What could some “Muppet” teach me about job interviews?

Good question. Quite a lot potentially. Here’s how being a bit more of a “muppet” might well help you the next time you’re at an interview.

Let’s consider what this might give you:

Kermit - listening & leadership

Miss Piggy - performance

Gonzo - bravery

Scooter - enthusiasm

Statler & Waldorf - self awareness

Let’s think more about each of these characters and what they can “teach” you potentially about how to succeed at interviews.

Kermit uses active listening skills and a deep empathy for his colleagues.  These leadership qualities shine through as he tries to be a role model and explain his vision for how well he’d like each Muppet Show performance to go. Even if the reality is not quite what he expected - usually for reasons outside his control.

Miss Piggy embraces her “inner diva” and knows that whatever setbacks there might be “the show must go on!”. As a star performer she knows that rehearsals and perfecting her own personal presentation is all that matters to her audience. When the lights go on and the music starts she’s ready to perform.

Gonzo’s the kind of guy who’s likely to say  “give me the ‘right’ suit & then fire me out of a cannon!” (not to be taken literally in an interview please). He’s brave and has a can-do attitude. Sometimes, even like Gonzo The Great, we need to convince ourselves we’re ready for the job and have confidence in our own ability.

Scooter is boundlessly enthusiastic and clearly demonstrates that he wants to help the team. It’s hard to teach someone to be keen. For this reason employers know that if you’re motivated at interview then you’re more likely to be enthusiastic as an employee.

Statler & Waldorf can perhaps teach us how to be our own best positive “critic”. Taking a few moments straight after any interview for some self reflection and constructive feedback can be invaluable - regardless of the outcome.  We should consider what we learnt and how to do better next time if we’re going to keep the heckling to a minimum - whether it’s real or imagined.

For many people interviews can feel odd and “artificial”. After all - how many times in our lives are we put in a room with people we probably don’t know and asked to boast about ourselves? 

Telling our own “stories” and showcasing our skills to an audience is about a performance.

So next time you find yourself preparing for a job interview which muppet can help you most?

Me? I might take a bit of all of them.