5 Simple Solutions to Give You an Edge During a Long Interview Process.

How do you stay mentally fresh during a long job interview process? Perhaps you have considered finding a new job, or asking for a higher paying position in your current  company.

  One of the things that may be holding you back from going forward is the long, nerve wracking interview process itself that may involve many call backs for higher level interviews.

How can you stay fresh and on top of your game in an energy charged environment? 

Long interviews can be emotionally and physically exhausting for a number of reasons:

·         You know you are completing against other experts in your field.

·         Your attitude and sustainability under pressure is also being judged, so you must be "up" at all times without looking fake.

·         It is difficult living under a microscope for an extended period of time.

Here is some advice for job seekers.

Remember-You are all in the same interview process so focus on what can you do to move ahead of the other interviewees.

Here are 5 Simple Solutions that answer the questions:

• What are some ways to stay mentally fresh throughout the process?
• What are some ways to find serenity as the pressure mounts?
• How should you approach other opportunities that may arise? 

5 Things You Can Do to Give Yourself the Edge During a LONG Interview Process.

1.) Wear comfortable shoes- sounds simple but when your feet hurt your whole body hurts, and it shows on your face which may be mistaken as a "grumpy person."

2.) Positive mental attitude: Start your day right with mirror therapy. When you brush your teeth in the morning tell your reflection why you are the best candidate for the job by focusing on our strengths, then tell yourself how much you appreciate your opportunity to share your qualifications with others. The words you say now may pop into your mind later in the day during the interview, and you will say them with confidence because you believe them.

3.)  Keep up your momentum when you are neck-to-neck with someone else for the job.  Anytime you sit down take 3 deep "empowering breaths" and imagine them going to any part of your body or spirit where they are needed for reinforcement. 

4.) Smile! Even if you do not get this job, your smile may be so memorable it will open doors for another one. You just never know.

5.) Drink plenty of water. Dehydration under pressure shuts down the brain neurons which slows down thinking and responses. You must be on top of your game.

Kathleen O'Keefe-Kanavos taught The Profoundly Emotionally Disturbed for 10 years and Psychology at University of South Florida. She is a TV/Radio Producer/Host of Wicked Housewives On Cape Cod, the award winning author of the International Bestseller Surviving Cancerland: Intuitive Aspects of Healing and advocates for health and healing at International Conferences throughout the country. Learn more about Kat @ www.AccessYourInnerGuide.com

Dream: Becoming Barefoot

I had this dream last night and thought I’d share it with all of you for your responses to it. Have you ever had a dream that was so real you thought you were awake? And, so full of information you were sure it was important?

Dream: Becoming Barefoot

“What sets your dreams apart from your life will set your life on the right path.”~ Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos

I am traveling around Europe with my husband’s family for a relaxing family vacation. I am in a church where I am to meet the rest of the family to go to the next place. I throw down my clothes on a pew and shout, “That’s it! I’m done with this. It’s too hard.”

A voice says, “Go in through the back.”

 Suddenly, I see Paul, my brother-in-law dressed in a trench coat and carrying a brief case, walk behind the alter and enter a hidden door in the paneling. I follow into a dark narrow corridor that is a dead end except a door on the left with a sign on the wall that reads MEN, like a men’s bathroom. “Aqua” is whispered and the door opens. Rather than leading into a room, it leads outside where a group of women wearing hippy-style clothing are chatting.

“What is this called?” I ask.

“Becoming Barefoot.”

One of the women, who I recognize says, “Hey, Kat , wanna’ see Linda’s cats?” I tell her sure and follow them to a house with a room full of cats lounging on a bed, which I pick up and hug. “Want to go with us to Tibet with us?” She asks.

“Sure.”

I follow them to an old open bed truck and climb into the back with everyone else. The truck drives a ways down a road then stops. “We have to go on by foot from here,” someone says.

As we walk down the path it rises into a wall of narrow wooden steps five inches wide by an inch deep.
“You have to take off your shoes and hold on by your toes and finger tips,” one of the women says. I kick off my heels and climb effortlessly through a trapdoor. The surrounding area is pitch-black except for the night sky filled with star constellations. “What is this?” I ask.

“Becoming Barefoot.”

I take out my cell phone to call my family and let them know I will be late but all I see are the same star constellations on the dark face of my phone. “There is no service here,” someone says.

We all sit in a circle in a covered bus stop and someone rolls a huge joint. As they light it the joint blazes then starts to fall apart because it is so loose, but they start smoking it anyway and pass it to me. “Are you okay, Kat?” one of the girls named Sue asks.

“Yeah.” I take the joint and although I used to pass on it since it always made me so sick to my stomach, this time I take a deep breath, close my eyes and hold it as long as I can before blowing it out. As I exhale I open my eyes and the sun is out. There is snow all over the ground and we are in a neighborhood, but my feet are not cold.“When did it become day?” I thought. “What if they worry about where I am and can’t get in touch with me?”

“It won’t matter, you’ll work it out, rent a car and catch up to them, use a GPS to find them. Don’t worry about it,” a voice says.

We begin our descent back down the narrow stairs and when I reach the bottom I call on my cell and leave Norma the message that I will be late.

“We’ll wait,” she says.

The dream ends.

Interpretation: When life becomes stressful with is rules and regulations the successful people use a different approach, the back or a different door. In order to reach the heavens we must kick off our earthly shoes, connect with the ground, our Inner selves and have a little “party time with them” to reconnect with what is important in life. Time can be a burden. We all need to become barefoot and worry free.

Ask and you will receive is more than words. It is a request heard by the Universe and answered by our Spirit guides. We are made up of more than id, ego and super ego. Sometimes it is not until we are falling apart that our inner selves pop to the surface to hold us together.

Becoming barefoot is a big step to connecting with higher self.

Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos believes dreams diagnose your life. Did you have a déjà-vu or dream come true? Kat survived three cancers diagnosed by dreams. International Bestselling Author,  Dream Expert, Keynote Speaker, TV/Radio Producer/Host of Wicked Housewives On Cape Cod, Columnist; she’s featured in magazines & newspapers, on NBC News.  Kat taught Special Education & Psychology at (USF).  AccessYourInnerGuide.com   SurvivingCancerLand.com