Are you gearing up for an interview at a prestigious company? If so, it goes without saying that you’re looking to impress the interviewers with your skills and knowledge to secure that position. However, to knock it out of the park and make a great first impression, you must be thoroughly prepared. An unusual but effective approach for job success is to listen to music about job interviews.
We get it – It’s the first time you’ve heard about interview preparation songs, and you’re skeptical. But that’ll soon change when you listen to The Interview Song from In America Productions. “What’s so motivational about this song about an interview?” you may ask. Well, just about everything, from the composition to the comedic lyrics in-between.
Set in a school environment, this song from the new musical, In America, by Professor Hal Harper, follows the unlikely adventures of a young and wide-eyed recent teaching graduate, Mr. Johnson, fresh from New York City as he interviews for a first-time teaching position at Roosevelt Jr. High School, part of the San Francisco Community College Adult School program, where the school principal, Mr. White, and his administrative assistant, the quirky Ms. Beasley, are doing the honors. Mr. Johnson’s meek responses to his would-be employers’ fairly blunt questions provide some comic relief to the tension of the moment while the upbeat rhythm of the number underscores the ever-increasing pressure and chaos commonly found during the hiring process.
As the interview continues, Mr. Johnson, despite Ms. Beasley’s constant interruptions, somehow manages to nervously express his desire to teach ESL (English as a Second Language) to Mr. White. The song builds to a crescendo with Mr. Johnson reminding Mr. White of his own humble beginnings while asking him to give him a chance. This emotional appeal softens the atmosphere, leading to the surprising decision to hire Mr. Johnson (thanks also, in part, to the school’s current situation caused when one senior teacher suffered a mental breakdown just before the start of the new semester and they need a teacher… desperately). Thankfully, the song ends on a high note, when both Mr. White and Ms. Beasley agree that, despite his youth, Mr. Johnson is the right fit for the job.
