Few workplace rituals are more suspenseful than a job interview, but is it really a "dreaded, stressful ordeal"? Yes, says a new report that sums up the results of a survey of 1,002 employed adults by Harris Interactive and Everest College. It seems that 92% of Americans fear at least one thing, and often several, about meeting a prospective employer.
职场上恐怕没有比面试更令人紧张不安的场合了。但面试真的是“可怕的、压力山大的折磨吗?”恐怕是这样。哈里斯互动公司和珠穆朗玛峰学院对1002名成年职场人士进行过一项调查。结果发现,关于与潜在雇主见面这件事,有92%的美国人至少会存在某一种忧虑,而很多人常常是忧虑重重。
The most widespread worry: Seeming nervous (17%), followed by being overqualified (15%), being stumped by an interviewer's questions (15%), showing up late (14%), being underqualified (11%), and not being prepared (10%).
其中,最大的忧虑是:自己看上去显得紧张(17%),其次分别是,个人资历过高(15%),被面试官的问题难住(15%),迟到(14%),不合格(11%),以及没有做好准备(10%)。
The poll turned up a few interesting differences between men and women. The most common fear among men, with 19% choosing it as their top worry, is being seen as overqualified. Women apparently are humbler (not always a good thing, in this context): Their chief fear is seeming nervous, tied at 19% with being unable to answer a specific question.
调查发现,男性和女性存在许多有趣的差异。男性最大的忧虑是个人资历过高,比例达到19%。而女性明显更加谦逊(这在面试时不见得一定是好事):她们最大的忧虑是自己看起来很紧张(19%),另外有相同比例的女性担心回答不出面试官的问题。
The more money you make, the less likely you are to be fazed by a job interview, the poll suggests: 22% of those whose household income is less than $50,000 said that they worry about seeming nervous on an interview; 11% of survey respondents with incomes of $100,000 had the same fear. Moreover, among the 8% minority who claim to have absolutely no qualms about job interviews, those with incomes between $75,000 and $100,000 are "more likely not to fear anything than those making between $35,000 and $50,000," the report says.
调查发现,收入越高的人群越不会被面试所困扰:家庭收入低于5万美元的受访者中,有22%的受访对象称担心在面试的时候看起来很紧张;而收入在10万美元的受访者中,仅有11%存在这样的担心。此外,在8%声称绝对不会对面试感到不安的极少数人当中,收入在7.5万美元至10万美元的受访者“没有收入在 3.5万至5万美元受访者的那些担忧。”
A related finding: College makes you confident. "22% of the survey participants with a high school diploma or less ranked being too nervous as their top fear, compared with just 11% of college graduates," the report notes.
一项相关调查显示:大学教育让人更有自信。报告发现:“仅有高中或更低学历的受访者,约有22%认为过于紧张是最大的担忧,而大学毕业生中仅有11%。”
Age also makes a difference, with people aged 18 to 34 more likely than older employees to say they worry about making a bad first impression -- in some cases, rightly so. John Swartz, West Coast regional director of career services for survey co-sponsor Everest College, says he hears from hiring managers that young job candidates often take phone calls and send or read texts during interviews. This doesn't necessarily make them appear nervous as much as uninterested in the process altogether, Swartz says. "The job interview is still a traditional environment, where the distractions of social media and smartphones are not appropriate."
年龄也会产生影响。相比年长的受访者,18至34岁的受访者更担心留下糟糕的第一印象——不过在有些情况下,确实如此。珠峰学院西海岸地区职业指导主任约翰 -斯瓦茨表示,招聘经理们曾经跟他说,年轻的求职者经常在面试中接电话和看短信。斯瓦茨认为,这倒不一定会让他们看起来显得紧张,反倒会让人觉得他们对面试过程不感兴趣。“面试依然是一个传统环境,在面试过程中为社交媒体和智能手机而分心是不恰当的做法。”
How can you conquer the job interview jitters? "Everyone is different under pressure," says Swartz. "But the best way to manage fear is simply to be prepared." Researching the company thoroughly ahead of time, doing your best to anticipate questions, and thinking up some smart questions of your own can help calm you down, he adds.
如何克服面试中的紧张不安?斯瓦茨说:“面临压力,每个人都会有不同的表现。但管理恐惧最好的方法就是做好准备。”他补充道,提前研究潜在雇主的公司,尽量预测面试问题,同时提前想出一些比较有技巧的问题,这样便可以帮你平静下来。
It might also help to keep in mind that, in a high-stakes situation, a mild case of sweaty palms is perfectly natural and unlikely to count against you. Every hiring manager has, after all, sat on your side of the desk, too.
还有一点要记住,在高风险情况下,手心轻微出汗是非常正常的现象,不会对求职者造成不利的影响。毕竟,招聘经理当年也曾经是求职者。
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