After my last interview went so poorly in my opinion, I wondered if I'd ever have another opportunity to do a better job. Although it is true the interviewer took liberties with what I said and even put words in my mouth, I believed I was ultimately responsible. You see, I rambled.Yep, one of my more entertaining quirks is my tendency to talk until not only the cows come home, but until their progeny is born, raised, lost on the prairie, and found by archeologists centuries later. It's a gift.
You might find this hard to believe, but not everybody can appreciate such a gift, especially people on a deadline.
When I was contacted by Ms. Landau from CNN I was both wary and excited. Here was either the opportunity to do things right, or an opportunity to add another nail in my very well-built coffin. Fortunately for me, ADHD comes with an upside: rumination. Although it can degrade into worrying and problem finding, I have learned to rein it in. Ever since that first interview my mind has been working furiously on how to avoid such a situation again.
My answer? Preparation.
This time I asked for more information about the interview, and more importantly, what angle the interviewer was coming from so I would be better able to answer her questions. I lucked out when she sent me her questions in reply. I went over my answers out loud with my oldest daughter until I could concisely and pithily answer each one. Even though the day was busy and I was running out of interview time, I made sure I was prepared. Then I made the phone call. The difference was a tight eleven minute interview versus a meandering thirty minute interview.
ADHD may have claimed the first interview, but I wasn't going to let it claim the second. Read them and judge for yourself:
Moodiness And Depression - Ohio's NewsNet5.com
Less sun, more depression for people with SAD - CNN.com
Ms. Landau did a wonderful job. Aside from my anecdotal comments, it is a very informative article. To those who have discovered my blog by way of CNN, welcome to The Splintered Mind. I hope you find something here that brings you back again and again.
