5 Tips to Make Interview Nerves Disappear

You have been applying for jobs time after time looking for that big career move, an email comes through one evening while you are battling traffic on Thika road as you go home. You are being invited for an interview in two days, the goal you have been working towards for a long time is finally here.

You have all the experience required, all the documents, and that ‘Sunday best’ interview wear is all ready. You have even taken a day off at the office for that day so that nothing will mess your big day. But, as the day draws closer, your interview nerves start setting in, you are not alone.

Interview nerves can drain your confidence and leave you all anxious. They will take up so much time and energy that you could have used in researching and preparing for the interview. I like to refer to interview nerves as ‘misplaced concerns’ which can always be managed. We are going to share tips that you can use to manage interview nerves.

Here are 5 tips on dealing with interview nerves

1.Trust yourself

Having done your assignment on the company you will be interviewing, prepared your elevator pitch having aligned your skills to the job description, you are partly god to go. Have your key successes at your fingertips, ideas that you want to bring to the role and know that which is expected of you in the role. Have your CV professionally written to ensure it market your skills well.

With all of the above at your fingertips, you just have to trust yourself and relax, take that break and enjoy your favorite pass time.

2.Recreate the situation

You have been to an interview and you know how things go about, recreates an interview situation.Turn the interview into a situation that makes you comfortable.

Are you a person who enjoys group discussions? See the interview as one of your usual group discussions. Are you an ‘all eyes on me’ kind of a person? Turn the interview into your main act. Making interviews be what works for you is one of the best ways to calm the interview nerves.

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3. Do a self-assessment

“Take your time and understand what the position demands, and do a self-assessment before the interview”, Advises, Melody Mwendwa, Interview Coach Manager at Corporate Staffing Services.

Be in the know on what skills, knowledge, and experience you possess that will be a huge asset to the role. Knowing all that you have and how it will complement the role and the company you are good to walk into the interview confidently as you would have put your interview nerves in check.

4. Understand it’s not a pass or fail situation

Interviews have lots of dynamics in them, there are behind the scenes factors that could affect the recruitment decision.  Recruitment processes are subjective, you are blindsided as to who you are up against and the kind of personal expectations that were beyond the criteria.

These are factors that are beyond your control, “You just have to give your best and show the panel why you are the best candidate for the role and let the rest swim”, Says Muthoni Ndegwa, Recruitment Manager at Corporate Staffing Services. Whatever the outcome for the role you have interviewed, be optimistic as you could be offered a different role in the same organization or it would work out as a great preparation for another interview.

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5.  Have a backup plan

Interview nerves can make you forget something that you had planned for your opening statement and you only come to remember it much later in the interview. You will need to have a backup plan to bring in that key point that you forgot.

“Ask the panel if you could add something to your first or second question, pointing out that there is a key point you didn’t get across”, adds Muthoni. There are also times that you had prepared an answer and it didn’t fit in any of the questions that the panel asked, this has happened to me and I know I’m not alone.

The best way to bring them up is by using them in your questions at the end of the interview. For example, “I find snap chat as a game changer marketing tool, especially to the Millennials, I’m interested to know how this sits with the organization advertisements policy?”.

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With all the above, I hope you are well prepared to calm the interview nerves next time you have an interview coming up. Something that I have used over the years is taking control over my nerves and making a conscious effort to steer my mind back to reality. Remember, you have great insights to share, professional attributes and skills that the panel are looking for and that is why you are there. Breathe, calm your nerves, trust yourself and show them what you got!

What are some of the way that you calm your interview nerves, we would like to hear, share with us?

The Writer is a Communications Officer at Corporate Staffing Services. Email: elizabeth@corporatestaffing.co.ke