Going outside of your 'comfort zone'

Getting outside of your ‘Comfort Zone’
 
Employers are often updating their hiring criteria.  It’s my job as your interview coach to be on top of these changes so I can help you craft great answers to trending questions from your own experience.

The latest big interview trend for large employers has been asking for evidence of a ‘Growth Mindset’, and as often as not, whatever large employers ask at interviews trickles down to smaller companies over time. You have to be prepared to answer such a theme of question.

What is a ‘Growth Mindset’?

A growth mindset is simply getting outside of your comfort zone and dealing with it by taking practical steps and actions. Sometimes, this may include failing to achieve but still showing courage and resilience to bounce back.

People do sometimes fall into a routine and a feeling of comfort. They sometimes like to ‘coast’ through their career. Becoming comfortable as an expert in their field and not seeking to improve from that position. This is not a ‘Growth Mindset’.
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There could be a fear of failing by pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and growing, once you are in a good job that pays well and doesn’t ask too much from you. But this won’t help you move jobs or companies if the employer asks you to prove how you went out of your comfort zone.

How can I Prove I have a 'Growth Mindset'?

Proving a 'growth mindset' is a conundrum that some of my clients have faced. They often come to me for interview preparation after failing to get a job offer, even though they work at a good company and do a good job there.  They are mystified as to what is going wrong.  I soon find out early in my interview preparation this is the element of distinction which is missing.
 
Also, as another angle on this theme of questioning, employers want to know what you have learnt from failing whilst outside of your comfort zone. Or a time when you received (hopefully) constructive criticism and took it on board and applied yourself by improving your work.

Ask yourself these questions:
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1. Have you done something to grow knowledge in the job, skills and competencies, to improve your work in the last two years?
2. What criticism or constructive feedback have you received, or sought out, and what steps did you take to improve your work?
3. What ‘stretch’ projects have you taken on in the last year which took you out of your comfort zone?

If you cannot answer these questions with examples from the last year, maximum of two years, you will not be able to demonstrate this sought-after skill and competency.

I can help you with two of my interview preparation areas. My Interview Coaching Programmes are all about helping you craft the best answers from your own experiences, ensuring you sell yourself confidently in a way that the interviewers want to hear so you are ready to interview.

If you are planning ahead and not ready to interview at the moment, I can help prepare you for when you are planning a change in your career or a promotion. Often 6 months ahead, helping you identify skills or competencies to improve and act on to ensure the answers in your interviews really sound great. 

You can book in a free pre interview coaching call to discuss your needs.

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