Thursday, September 1, 2016

Interviewing is Like Riding a Bike

Author: John Dix
               Trainer, Facilitator & Strategist

“Four Stages for Learning Any New Skill”, the theory was developed at Gordon Training International:
  • Unconscious Incompetence
  • Conscious Incompetence
  • Conscious Competence
  • Unconscious Competence
Think about when you were a child, never having been on a bike, watching your older sibling riding away, effortlessly.  You said to yourself, “sure I can do that”.  So you jumped right on and off you went, straight to the pavement!  You successfully demonstrated the first stage of learning a new skill- unconscious incompetence.  You were completely unaware that you lacked the skills necessary to successfully ride a bike.

Now think about your first interview for that job you were confident you were qualified.  It wasn’t until you were in the interview that you became aware that you lacked the skills necessary to be successful- unconscious incompetence.

Now back to riding the bike.  After you picked yourself off the pavement, attended to your injuries, you sought the advice of that older sibling who shared with you the basic skills necessary to successfully ride that bike.  Keep peddling, maintain balance and move forward.  With that advice you realized your own incompetence- the next stage of learning a new skill- conscious incompetence.
After the interview, you take notice of your failures, of the lack of skills to be successful and what you could do better to leave your interviewer with a better impression.  Perhaps you sought advice from a trusted friend or coach.

And you took those observations for riding the bike and doing the interview, the next time you attempted either activity and you consciously demonstrate them- conscious competence.
And you practice, practice and more practice- until it becomes second nature- unconscious competence.  Achieving an unconscious level of competence may be a far-fetched goal, but one that must nonetheless be sought.  And it will only come through practice, preparation and persistence.

For an interview:
  • Unconscious Incompetence - you are not aware that you lack the skills to succeed in creating a value statement
  • Conscious Incompetence - you recognize the gaps and seek advice and assistance in bridging the gaps
  • Conscious Competence - your next interview goes much better as you concentrate on your improvement opportunities
  • Unconscious Competence - after many interview, these newly learned skills are innate, effortless and really portray the value you bring to that organization.
Practice, preparation and learn from your mistakes.  You’ll land in no time!

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