PDA

View Full Version : How do you calm down before an interview???

Lumburg
10-03-2005, 06:41 PM
Holy crap, I'm so friggin nervous. Through the biggest stroke of luck known to man, I scored an interview with one of the most well-known trial lawyers in Houston (I'm a law student). :eek:

This is wonderful and all, but holy fucking shit I'm nervous. I've only had two interviews before in my life, and they were never with the big whig himself, so I was never really intimidated.

How do you calm yourself before an interview? I'm freaking out. Should I be practicing or something???

Hold me!
shimmer728
10-03-2005, 06:45 PM
I smoke a big fat joint. :cool:

Actually, that's not true at all. :) It sounds totally cliche, but taking a few deep breaths and walking in the place with your head held high works wonders!

You'll be great! Let us know how it goes.
Moogcat9
10-03-2005, 08:11 PM
If you have a second or two alone (either before you get out of your car or while waiting in reception or in a hallway or in the bathroom or whatever) close your eyes and take some deep breaths. I've found that it helps completely. Remember to exhale just as deeply....yeah. That's really helpful. :)
You can do it. Good luck!
dazed
10-03-2005, 09:35 PM
i get SUPER nervous before interviews that mean a lot to me too. i guess the breathing techniques are good and keep reminding yourself that they like you enough to invite you to interview. even though you are going to be focused inward because you are nervous and you're going to try to fight it off, stay outwardly focused (aka focused on your interviewer). listen to what they have to say and their questions completely. then respond. yes, you should practice some answers for common questions.

good luck and let us know how it goes!
jcm12
10-03-2005, 09:49 PM
I smoke a big fat joint. :cool:

Actually, that's not true at all. :) It sounds totally cliche, but taking a few deep breaths and walking in the place with your head held high works wonders!

You'll be great! Let us know how it goes.
QLC's just full of weed smokin, liquor guzzling floozies, don't listen to her :)
lilyflower
10-03-2005, 10:08 PM
Erm, I hum/listen to "The World's Greatest"

No, I'm not kidding. But it works :)
shimmer728
10-03-2005, 10:26 PM
Erm, I hum/listen to "The World's Greatest"

No, I'm not kidding. But it works :)

R. Kelly?

:p
lilyflower
10-03-2005, 10:27 PM
R. Kelly?

:p

Well, I also listen to the soundtrack from Newsies, so it gets worse :razz:
WeirdBrake
10-04-2005, 04:34 AM
Lumburg... just remember that this high-powered trial lawyer was once in your exact position. :)
Lumburg
10-10-2005, 11:09 PM
That was absurd!!!! He asked me for my law school gpa, college gpa, high school gpa, lsat, sat, and a host of other absurdly detailed questions about my background! :eek: For fuck's sake, my high school GPA????

I don't know if I got the job yet, but with the interview feeling more like an interrogation, and my present job being a not unlike a warm womb, I'd be hesitant to accept a job there anyway!
bridgetjones
10-10-2005, 11:25 PM
Hopefully you kept your cool under fire. I heard there are some interviewers that test this by blasting ppl with qs or acting very disinterested.

Hmm... A trial lawyer conducting an interrogation. However he was asking questions that are easily verifiable! Guess he can see if you were lying after the fact.
Lumburg
10-10-2005, 11:26 PM
Hopefully you kept your cool under fire. I heard there are some interviewers that test this by blasting ppl with qs or acting very disinterested.

Hmm... A trial lawyer conducting an interrogation. However he was asking questions that are easily verifiable! Guess he can see if you were lying after the fact.

How could he obtain my grades or test scores without my permission?
bridgetjones
10-10-2005, 11:35 PM
Hmmm... I guess there would be a way to get them. Not sure what the legal situation is here. You would know that better. Or he knows ppl that know you... Transcripts were not part of the application process? Ok.

However bombarding you with qs about this stuff is stupid waste of time as far as determining fit because he could just ask you for a transcript! I would expect a good trial lawyer would be a better interviewer than that. My best guess is he wanted to see how you react under pressure.

What else did he ask about?
Lumburg
10-10-2005, 11:39 PM
Hmmm... I guess there would be a way to get them. Not sure what the legal situation is here. You would know that better?

All I know is that in college and law school, we have to sign something giving the school permission to release our grades. I'm assuming that means they can't release them without our permission. But who knows...

Or he knows ppl that know you... Transcripts were not part of the application process? Ok.

What else did he ask about?

Exactly what month of what year I began at various schools, graduated, started other schools, studied abroad, specific grades I made in various law school classes, exactly what letter grade various GPAs correspond to, for how long my present boss has worked at his firm, how often I do certain kind of work...the list really does go on and on...
bridgetjones
10-10-2005, 11:45 PM
Hmmm... Is it possible he knows all your profs or knows someone in the registrars office? I assume he is a good investigator and has resources other than official ones. ;)

It is odd that he was being EXTRA anal about dates, duties and facts. Did he ask for references to verify all this info? I guess he was watching intently for your reactions to all this questioning. Did he whip out the sodium pentothal and rubber hoses? :p
Lumburg
10-10-2005, 11:49 PM
Hmmm... Is it possible he knows all your profs or knows someone in the registrars office? I assume he is a good investigator and has resources other than official ones. ;)

It is odd that he was being EXTRA anal about dates, duties and facts. Did he ask for references to verify all this info? I guess he was watching intently for your reactions to all this questioning. Did he whip out the sodium pentothal and rubber hoses? :p

Actually, he is quite close with some people at my school who could probably give my law school info. But high school and college? No way!

And no, he did not ask for references. He did ask for the specific name of my boss. I hope to God he doesn't call my boss, because that would be pretty awkward for him to find out I'm interviewing elsewhere!

I just don't know what to make of this...this was by far the weirdest interview I've ever heard of. I've heard of interrogation style interviews, but usually the info sought does not concern what you did as a high schooler!!!
bridgetjones
10-11-2005, 12:09 AM
Yeah hence the joke about rubber hoses and sodium pentothal... Ve haf vays of making you talk! Honestly this is one of the weirdest interview stories I have ever heard. Well I have been interviewed by all sorts of interviewers including professional interviewers and never have I been anal probed in this much detail. If I have been anal probed it was in a more open ended way to get an interviewee out of prepared answers.

The patterns seems like he is trying to find you in a lie. He may in fact know your boss personally for all I know. Great I might be freaking you out more now... :confused: As for your past, well that is to get a sense of who you are as a person. However I have been asked about that before in a getting to know you casual way not like this... Although it seems like he is just collecting facts to build a profile. Most interesting and strange... :confused:
Lumburg
10-11-2005, 12:16 AM
Yeah hence the joke about rubber hoses and sodium pentothal... Ve haf vays of making you talk! Honestly this is one of the weirdest interview stories I have ever heard. Well I have been interviewed by all sorts of interviewers including professional interviewers and never have I been anal probed in this much detail. If I have been anal probed it was in a more open ended way to get an interviewee out of prepared answers.

hahaha, you're the only girl I've ever heard humorously refer to anal probes. Marry me. :p
bridgetjones
10-11-2005, 12:31 AM
Tee hee oh you! :p ;)

Silly billy - sodium pentothal is not taken anally!
Lumburg
10-11-2005, 12:32 AM
Tee hee oh you! :p ;)

Silly billy - sodium pentothal is not taken anally!

you'd be surprised what you can take anally. :eek:
WeirdBrake
10-11-2005, 01:04 AM
He was definitely testing you to see how you react under pressure or absurdity. Legal employers don't give a crap about standardized test scores, and they certainly don't care about your college or high school GPA.
bridgetjones
10-11-2005, 09:02 AM
Huh? I doubt the wiliest of interviewers can shove a sodium pentathal susposity up your ass during an interview without you noticing. It is usually more convienient to take orally or intrevenously.

Yeah the employer may give a crap about your scores but if this was the beef then they'd ask you in a normal way for the scores prior to the interview.