…Then doubts crept in.

In our first issue of this newsletter two weeks ago, I left you hanging. I had shared that a job posting had come across my desk, and I was immediately interested. It was a feeling I hadn’t had in years, and I see A LOT of job postings.

What was the job? Assistant director of career services for the business school at the University of Delaware, working with the MBA program and alumni. It hit all the sweet spots for me.

Then, almost instantly, I was filled with doubts and fears.

Should I apply for this job – it looks so great! But…

Am I qualified? What makes me think I could go back to a “regular” workplace after all this time?

Will it have flexibility? What about work-life integration? What about the commute?

What about Avarah? I’ve devoted the last 5 years to building this business!

Etc., etc, etc. Can you relate? And then, I reminded myself of what I tell my clients all the time.

Doubts and fears are the brain’s way of keeping us “safe.” Which to the brain means avoid change at all costs.

Knowing that to be true, I just sat with the fear and asked myself “If I could negotiate a situation where I could continue my business, would that be something to consider?” The answer was “yes.”

The Steps to an Interview

After giving myself a big “Atta girl!” for making a decision that I was interested enough to find out more (something you should do for even the smallest progress in your job search!), I did several key things to enhance the likelihood I would a) get an interview; and, b) become a preferred candidate:

1. I reached out to my network. I had a personal conversation with key people who could let me know about the role, the department, and what I should highlight about my background in the application. (These folks later became my advocates)
2. I emailed the director of career services, before I applied (if you are going to do this, do it before you apply), and asked her if she’d be willing to answer questions about the role. She was, and we had a great call. She allayed several of my concerns (e.g., could I still keep my business running?).
3. I applied with all of the insights from steps 1 & 2 above.

Want some tips to increase your chance of getting an interview? Check out these articles:

• The Secret to Getting a Job Interview (US News): Copy and paste the link for full access.
• 6 Ways to Increase Your Chances of Getting An Interview (American Marketing Association)
• To Improve Your Chances of Getting an Interview, Focus On This Strategy (Entrepreneur)

Did I get the interview? Yes! Stay tuned for what happened next. I learned some incredibly valuable lessons, and got some good reminders on the basics of interviewing too.

Want more great career advice like this? Click here.