1L Interview tips- Alcohol and Confidence?

I think this could be a really bad idea. I enjoy social drinking as much as the next person, but I'm aware that my personality changes pretty rapidly when I start drinking. Even after just one shot/beer/glass of wine, any veneer of professionalism I ordinarily maintain goes down the toilet—for some reason, that's just the way alcohol "loosens me up." I know you want to feel relaxed going into the interview so you can perform well, but if alcohol affects you the same way it affects me, there's a risk you could unintentionally say something unprofessional or insulting. Additionally, as the child of a parent who struggled with an alcohol problem when I was growing up, I have an incredibly keen ability to tell when someone's been drinking. I don't know whether I'm unconsciously picking up on the faintest smell of alcohol or detecting something else, but my crappy superpower is uncanny. If I were interviewing a candidate at 10 in the morning and I could tell s/he had been drinking, that would be very alarming.

That said, when I was doing post-OCI callbacks, I had my own routine, so I'm not judging the approach. I would take a small amount of (legally prescribed) Xanax, a beta blocker, a double shot of espresso, and about half a cup of yogurt and granola (don't ask) about 45 minutes before an interview started. I get really anxious about public speaking, so this is the same approach I use when I know I'll have to address a large crowd. One-on-one conversations usually aren't a problem for me, but I didn't want to take the chance of freezing up or doing something really bizarre because of the pressures of the interview setting. It was really easy for me to get both of those medications prescribed, so that could be an alternative if you think you need something to keep you on point during your interviews.

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