Wichita, KS is a wonderful town with its own kind of chill vibe, and cost of living is low. But Kansas is definitely not a blue-ish state, despite its current Democratic governor.
Still, I love it here. But if I could pick up the city and move it over to Colorado or something, I would.
A lot of companies are going towards what’s called “behavior based interviewing”, where they ask you about specific scenarios that demonstrate qualities they’re looking for. Questions like “Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult customer”, “Tell me about a time you had a disagreement with your manager, and how you resolved it”, etc. Think of some stories you could tell for questions like these (keep in mind a story about how you did do something will be better received than a story about how you would do something), and practice telling these to yourself in a simple and understandable way. I’ve found that having an arsenal of these stories is very helpful even with a company that does more traditional job interviews, as they can let you drive the conversation and showcase a quality that they’ll find appealing.
You can find more information about behavior based interviewing here: https://www.themuse.com/advice/behavioral-interview-questions-answers-examples
Something else to keep in mind is that they’re not just interviewing you. You are also interviewing them. Ask questions about how they run their business. Direct questions about compensation are generally frowned upon (which is some BS, but I don’t make the rules), but asking about the company culture, what the job is like on an average day, etc. are certainly fair game, and will not only help you show your interest in the job, but will also help you gain valuable information if you should be offered the job so you can decide if this is really what you want to do.
Finally, remember that there are plenty of fish in the sea. If you don’t get this job, don’t get discouraged. You will find something else soon enough if you keep looking.
Good luck!
Maybe it’s just the crowd I hang out with in Wichita, but it feels like it’s become that way as well. Younger generations here are much more liberal than old people. Koch is one of the largest employers in town still, but I feel like their influence on our politics is waning.