Here’s the background on this story (in case you live in Antarctica and you don’t pay attention to the fluffy news articles in-between the infrequent real news articles):
A few weeks ago, John Travolta was presenting at the Oscars. Travolta was there to introduce Idina Menzel, the singer of Disney’s mega-hit single from Frozen, “Let it Go”. If you don’t have kids, the name “Idina Menzel” and the song “Let it Go” are probably meaningless. However, if you know anyone under the age of 20, you've probably heard the song a million times. In fact, if you’re reading this and you’re under the age of 20, “Idina Menzel” probably means a whole lot more to you than “John Travolta” does.
Anyway, Travolta walked to the podium and very confidently introduced some fictional human named “Adele Dazeem”. His conviction and confident body language made some people think the teleprompter had the wrong (or in this case, made-up) name written on it. As it turns out, Travolta just biffed the name and went with it. Immediately afterward, Travolta was ridiculed on nearly every entertainment and news outlet in the universe. The next day, a “Travoltify Your Name” generator was made available via Slate.com (“Jeff Lareau” is turned into “Jak Lopeez”). Everyone under 20 will now think of Vinny Barbarino as “that weirdo who decided to make up a name at the Oscars.”
Keep in mind that most presenters at the Oscars seem a little bit nervous. It’s understandable because they’re standing in a full room of their peers and colleagues, while simultaneously being broadcast live to millions of people around the world. Presenters stutter sometimes, they’re a bit shaky, and they fall down if their name rhymes with Dennifer Plawrence. For the most part though, everyone comes out of it unscathed. For example, a few years ago Will Smith tripped up over his words, laughed at himself, and then corrected it. The next day, there were no “Will Smithify this sentence” word generators. Why? Because Will Smith noticed his error, laughed, and corrected it. He handled it like a human, not like an alien from Battlefield Earth.
You’re probably thinking, “What does this have to do with my job search?” Well, I’m glad you asked. Interviews are high pressure situations. People flub, they trip over their words, and they say “um” and “uh” a lot. If you say the wrong thing, it’s okay to stop yourself and correct the error. If it was a big error, it’s okay to laugh at yourself and say something like, “Well, THAT didn't come out right!” Errors and misspoken sentences create a tension in the air that makes the listener feel awkward. Admitting fault, making a joke out of it, and correcting the error will relieve the tension in the room quickly without making the interviewer think, “Did he just Travolta that sentence?”
The fact that John Travolta made a mistake is not a big deal. People make mistakes all the time. However, the way he decided to handle that mistake may have cost him a few film roles. No one remembers an error unless it’s handled poorly, and had John Travolta simply said, “Introducing Adele Dazeem, err, I’m sorry, Idina Menzel!”, no one would remember that he messed anything up.
Stay confident in your interviews, and don’t be afraid to acknowledge a slip-up!
I wanted to share this with you all. Here is a student testimonial from Jason Ray. He was part of my 1st round with the NEG Program and he is also interning here at MicroTrain in Chicago. He has been doing an amazing job and helping all students when needed as well as the front desk staff.
My career started as a Service Technician with Comcast, in which I worked for six years. I left there and became a cable splicer for AT&T where I was employed for only six months before they laid off me and 700 other workers in 2008. I was unemployed for 2 ½ years before they rehired me as a Premise Tech only to be laid off 3 months after I started. I ended up working for a Medical Transportation company for 1 ½ years, there I felt as if my career had come to a standstill and I was going nowhere fast.
Being laid off from AT&T and starting a new job as a Para Transit Driver definitely was not easy. I felt as if the skills I had developed as a Technician were being wasted and that I was falling further behind in accomplishing any goals I had set financially and career wise. I was somewhere I didn’t want to be and I knew I had to find my way out fast!! I was on unemployment after leaving my previous job as a Para Transit Driver, and one day I came across an email from IDES.
Generally I am very cautious before I sign up for anything because usually for training you have to either be in a certain type of situation or you will be paying directly out of pocket which can become very expensive. I attended the orientation with Dawn Mondo and she explained in great detail that the training that I would received was fully covered and I wouldn’t have to worry about anything but showing up to class and passing my exams. Before my training with MicroTrain, I felt that I had good technical skills but lacked the knowledge and expertise in certain areas that a lot of IT employers where looking for. Also I didn’t have any type of certifications to back up anything I knew. Now I feel that I can show my true worth to a company not only with my experience but also with my certification to prove it.
I’ve had the most pleasant and professional experience with my Career Services Manager. From Day 1 Dawn has worked and provided me with any information or guidance that she had to give. She was always available day or night and willing to help me with any problem or situation I may have had. I compare her to a flashlight in an otherwise dark tunnel. A true guardian and helper she has a friend in me for life. With the additional training that I received from the Resume and Interview Workshop and also the LinkedIn Workshop, I know have more confidence that my resume displays the key information that employers and recruiters look for and that I am also building a vast career network.
My advice would be that you may have a few down and out periods but that there are people like Dawn Mondo and programs like NEG that are available and will help you to get back on track with finding the right career. You may have to make sacrifices, but at the end of the day you will find yourself feeling better about your outlook at life. Any goals you set in life can be accomplished with hard work and dedication. The WIA Program and NEG program is by far one of, if not the best program to get displaced IT workers trained and back to work. From the orientation, to the classroom settings, to the teachers involved nothing but positive effort and work into making sure that you have the information and tools to pass your exam. Once you have completed the classes you are moved into a paid internship through the NEG Program with a reputable company associated with MicroTrain. I had the distinct honor to be placed with MicroTrain as my internship and it has been an experience that I will never forget. I have been able to learn a great deal from Will, Peter, and Thomas in the Tech Department that I can carry with me in the development of my career. In the end MicroTrain has become an extension of my family and I have to thank everyone there who has helped me find my way into a lasting career as an IT Professional.