Coffee - How can it improve your interview skills?

I am not a coffee drinker but I found the tips in this article to be very helpful. That cup of coffee can really calm your nerves, and make your interview feel like a really conversation rather than an interrogation session. The cup gives you an "excuse" to breath, and think before you answer you questions, and create a better flow for the question and answer process.

Drink That Coffee in Your Interview. Slowly.

I can’t count the number of times that a candidate walks in to an interview with us, asks for a coffee and then doesn’t touch it…. I understand that they are nervous and that they have probably had a couple of coffees already, but I think that you can tell a lot about the candidates who leave a full cup of cold coffee as their legacy.

  Imagine what potential employers might think.

  You might think that this is a trivial matter, but in the hour that you have to create an impression with your potential future employer, you can use that coffee in a number of strategic ways. Left untouched, it is an opportunity wasted.

Firstly, and most obviously, an undrunk cup of coffee might show that you are afraid to speak your mind. You might have not drunk it because you were nervous, but from the point of view of the employer, maybe you don’t even like coffee, maybe you said “yes, please” when you actually would have preferred water. When your words don’t match up with your actions, the smallest disconnect can bring your authenticity into question.

  Secondly, the coffee is a great prop to slow things down a little. If your communication style is pensive and relaxed, you will encourage your interviewer to mirror your behaviour. When they ask a question, it is the most natural thing in the world to take a moment to think, make a “hmmmm” noise, take a (silent) sip of coffee and then launch into your amazing answer. No one wants to be dominated by a machine-gun-like answer. The more natural pauses, the better. Coffee (or drinking any other drink) helps to create these natural pauses. If you do this, the interviewer will feel able to do the same. It will only be good for the candidate if the interviewer takes their time to think about the next question.

  Thirdly, coffee keeps you awake. Yes, really, it does that. Every interview is energy sapping, and it is often the nervous hours that you have spent before the interview that take their toll about 45 minutes in. Don’t gulp down the coffee straight away, ration it, and you will have a caffeine-filled shot of energy through your interview. On the other, hand, don’t finish it too early as you may get asked if you want another one, and you don’t want the interviewer focussing that! 

  Lastly, coffee (or any other drink) helps to give the feel of a normal conversation. You want the interviewer to feel like you are already one of the team, so being relaxed enough to ask for a drink (and drinking it) is a great way of establishing that easy going rapport.

  It may sound silly, but how you act with your coffee could help you to get your next job. 

  It is a crucial weapon in any job seeker’s toolkit. You might think I’m joking? I’m not.

 Article published by: Jayne Coles

Drink That Coffee in Your Interview. Slowly