Are you job interviewing like Lori Harvey dates? If not, you need to start today!

First, let’s take a step back and provide some background information about Lori, especially for the people who don’t know who she is. Lori is a socialite, entrepreneur, and model. She’s the adopted daughter of television host, comedian, and actor Steve Harvey, and most importantly, the biological daughter of Marjorie Harvey (the woman who taught her everything she knows and the true hero of this story). 

Lori is in her mid-20s and approaches her dating life like most heterosexual women in their mid-20s should, with intention, a positive mindset, and main character energy, and you should do the same while job interviewing.

I’ve helped dozens of women level up their LinkedIn profiles when they’re ready to search for a new job. It doesn’t matter if the woman is a recent college graduate or a VP, I hear similar lamentations about job interviewing.

I hear these same comments all the time:

😨 I get so nervous before a job interview because I really want them to hire me.  

😨 I’ve completed amazing projects in my career, but I don’t know how to effectively share my career story in a job interview. 

😨 I went through five rounds of interviews, but I messed up in that final round and didn’t really sell myself.

This is old news, we’re leaving this in the past, we’re moving forward, we’re letting go of limiting beliefs, and we’re approaching job interviewing like Lori approaches dating.

Here are three things you need to do:

Remember That You Are The PRIZE: You’re nervous about the job interview because you really want them to like you and choose you. But you have to remind yourself that companies do not operate and cease to exist if they don’t hire people like you. You’ve studied your craft, you’re skilled, and you know what you’re talking about, so act accordingly. Throw the desperate energy in the trash and put on the “I am the prize” energy. Ask a friend or family member to run practice interviews with you. Research the company and craft thoughtful questions to ask the hiring team during your interview. For example, you can ask, “What were 2 - 3 challenges the person in this role faced?”

🏃🏿‍♀️ If they don’t know the answer. Run. 

🏃🏽‍♀️ If they tell you there were no challenges. Run. 

🏃🏻‍♀️If they tell you the person outgrew the company. Run. 

When you come equipped with this level of preparation for an interview, you will know that you’re the prize.

Know When To Walk Away: If you’re upset that you didn’t get the job after you participated in five rounds of interviews and completed an assignment, it means you didn’t enforce your boundaries. Ouch. Yes, it’s a painful truth that we all need to accept at some point in our career journey. You have to know when the job interview process is no longer serving you and you have to have the courage to let go and walk away. Develop job interview boundaries before you start applying. Determine how many interview rounds you’re comfortable participating in and if you’re willing to do an assignment. Ask the recruiter about the interview process during your initial phone screen.

✌🏿 If it sounds like they’re doing too much. Walk away. 

✌🏼If you know the assignment will take more than 30 minutes. Walk away.

✌🏾 If the hiring team wants you to have another meet & greet with people they “forgot” to introduce you to the first two times you went in and they want to come back in for a third time. Walk away.

You’ll be way more disappointed with the interview process if you stay, rather than walk away when you knew in your gut it was time to exit stage left.

Adopt An Abundance Mindset: Yes, there are layoffs. Yes, the media won’t stop talking about a recession. But, you have a choice, you can choose to focus on the lack, or you can focus on the abundance. There are hundreds of thousands of jobs open on any given day. This means you have options. Reduce the number of jobs you apply for and tailor your resume to specific roles that you desire, and step up your in-person and online networking game. Shift your mindset to focus on the things you can control and the habits you can adopt to get just one of the hundreds of thousands of jobs available to you. 

🤫 If news reports about the economy make you anxious. Silence it. 

🤫 If your doubt tells you to give up because you’ll never find a new job. Silence it.   

🤫 If your mind starts to trick you into not implementing habits that will benefit you. Silence it.

There you have it! you now know how to approach your job search in a way that will leave you feeling empowered and focusing on what you can control. This is all easier said than done and takes practice, so show yourself grace along the way. Before you know it, you’ll be the Lori Harvey of your job interview process!