Job interviews in general can put most candidates in an anxiety-riddled situation. And what if you end up with a hostile interviewer?
In most cases, hostile employers are actually looking to gauge your emotional intelligence by observing how you behave and respond under pressure.
However, should you end up with an interviewer who’s behaving negatively by being physically or verbally rude towards you, how would you handle it?
Here’s some advice on how to ace that hostile job interview.
1. Remain calm and collected
When an interviewer is being offensive towards you, try not to go on the offence. Take a breather to compose yourself and respond in a calm tone.
Some interviewers are rude deliberately to assess how you react to a situation. This is your chance to prove that you can handle stress at work.
2. Don’t react too quickly
When you’re feeling pressured, anxiety will get the better of you causing you to react and answer interview questions as quickly as possible.
You don’t want to put yourself in that state. Rushing through the interview won’t be beneficial to you. You might even say things you shouldn’t or miss out important key points.
3. Don’t take things personally
Even if the interviewer is not treating you professionally, there could be legitimate reasons why they are acting so harshly due to work or personal matters.
Instead of taking the hostility personally, just stick to your main focus while answering every interview question calmly and confidently. Remind yourself to act like a qualified and experienced professional.
4. Don’t forget to ask your own questions
If the interviewer becomes abrasive, this is your chance to direct questions back to him or her. It’s also a great way for you to determine whether you would be a right fit with the company.
Ask about the job role, the daily responsibilities, and what target you will be expected to achieve. More importantly, ask about the company work culture and how the business supports its employees.
5. Dismiss yourself from the interview politely
Should you feel that the interview will not have any good outcome, consider politely dismissing yourself from the interview room.
But if you manage to pull through the entire interview, try your best to be polite and exit politely.
Share your thoughts with the interviewer that you won’t be a good fit for the position before leaving.
This article first appeared in jobstore.com
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