Today would be a good time to write a little about being unemployed and going through the interview process, since I just went through another interview.

It’s interesting how so many people fear interviews; they look at them more like a firing squad, or (as Ms. Palin loves to say) a death panel. As for me, I actually look forward to them! The key is to always be comfortable, to relax, and to be true to yourself. Don’t think of it as interviewing for a job, but shopping for a place to spend your days, because interviews go two ways! Not only are they interviewing you to see if you will fit with them, but even more importantly, you are interviewing them to see if they will fit with you. I actually had a friend many years ago who told me she used to arrange interviews for positions she had no intention of taking simply because she enjoyed the interview process. She would go on interviews when she was already employed and loved her job.

The most important thing to remember is to speak the truth, and not to blow anything out of proportion, or make yourself out to be something you’re not. True, you’re trying to sell yourself, but there’s no reason to try to sell them a Mercedes-Benz when you’re really only a Ford. There are times and places where a Ford is better positioned than a Mercedes. But like I said, you’re also there to interview them to make sure it’s going to be a good fit. After all, you’re going to be spending more time there with them than you will be with your own family and friends. They will become your hobby and a major portion of your life, so you better make sure it’s more than just a place to collect a paycheck. That will make for very long days.

So I continue with the interview process, and will be bluntly honest with them about my experience and my past – but with a positive light showing how this is what has molded me into who I am today, and how that will benefit them. That is, IF I want to work there. In the end, it’s going to be my choice, not theirs.