This article is part of the “Interview tips” series.
Getting through drug rehab is a significant achievement and is something that you should be proud of achieving. However, you may find that you are struggling to do a job interview properly due to your recent care. You have nothing to be ashamed of in this scenario but may not feel that way when you start your job interview. As a result, it is crucial to understand how to approach this situation.
Preparation is Critical
You must treat this job interview like you would any other in your life – with a lot of practice. You cannot walk into the room without knowing how you are going to react to the questions that they may have about your rehab experience. Typically, this requires focusing on your emotions and the lessons that you learned in rehab and expressing them in ways that make sense for your needs.
First of all, you need to prepare yourself emotionally. Finishing rehab is a big deal, and you should be proud of yourself for getting through it. Understand that you’re going to have to focus on this information during your interview and that dealing with it again may be very upsetting. You may find yourself struggling to discuss it. Again, that’s normal, but mentally rehearse such scenarios so you maintain your focus.
Beyond this type of emotional preparation, you need to make sure that you plan what you want to say first. It would help if you were honest about what happened but don’t reveal too much about your life. You may be compelled to spill the beans during your interview – this impulse is understandable after finishing rehab because so much of what you’ve done (and will be doing) is focusing on sharing.
Instead, it would help if you steer the discussion to what you learned during rehab and how it helped you become a better person. Don’t talk about what happened before your stay in treatment. The nitty and gritty about your addiction is your business, and your job interview doesn’t need to be a place to air out your dirty laundry. And you need to know precisely how to talk during the interview.
Choose Your Words Carefully
The words that you use during your interview can affect how well it goes. First of all, make sure that you brush up on your person-first language when discussing this situation. This helps reduce stigma by keeping the tone more neutral. You likely learned a lot about this topic when you were in treatment but may need to check it out again and make sure that you pay attention to it when going to your job interview. Showing the interviewer that you understand this type of language makes it easier for you to indicate that you care about others and are willing to consider their emotions when discussing very delicate topics like an addiction.
Person-first language is that which puts an individual before any condition that they may have developed. For example, do not discuss yourself as a “former addict.” The term “addict” identifies you by your disorder and is a challenging and judgmental term. But if you call yourself a “person recovering from an addiction,” you put yourself first. Language like this has a subtle, but effective, way of making a person think better about you and understanding that your addiction or other diseases do not define you.
Lastly, make sure that you speak in terms of recovery and not in suffering. For example, highlight how you have become a happier and healthier person after your treatment. Discuss steps that you’ve taken that make you stronger and more capable, such as taking on meditation and various cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques. This information often provides the person in the interview with the information they need to understand your experience better.
Be Honest About What Happened
When talking about addiction during your job interview, make sure you have researched this disorder carefully, and understand what you are discussing. Show the job interviewer that you know the different elements that make up treatment, including the science behind addiction and rehabilitation. Often, showing that you know about these elements make you seem more impressive.
Detail exactly what kinds of treatments you got, how they helped you manage drug addiction, and what you learned about yourself during this care. Bring these lessons back to the job itself. Discuss how you learned great personal strength, ways you handle emotional burdens that are very tough, and the different aspects you learned that enhance your ability to manage your work needs more appropriately.
Let them know that the experience was enough to get you off drugs forever and that you plan on staying sober for good after finishing. Pay attention to anything positive that you may have been saying about you in your treatment, such as things your care experts said about your recovery potential. Bring any written documents that may prove your point, if you have them available.
And if the interviewer asks you about your potential for relapse or if you are doing any other substances, let them know that you went through relapse prevention treatment and that you are committed to your recovery. Share any information that may make this information feel more relevant, such as the fact that you still go to Alcoholics Anonymous or other aftercare methods.
Know When Help is Needed
When you are talking about rehab for alcohol for a job interview, it is essential to speak to rehab experts about your experience before you begin. These professionals can help you better understand what happened during your care and give you the help that you need to talk more openly. And don’t hesitate to reach out to aftercare experts if you are struggling with this demand.
Author Bio:
Patrick Bailey is a professional writer mainly in the fields of mental health, addiction, and living in recovery. He attempts to stay on top of the latest news in the addiction and the mental health world and enjoy writing about these topics to break the stigma associated with them.
