Unexpected Job Interview Journey: Tips for Staying Calm and Professional

Oh, no. My interview is in 20 minutes. 20 minutes.

Where is my jacket? I cannot find it. Where is it? I need to look professional today.

Professional. [music] Which one is better? >> [music]

>> This one is better. Okay, I am ready. Let us go. My bag.

Where did I put my bag? Where is it? Found it. [music] Let us go. Let us go. Let us go.

>> [music] >> I cannot be late. This job is very very important to me.

Please, please, please have a car nearby. Come on. Please.

Please. >> [music] >> Oh.

The app says 5 minutes. 5 minutes is too long. Wait. There is a black car [music] right

right there. Right there at the curb. Perfect timing. I am so lucky today.

So lucky. Go to 123 Business Street. I am in a rush. Please

go. Rush means I need to go very fast. Rush. Please hurry.

Thank you. Thank you. Please hurry, okay? Oh. Thank you so much.

Excuse me. I think there is something I should tell Sorry.

I need to make one call. Just 1 second, okay? Sorry.

Hi Lilly. I am in the car now. I am almost there. I have an interview today, Lilly.

I am very very nervous about it. I hope the new boss is not terrible. Not terrible like my old one.

Terrible means really really bad. Terrible. Very bad, okay? My old boss was terrible every single

day. Every single

day. He always made me work late. Every Friday.

Every single Friday. So bad. I just want a boss who says

Good job, Emily. That is all. Good job. Lilly, please wish me luck today. I really really need it. Please.

Okay. >> [music] >> Okay, bye. Love you, Lilly. Bye-bye.

Okay. I need to fix my hair now. Just 2 minutes.

2 minutes. My lipstick. Where is my lipstick? I need it. Where is it?

Found it. Red is a strong color. I like it very much. Perfect.

Do I look professional? I really really hope so. I think so. Professional.

That means I look ready for work. Ready >> [music]

>> and serious. Okay. Deep breath.

>> [music] >> Deep breath. I can do this today. I really can.

I am smart. I am ready. I will get this job today. I will.

Excuse me, driver. How much longer, please? Are we almost there? Oh, we should arrive in about 15 minutes,

ma'am. We are almost there, miss. About 2 more minutes.

Almost there. Yeah. 2 minutes. Okay. I can fix my collar.

Look neat. Look ready. I practiced my answers all last night. I

know them. I am ready. Tell me about yourself. I know this [music] one. I know it.

I know it. Just breathe. I am Emily. I love working with people.

I always help my team. My biggest strength I never give up.

Never. I never ever give up. My weakness >> [laughter]

>> Maybe I talk too much. Just a little bit. Oh.

I can see the building. That is it right there. I see it. It is so tall. And so fancy.

Wow. This is a very big company. Okay, driver. You can stop right here. Thank you. Thank you so much.

How much do I owe you? Let me check my bag right now. How much?

You do not owe me anything at all today. Nothing at all? Sorry? I do not understand. What do you

mean? Nothing? I am not your Uber driver, miss.

I am sorry about that. I am Mr. Henderson. I work at this company right here.

You are Mr. Henderson? The real Mr. Henderson? You?

Yes. I am the one who will interview you today.

That is me. Oh, no. Oh, no. No. No. This is a mistake. This

is a big mistake. I am so embarrassed. My face is so hot right now.

So hot. Embarrassed. That means I feel very ashamed right

now. Very ashamed. Please do not worry, Emily. It is okay.

Shall we go inside now? I said terrible things. And you heard all of it.

I heard. But let us go inside now. Come along.

Wait, please. I need to say sorry first. Please. Just one moment. I should not have said those things

about my old boss. I am sorry. You were honest, Emily. Honesty is okay.

Please come inside now. Honest? I was very rude. Rude means not kind. Not nice at all.

I never meant for you to hear that. I am really truly sorry. Relax, Emily.

Everyone makes mistakes. [music] Even me. It is all okay.

A mistake? That means when you do something wrong by accident. Today I made the biggest mistake of my

life. The biggest one. But I am here now.

And I will try my very best today. Is the candidate here yet? I do not see her anywhere.

Where is she? Candidate. [music] That means the person who wants the job.

>> [music] >> The applicant. She should have been here 5 minutes ago.

5 whole minutes. Mhm. Being punctual is so important.

Especially for a job interview. Punctual. That means you arrive on time.

Always on time. Always. Mhm.

Mr. Henderson is not even here yet, either. This is very strange.

This is very strange. I will call him right now. I must call him. Mr. Henderson?

Good morning, sir. Are you close by right now? He says he is coming up now.

Okay, good. We will wait for him. I hope this interview goes well today. For everyone.

I really do. I a little late today. I am very very sorry. It was an unusual morning.

I had a very unusual morning. Very very unusual. Trust me on that.

>> [music] >> Please take a seat over there. Mr. Henderson is coming right now.

>> [music] >> Thank you. I will sit right here and wait. Thank you very much.

I need to calm down right now. Stay calm, Emily. Just stay calm. Calm means peaceful.

And not afraid. Not scared. Like this. Calm. Just act normal.

Smile. Be yourself, Emily. You can do this. Emily.

Please come with me now. Right [music] this way, please. Follow me. Yes. Thank you.

Yes, of course. I am ready. Let us [music] go. Let us do this. Mr. Henderson, again, I am truly truly

sorry for earlier. >> [music] >> Emily.

I said it is okay. Let us just keep going now. You are very kind. Thank you so much for

that. We take the elevator up to the meeting floor. >> [music]

>> This way. Okay. I can do this. Just stay calm, Emily.

Stay calm now. >> [music] >> How many people work here at this

company right now? About 200 people. It is a fairly large company, yes.

200 people? That sounds so exciting to me. Really, truly. Good. And do you like working in large

teams with many people? Yes. [music] I I love helping people. And I love

working together as a team. That is a good quality to have. It is very important here with us.

I always try to help my teammates. Every day. No matter what. Always. Mr. Henderson, what's happening?

Why are the lights doing that? The buttons aren't responding. We're stuck. Oh.

What happened? Why did we stop? Why are the lights going off?

I think the elevator is stuck. It is not moving. It is stuck now. Stuck? That means it is not moving at all.

Are we safe right now? Yes. We are safe. The elevator is secure. Do not worry yet.

I will not panic. Panic means I get very scared and lose control.

I will press the emergency button right here. This one.

Right here. I think we should press the intercom. Hello? The elevator is stuck. We need

some help, please. Yes, we see the problem. Please wait just a moment.

How long, please? We have a very important interview today. How long?

About 10 minutes. Please stay calm. 10 minutes. Okay. We can manage 10 minutes. That is fine. I do not like

small spaces very much. I must be honest about that. Are you okay? You look a little pale

right now. Are you all right? Just breathe with me. You'll be fine. I am fine. I just need I just need some

air. I will be fine. Let me assist you. That means I will help you right now.

Please sit down here on the floor right now. It will help. Slowly.

Thank you, Emily. That is very kind of you. Breathe slowly now. In through your nose out the hand and

out. Good. In one and out. >> Out. In one and out. Very good. You are doing well.

This is a little embarrassing. I am supposed to be your interviewer. No. No. Everyone needs help sometimes.

It is completely okay. I helped my old teammate once. She panicked on an airplane flight.

Really? What did you do? How did you help her on the flight?

I held her hand like this. And I told her count with me now. Count to four count

wide. Breathe in. One two three four. Then breathe out. That sounds like a good idea. Let me try

it right now. Okay. That's right. One

two three three four. Breathe in. Good. Very good now.

One One two [music] two you need four. Breathe out.

Are you feeling better now? Yes. Much better now.

Thank you, Emily. Good. You have good color back in your face now. Much better.

Mhm. You are very calm in a crisis, Emily. I noticed that very clearly.

Thank you. I always try to stay calm. It really helps me a lot.

So, tell me have. Why do you want this job, Emily? Why this company? Oh.

Are we doing the interview right here? In the elevator? Now? We have 10 [music] minutes. We are here.

Why not start right now? [laughter] Huh. Okay then. I really like this company's work.

You help small businesses grow every single year. That matters a lot. I want to be part of something

important. That is why I am here. Good. And what can you bring to our team

here? Tell me that. I work hard. I never stop until the job

is completely done. Never. I am very good with people. And [music] I listen. I listen very very

well. And I learn fast. New things do not scare me. Not at all. Ever. [music]

And are you not scared of this situation we are in right now? A little scared, yes.

But scared is okay sometimes, too. Mhm. >> [music]

>> Being a little scared just means I care about the outcome. That is a very honest answer, Emily.

Very honest. Very good indeed. Honesty is very important to me. Always be honest.

Always. What was the hardest thing about your last job?

Mhm. It is hard to say. My old boss was by very moddy. He was by

Let me say, he was not easy to work with. >> [music]

>> Every single day. You did say that in great terrible terrible in the car earlier.

I remember that clearly. Oh. Yes. I did say that. I am so so sorry

again for that. Truly. Do not be sorry. I want to ask you, was it true? Mhm. I Was he

Yes. He was rude. Rude means not kind at all. Not once kind.

He never said thank you. Not one single time. Not ever.

Never. I always say thank you to my team. Every time.

>> Yeah. >> [gasps] >> That is so good to hear. Really. Yeah.

That means so much to me. Oh, thank goodness. It's moving again.

>> [laughter] >> It is moving again. We are saved. We are going up now. Perfect timing. Thank you

again, Emily. You really helped me a lot. I did not do anything. I just talked to

you. That was all. >> [music] >> Sometimes just talking to someone is the

very best kind of help. Okay. We're here. Let's go.

Mr. Henderson, are you okay? We were very worried about you.

I am fine. Emily helped me a very great deal today. Very much so. Emily?

You mean the candidate? The one who was late today?

She was not [music] late. She was with me the whole time. No problem at all. Nice to meet you, Emily.

Please follow me this way. Right this way. Good morning. [music]

We were waiting. Is everything all right? Is everyone okay today?

Yes. [music] We had a small adventure today. Nothing to worry about at all.

An adventure? What do you mean by that exactly, Mr. [music] Henderson?

The elevator stopped. We were stuck. Oh.

That must have been a little scary for you, Emily. A little scary, yes. But I focused on

what I could do. Just that. [music] Good thinking, Emily. Now, please tell

us about yourself today. My name is Emily Lee. >> [music]

>> I have 3 years of work experience. I worked in customer service. [music] I love helping people every day.

I speak to many different kinds of people every single day.

How do you handle a situation with a very rude person, Emily? I stay calm. I listen carefully, [music]

and I try to understand them. Rude people are usually unhappy about something. That is why.

>> [panting] >> That is a very mature and thoughtful way to think about it. Well said, Emily.

I learned that from my own experience. [music] It is really, truly true.

What does the word professional mean to you personally? Professional means I do my work with

respect for everyone here. For the people I work with core, and

also for myself. Both matter. Well said. And how do you manage your

time, Emily? Tell us. I make a list every morning. [music] My most important tasks.

Like this. Being punctual is very important to me. I always plan ahead.

Punctual. Can you explain that word for us, please, Emily?

Punctual means you arrive on time. [music] Always on time.

Every time. Almost always. Today was a small exception. Just today.

I think we have heard [music] enough today. I agree. I agree. I fully agree.

>> [music] >> Emily, do you have any questions for us today?

I think we have heard enough today. Yeah. I agree.

I fully agree. Yes. What does a normal working day look like here?

Tell me. You arrive, meet your team, plan your work together

every [music] day. And do the team members help each other here?

Is that true here? That is our most important value here. Yes.

Without [music] any question. That is exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you. Really, thank you.

Do you have any more questions for us today, Emily? Just one more.

How do you define a good teammate here? Someone honest and helpful

and calm when things get hard. I try to be all three of those things. I really, truly try.

Thank you, Emily. We will be in touch with you very soon. Yes.

Thank you all. This was the most unusual interview of my life. >> [applause]

>> But I am so glad I came today. I really am. I really am. Thank you all so much. >> [applause]

[music] >> I cannot believe what just happened today.

I just cannot believe it. I got into a stranger's car. His car.

The interviewer's actual car. And then I complained about my old boss [music]

to his face. His face. To the man who is my new boss.

>> [laughter] >> Wow. Only me.

>> [laughter] >> Only me. This could only happen to me.

Lilly? Perfect timing. I needed you. Lilly,

you will not believe my morning today. Not at all.

>> [music] >> I got into the wrong car this morning, Lilly. The interviewer's car.

>> [music] >> And then I called his old boss Doe. No, wait. Day. My old boss Doe. Terrible.

Terrible. I called him terrible. To his face. His actual real face. And then we got stuck in the elevator

together. Together, Lilly. And he asked me all his interview questions in the elevator.

There. I think you'll go. I actually think it went well.

Maybe. Maybe. You know, today was the most unusual day. Today was the most unusual day of

my life. Really. Tell me all the words you learned today,

Emily. Okay. Okay. First word.

Interview. I had one today. A real one. Interview, that is a meeting

where you try to get a new job. See? Got it. Interview. Next word, please, Emily. Rush. I was in

a very big rush this morning. Like this, this hand. Fast. Rush means I need to go very, very fast.

Like this, Ben. Whoosh. Rush. Got it, Emily. Next one, please.

Terrible. My old boss was terrible. Every single day.

Terrible. Terrible means really, really, really bad. Very bad. Like this.

Terrible. Noted. Red flash for very bad. Rude.

Rude means not polite. Not kind. Not nice. Not at all.

My old boss was rude. But Mr. Henderson is N O T rude. Not at all.

My old boss was rude. But Mr. Henderson is not rude. Not at all.

Rude bad, the opposite of kind and nice. Got it. I understand. Professional. Looking ready [music] and serious for

work. Like this. See?

>> [music] >> Professional. And you look very professional right now, Emily.

Thank you, Buttons. Next word. Punctual. Punctual means arriving on time. On time.

Very important. Always. Punctual. But, Emily, today you were not punctual today. Ha. [laughter]

I know. I was in the wrong car, Buttons. I know. Next. Embarrassed. >> [laughter]

>> I was s-so embarrassed today. So very much. Embarrassed means you feel very ashamed

inside. Very ashamed. Embarrassed.

I saw >> [laughter] >> your face turned very red earlier.

And stuck. The elevator was stuck today. Stuck. [music]

Like this. See? Stuck means something is not able to

move. At all. Not at all.

Stuck. Like my wheels sometimes. They get stuck. I know stuck. >> [laughter]

>> Ha-ha. Ha. And calm. Mr. Henderson needed to stay very calm.

Like this. Calm means peaceful. And not afraid. Not scared.

Breathe all like this. Calm. And you helped Mr. Henderson be calm. And the last word, Porsha?

Honesty. Being honest is so so important. Honesty means always telling the truth.

Always. Tell the truth. Honesty.

And Emily was s-so honest today. She really was. Yes. [applause] So today I learned not every black car

is an Uber. >> [laughter] >> Not everyone.

And honesty and being calm are always better than just rushing. If you liked today's story, please

subscribe. See you next time. Goodbye.