First Date Or Job Interview: The Rules Are Similar
When recently coaching a friend on an upcoming job interview, I realized that these scary meetings are very much like first dates. A lot of the anxiety is the same, as is your desire to make a dynamite first impression. Unfortunately, some of the mistakes are the same as well. Maybe you never thought about it like this, but the reason you didn't get that job you were amazingly qualified for could be the same reason you didn't get asked out for a second date by that adorable dude you went out with a few weeks ago.
Bad mouthing your ex
It doesn't matter whether you're discussing an ex boyfriend or a former boss, if you bad mouth either one personally or professionally it will reflect badly on you. It's just never a flattering thing to do when you want to portray yourself in a good light.
If it's a job you're after, you need to downplay previous workplace conflicts, unless you were able to resolve them. Talking badly about your ex boss will cause the interviewer to wonder what part you played, and she will think twice about hiring you.
If it's a date? Same rules apply. If you go on and on about how horrible of a person your ex-lover is, the new person is going to think, "that could be me she's talking about one day". Guaranteed.
Yakkity Yakkity
When you're in a job interview or on a first date, do you ever stop talking? We're often so anxious to impress our great qualities on an interviewer or a first date that we fail to observe one simple rule. That is to stop talking and allow the other person to have their say. There's a fine line between confidence during a conversation and compromising that conversation with too much yapping.
Blabber Mouth: Again
After a promising job interview or butterfly inducing first date it can be very hard to show restraint. Your inclination to jump on Facebook to brag about how well it went, though understandable, is something to be avoided.
If you think your potential new boss/boyfriend won't find out about you jumping the gun in a public way, you're mistaken. The internet is not a safe place, my friends. It's safer for you, them, and everyone involved to keep mum on all budding professional and personal relationships until you have some solid good news to share.
Something was off
Or on your shirt. Or you were wearing just a little too much perfume. Or any one of a million tiny details that, unfair as it may be, have a way of getting under someone's skin and derailing an otherwise flawless first meeting.
This post was developed by the writers of the Datepad.com internet dating company where you can find thousands more helpful dating posts. You can get a unique content version of this article from the Uber Article Directory.
