think about - if you think the interviewer is going to think badly of you personally then you are almost certainly wrong. They will be interviewing dozens of candidates most likely and you become just another in a long line of people who they have to assess, score and rank in order to get the best candidate. You are unlikely to be seen even as a person but as a collection of skills and abilities on a checklist.

Monofocus is likely to be your biggest failure point. The recruiter will want someone who can adapt to changing circumstances and demands quickly so if you cannot do this then the chances are you will be seen as a less capable candidate than the dozens of ofther NT candidates they see.

I would recommend working on this - find ways to practice rapid changes in focus for maybe half a dozen things in 20 minures to train yourself out of this limitation. This was how I did it. Monofocus is most likely used because it is comfortable for you but in a work situation if an emergency comes up you need to be able to pivot and respond - think about if a colleague is knocked unconcious and you are the only person around. Are you really going to finish the task you are working on for 30 minutes before calling an ambulance? Of course not - you respond because you have to and this is an ability you can strengthen with practice.

Working on our weaknesses is difficult and takes effort - it is uncomfortable but I think it is well worth the effort if you want to be able to get into a work role.

Speaking as someone who has recruited many staff in my career I can tell you that for roles where monofocus is an issue will result in you failing the interview every time. Some roles can use it (eg researcher) and here it won't work against you but most positions require the flexibility you lack. 

So adapting will give you a lot more options, enable you to work with these new skills and increase your chances of geting a job significantly.

Only in my opinion of course.