What Political Debates Have Taught Us About Successful Job Interviews

It may be hard to find with all of the overblown coverage and overdone choreography, but the recent state of the GOP presidential debate is like a months-long job interview.
About once a week we all see the same motley bunch of conservative candidates march across the stage so that each of them can tell the nation just why he or she is their party’s right, and best, option.

We could just ignore all of the debates and wait for Jon Stewart to pluck out the most hilarious moments. The live and made-for-TV moments full of ”gotcha” questions always go over like unintentional comedy.

But as thousands of people Occupy every park and public square in the city, and the rest of the people just spam job sites for the next big gig, let’s use the GOP debates as a teaching too to help to ace your next job interview and to get you hired.

Lessons to apply in your next interview

1. Don’t Fidget:
Romney, Perry, Cain and the rest do a very good job of keeping their feet firmly planted on the ground. They do not sway, exhibit nervous movements or say ”uh” and ”um” after every other word.

The GOP candidates do not squirm under pressure, and that lets the people in the audience focus on their answers rather than any signs of discomfort they may show.

2. Be Ready for Anything:
Practice answering out loud any questions that you expect to hear from your next potential employer. Know all your stuff backwards and forwards so that when they try to blind side you with a tough question, you will be ready to answer and they will be shocked by your quick answer.

3. Make Eye Contact:
When answering any questions, the GOP candidates do two different things. First they will respond directly to the person who asked the question. But they are also aware that there are other people in the room. So they do the second thing, they scan through the crowd while they talk, but they never stare at the floor and mumble their answer.

In a job interview, eye contact shows that you have poise, manners. And by giving frequent glances to the other tables, it proves that you know how to speak to a group of people and command attention.

4. Listen Up:
You will often see the other candidates taking notes as the others speak. They heard an opinion or a fact that stands out and they may want to bring it up later in the debate. That same technique works really well with an employer. Either remember some of the key details of your conversation or write them down. Then return to those points at the end of your interview and impressive with your perceptiveness.