If interviewing is like climbing a mountain, than interviewing with depression is like climbing that same mountain with 50 extra pounds of baggage on your back in a heat wave. There is limited time to convey your abilities. You need to describe how you became who you are and what you can do as a result. Interviewers want to know your skills, interests, values, and strengths; in other words, they want your work personality in a neatly wrapped 30-minute package.

An article in the Houston Chronicle suggests displaying your personality in an interview through “tell[ing] relevant, positive personal stories to illustrate your answers.” Keyword: POSITIVE. In an interview, you must focus on answering questions without letting apathy sneak into the responses.

If you need some help on communicating your valuable attributes, a good place to start is the VIA Institute on Character. This institute focuses on positive psychology and offers a free assessment to find your top character strengths. When you are suffering from depression, it is often difficult to locate the “good” in the sea of pointlessness and this assessment will help with that.

Next, pick a few common interview questions and plan out your answers. As you review each answer, ask yourself if the answer seems positive and confident and if your top character strengths (that you discovered from above) are effectively conveyed. Keep refining each answer until your strengths are displayed successfully.

If you are feeling depressed and you are without treatment, please get assistance, call a service agency, or call your doctor.

Ashley R. Horn, M.S. is an Employment Counselor at Jewish Family Services in Dallas.

Resources:
http://work.chron.com/show-personality-during-interview-2751.html
http://www.viacharacter.org/www/
http://www.glassdoor.com/blog/common-interview-questions/
http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression_support_resources
http://www.jfsdallas.org/