Stuttering and job interviews

 ‘She was Powerful Not Because She Wasn't Scared but Because She Went On Despite the Fear.’ – Atticus

Job interviews…am I right?! Even for someone who doesn't stutter, this can be one of the most nerve-wracking situations! Who came up with the idea of trying to impress strangers to get a job and live the life you want to live?! It would be so simple if you could pick any job you wanted and start working right away!

Nevertheless, interviews are a part of life and the majority of people will go through at least one job interview in their lifetime. I recently completed a job interview and this piece will focus on how I feel it went.

The day of the interview (Taken from my Instagram) 

Firstly, I just want to mention that I am recently out of college so, obviously, the next step is to find a job and start living in the real world. Whilst I was in college, I did have a part-time job but due to covid I have not worked since early 2020 – and that’s a long time!

In terms of my previous job interview experiences, I've been fortunate enough to be successful in all of them, so I've never had to worry about finding another job. However, the time has come for me to start looking for ‘adult' jobs, and as I've discovered over the last few months, it's a tough world out there!

The day I received an email from the employer, I began to feel anxious about the interview. I was nervous because it would be my first face-to-face interview in over two years, and I knew I had to give a good impression of myself! But, I was also looking forward to the challenge of the interview because I enjoy a good challenge, especially when it comes to dealing with my stutter.

I was also anxious about introducing myself; my name is the most difficult thing for me to say! So much so that as a child, I sometimes pretended to go by a different name, but that's a story for another day!

YOU GOT THIS!!!

Here are three pieces of advice I would give to anyone facing an interview:

1 - When it comes to any new experience, preparation is crucial, therefore I prepped a couple of answers for the interview. This helped me stay grounded in myself and what I could bring to the table. This will make you feel that little bit more confident; after all, ‘fake it until you make it,' right? Despite the fact that my heart was racing and my legs felt like jelly, I smiled, I knew what I was saying and kept my head up.

2 – Disclosing my stutter is also important to me; I want to get it out of the way and not have to worry about it. I do this when my interviewer asks if I have any questions for them; I mentioned that I had a stutter and asked if that would be an issue. (In this scenario, this comment sparked a conversation about stuttering and my interviewer asked if people who stutter like other people to acknowledge their stutter.)

* For anyone interested, this is how I answered that question; ‘It depends on the person. I would like my stutter to be acknowledged either by me or with the person I am talking to, because that way there is no hiding it. However, I know that there are some people who do not want this and it is up to them whether or not the stutter is acknowledged.’ *

3 – ‘What’s for you won’t pass you’, as cliché as that sounds, it's so true! It can be disappointing to not get a job you wanted and its important to acknowledge that disappointment, but there will be other opportunities. And, when it comes down to it, I (and you, if you have an interview coming up) have completed/will complete one of the most difficult things a person who stutters can do!

Bonus interview tip – It is important to feel proud of yourself! You gave it your best shot and if you were able to provide a good account of myself, then that’s all you or anyone else can ask for!