The Importance of 'Pauses' I Realized Just Before the Exam.

Hello.

It was another intensely hot day from the morning.

Until last week, I was writing about how the rainy season was in full swing, but before I knew it, the rainy season had ended in the Kansai region. I am surprised by the arrival of summer earlier than usual.

It looks like summer will be long this year.

I realize that while securing study time is important, maintaining my physical condition has become even more critical in determining my performance for the day.

Now, this weekend is finally the career consultant interview exam.

With the written and essay exams finished, the tense atmosphere from last week has eased a little.

Today, I watched related videos for the interview exam and mentally rehearsed my answers for the oral questioning over and over again.

I am studying, but I don't have the same level of concentration I had before the written exam.

My mind feels somewhat unfocused, and I was hit by strong drowsiness around noon.

I went for a walk during the hottest part of the day to shake off the sleepiness, but thinking about it now, that was quite reckless.

When an exam approaches, I feel anxious yet unable to concentrate.

I feel restless if I don't do something.

I think I was struggling to manage such subtle emotional fluctuations myself.

And tonight, I have my final online role-play before the actual exam.

I have practiced many times up to this point, but I have always had a challenge.

I can empathize with the client's feelings.

However, I feel that I am unable to ask questions that deepen their values or thoughts afterward, and before I know it, I end up just confirming facts.

"When did it start?"

"What did you do at that time?"

Of course, these are necessary questions.

But what I really want to hear is not the events themselves, but what the person felt and what they value.

Why do my questions end up being so shallow?

Reflecting on my practice over the last few days, I realized one thing.

I was afraid of the silence.

The moment the other person finished speaking, I would panic, thinking, 'I have to ask the next question.'

Because of that, I wouldn't give myself time to think and would escape into safe, generic questions.

That doesn't reach the depths of the client's heart.

So, for today's roleplay, I decided to focus on just one thing.

Creating a 'pause'.

Reflect the client's words back to them exactly as they are.

Paraphrase them slightly if necessary.

And do not ask a question immediately.

Give myself enough space to count to three in my head.

It's such a small thing, but for me, it is a major challenge.

Come to think of it, the 'pause' isn't just for the client.

It is also time for me to regain my composure.

When I feel like I'm starting to panic, I take a breath.

I organize my thoughts.

I take in the other person's words once more.

I feel that just having those few seconds can change the flow of an interview and my own state of mind.

Perhaps this isn't just about interview exams.

Rather than trying to provide an answer immediately, pausing for a moment can sometimes help you see the other person's feelings more clearly.

In the relearning I started in my fifties, what I have mastered most is perhaps not knowledge, but 'not rushing'.

Now, this weekend is finally the interview exam that will be the culmination of all that.

There is no doubt that I will be nervous.

That is precisely why, during the actual exam, I want to value 'what kind of attitude I face the other person with' more than 'what I say'.

If my mind goes blank from nervousness, I will first take a breath.

And then, I intend to tell myself this.

'There is no need to rush. It is okay to have a pause.'

I believe that those few seconds will surely lead to an interview that is true to myself.

Thank you for reading until the end today as well.