Self-Control Tips for Job Seekers: During the Intverview

Self-Control During an Interview

During an interview, candidates engage in something called self-monitoring, which can require self-control (1, 2). Self-monitoring occurs when an individual focuses on making a great impression and is worried about how others may perceive them. It can take a substantial amount of self-control to monitor and control speech, facial expressions, and body language in an interview (3). This self-monitoring explains why many candidates feel exhausted after an interview.

Interview Duration

Surprisingly, being slightly depleted at the beginning can actually help during a short interview. If the interview is short (less than about a half hour), people who were depleted actually perform better in social interactions than those who are not depleted (4, 5). People who are depleted are rated as more personable and easier to interact with, presumably because they are not trying as hard to control every little expression. It is possible that this effect is due to increased perceptions of authenticity. Thus, it may actually be better for people to avoid glucose and engage in an activity that takes self-control before a short interview.

If the interview is long or has multiple parts (like a campus interview for faculty positions, onsite interviews for industry positions, or medical school interviews) people tend to perform well at the beginning, but performance declines over time (5–8). Due to the decline in performance throughout an interview, job seekers might adopt some of the strategies previously mentioned to alleviate depletion that occurs in a lengthy interview. Some strategies might include eating an apple or looking at images the applicant finds positive during breaks in the interview.

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References

1. E. A. Seeley, W. L. Gardner, The “Selfless” and Self-Regulation: The Role of Chronic Other-Orientation in Averting Self-Regulatory Depletion. Self Identity. 2, 103–117 (2003).

2. Wan, Echo Wen, B. Sternthal, Regulating the effects of depletion through monitoring. Pers. Soc. Psychol. Bull. 34, 32–46 (2008).

3. M. R. Leary, R. M. Kowalski, Impression management: A literature review and two-component model. Psychol. Bull. 107, 34–47 (1990).

4. E. Kross, E. Bruehlman-Senecal, J. Park, A. Burson, A. Dougherty, H. Shablack, R. Bremner, J. Moser, O. Ayduk, Self-talk as a regulatory mechanism: How you do it matters. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 106, 304–324 (2014).

5. M. Muraven, M. Gagné, H. Rosman, Helpful self-control: Autonomy support, vitality, and depletion. J. Exp. Soc. Psychol. 44, 573–585 (2008).

6. J. D. Graham, S. R. Bray, K. A. Martin Ginis, “Pay the piper”: It helps initially, but motivation takes a toll on self-control. Psychol. Sport Exerc. 15, 89–96 (2014).

7. K. D. Vohs, R. F. Baumeister, B. J. Schmeichel, J. M. Twenge, N. M. Nelson, D. M. Tice, Making choices impairs subsequent self-control: A limited-resource account of decision making, self-regulation, and active initiative. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 94, 883–898 (2008).

8. K. D. Vohs, R. F. Baumeister, B. J. Schmeichel, Erratum to “Motivation, personal beliefs, and limited resources all contribute to self-control.” J. Exp. Soc. Psychol. 49, 184–188 (2013).