Use NLP Perceptual Positions to Improve your Interview Skills

Use NLP Perceptual Positions to Improve your Interview Skills

This NLP exercise helps see how you come across at interviews from different viewpoints, including the interviewers helping you gain new knowledge and understanding, which can be used to quickly improve your interview techniques.

“if you want a different result, do somthing different”

Think about a recent job interview that you feel could have gone better, a job interview that you wish you could have communicated differently or a job interview that left you feeling confused on how you can improve your interview techniques.

It is useful to fully read this technique before trying it.

1. Consider the Interview from your own perspective

Return to this interview fully in your mind and run mental movie of this situation as it occurred on the day of your interview. Re-experience this situation as fully as possible, (becoming totally associated with the emotions you had at the time of the interview) from your own eyes. What can you see? Notice the interviewer you are talking to, hear what they said to you. See the expression on their face, notice their body language. Become aware of how you feel. Speak to the person (out loud or in your head) and use the same language as you originally did. Really relive this experience as you did at the time of the interview. At the end of this episode, rewind this movie and pause the movie at the beginning of this conflict situation.

Break your State by shaking your arms and legs!                                               

2. The Interviewers Position

Now that your movie is ‘paused’ at the beginning, look over at the person interviewing you. Notice how the interviewer is breathing, notice their posture, facial expressions, the way they move. Now consider what their tone of voice is like, do they speak fast or slow, loud or quiet? How to they walk, talk, sit, laugh and relax? What are some of the things you know about this persons; what are their likes and dislikes?

Now imagine floating out of your own body and into the body of the interviewer. Imagine you are inside the interviewer’s skin. Become aware of how this person experiences life. Take on their posture, gestures and their tone of voice.

Set aside your own beliefs and values and replay the interview from the interviewers chair and viewpoint. Pay attention to the thoughts of the interviewer, their self talk and to any insights that surface as you observe the interviewee (you) in front of you.

Use the interviewer’s language to describe what you experience (refer to yourself as you) ask the interviewee the interview questions asked at the time of the interview, look at how they respond and how they communicate to you the interviewer, what have you learnt from this viewpoint, what else can you learn from this interviewers experience of the interview, how did the interviewee (you) come across?

After the scene ends float back into your own body taking with you this new learning and insights.

Break state again by shaking or taking 3 deep breaths.                                            

3. The Interview Observer  

Return to the interview and from your own point of view, before you play out the interview for a third time, float out of your body and move to a detached place, where you can observe both you and the interviewer. Once again re-play the interview as if you were watching and listening to a film or live show. Be curious about what unfolds before you and notice the learning you gain from this third perspective. Listen to the conversation and notice the body language of both the interviewee and the interviewer and how you both respond to each others communications.

After the scene ends, float back into your body bringing with you all the insights and learning from the three perceptual positions. Pay attention to the difference in your experience. Take all the time you need to fully return to yourself before opening your eyes.

Repeat this as many times as you feel is necessary and always end in the first position of you as the interviewee.

An NLP Life Coach can help you improve your interview skills using NLP techniques.