I am an experienced mid-career professional. My long-time employer recently undertook budget cuts to manage its finances in this difficult economy. My department was among those cut. With the financial, self-image, and emotional experiences associated with job loss, along with other health and family difficulties, I began a strategy to find new employment.
Within several months, I was invited for a job interview with a highly desirable employer. I was excited with the job prospect; I was also psyching myself out. Along with the above issues, I had not interviewed in many years. I was asked to undergo a panel interview and to facilitate a training demonstration under close scrutiny, in which my skills were rusty. This is also an employer’s market, with many highly qualified candidates competing for the same job. And despite my experience, I felt that I was on the line to prove myself all over again.
The interview started out well, however, at times I experienced moments of a welling up of self-consciousness, nervousness, and self-doubt. I sometimes lost my train of thought and needed to start again. The panelists commented on it and gave me time to recompose myself. I was disappointed in my performance and was prepared to “write this one off”. Still, I did well enough and was later invited to a second round of similar interviews. But my performance had to improve.
I sought Dr. Gannon’s help to get over this “hump” and to prepare mentally for my best performance in the second interview. He recommended EMDR and assisted me in its application. During the process, I noticed a subjective decrease and leveling in the intensity in the negative memories of the first interview experience, and in its associated anxiety feelings. With his guidance, I learned to visualize and “install” a successful performance “script” to direct my next interview.
As I entered the second interview, images of the difficult first interview initially entered my mind, but they were considerably less intense and coherent than before, as were the negative feelings associated with them. I was able to put them aside, and to recover the positive imagery and feelings to focus on the task at hand. I was aware of a new level of relaxation and being able to be present for the second interview. I conducted the group facilitation well, and was invited to yet another round of similar interviews. These I completed successfully and was offered the job.
Dr. Gannon’s approach is calm, interactive, and approachable. This, coupled with his help in applying the EMDR process, helped me to find the inner resources that I needed for a successful interview and to re-boot my career. I am pleased to refer others to him for peak performance issues.