Taking deep breaths, giving yourself a pep talk, and running through your answers to commonly asked interview questions – these are just some of the ways you can calm yourself down before a job interview. But if these tips don’t work, take a leaf out of this Japanese netizen’s book and DIY an otome game filter to paste over your laptop screen to soothe your job interview jitters.
Image credit: @13237sora
A post shared by a Japanese Twitter user, who goes by @13237sora, has been making its rounds online. He said in the post that in a bid to calm his nerves during an online job interview, he fashioned an otome game filter out of a piece of clear plastic folder. Currently, the post has garnered over 347,800 likes and 68,300 retweets.
Screenshot from “Our Two Bedroom Story”.
Image credit: Chinomi
Otome game (乙女ゲーム) is a type of simulation romance game where the player interacts with several characters, often good-looking guys, in a virtual world. The player will have conversations with the in-game characters and that usually throws up a fair bit of cheesy lines.
For @13237sora, he added in the post that he successfully distracted himself by changing his online interview to one that resembles a setting in an otome game. The interviewer, who has taken on the role of an ikemen (イケメン; handsome man), utters the heart-fluttering lines “You… are an interesting girl. You should join our company”.
Image credit: @13237sora
This is not the first time user @13237sora has used such an unorthodox method during his interviews. Back in August, he appealed to his prospective employers by using uchiwa (団扇), traditional Japanese hand fans often used as handheld signs by fans in concerts to support their idols.
Image credit: @13237sora
With “Job offer, please” written on one and “I love your company” on the other, the eye-catching signs were placed beside him to appeal to his interviewers.
Image credit: @13237sora
He was even featured on news outlets such as Livedoor News and BuzzFeed Japan for his shenanigans.
Image adapted from: @13237sora and @13237sora
Just recently, he also came up with a filter that looks like an in-game character selection screen – a menu which appears at the start of games for players to choose their characters. If you have to attend large virtual meetings, this filter is perfect for injecting a bit of fun.
Image adapted from: @Qx2nTPZzS5rk3CS
His creative solution to ease job interview jitters struck a chord with netizens, with many expressing their amazement at the ingenious idea. User @Qx2nTPZzS5rk3CS applauded the idea, but is concerned that they “might end up forgetting important information while trying to suppress their laughter”.
Image credit: @yamagatasyohei
In true otome game fashion, user @yamagatasyohei even imagined the “story” progression where the OP got offered the job and drew a rough sketch of the scenario, providing 2 responses the user can give: a bashful “I don’t mind (joining your company)” and a haughty “Huh!? I’m not joining your company”.
Image adapted from: @driftingsnow01
User @driftingsnow01 even asked the question that’s on everyone’s mind, if the user got hired, accompanied with a tinge of jealousy as though they were in-game love rivals vying for the attention of the interviewer.
Imagining yourself in a romantic scenario may give you butterflies, but we reckon that it’d be so much less nerve-racking than a serious interview setting. The next time you have an online interview and are feeling anxious, try this method out for yourself. Who knows, it might just be the thing you need to overcome your nerves.
For more interesting news, check out these:
Cover image adapted from: Imgur and @13237sora
Interact with farm animals, and experience life-sized recreations of sets and popular characters from Shaun…
From seasonal blooms to millions of LED light on display, Nabana no Sato in Mie…
At Shiroi Koibito Park, you can take a peek at how the iconic Hokkaido souvenir…
Flaunt your anime ninja moves and try Naruto's favourite ramen at Shinobi Zato, a Naruto…
With English cottage-style shops and adorable animals, Yufuin Floral Village is the place to be…
One of Hokkaido's most iconic sightseeing spots, Farm Tomita comes alive in summer when rows…