5 Tips To Overcome Nervousness In Job Interviews

By Tabitha Makumi,
You are sitting at the reception area and you feel your underarms get wet, your heart rate increases and you can smell your own sweat. What is happening to you? How are you going to survive this? Suddenly a door opens and a woman calls out your name, “John, you are next”

Why does it feel like you are going to face the guillotine and not an attending an interview? You slowly rise up and head to the interview room, your legs shake as you open the door…You feel like running away. You enter the room and close the door behind you.

What a mess…has this ever happened to you? You can be guaranteed that nothing good is going to come out of such an interview …

Here are tips of how you can calm your nerves and avoid being a mess like our guy John.

1. Don’t forget to BREATHE!
Breathing techniques can help you relax before and during the interview.  For instance, you can count to three slowly while breathing in, hold your breath while counting to three and then breathe out while counting to three.

You can also use breathing to help you answer the interview questions effectively. By taking a deep breath before you answer, you can give yourself a little time to think while calming yourself down.

2. Prepare ahead of time
The more time you spend preparing, the more confident you’ll be. If you have done your  research and can articulate how their skills and qualifications align with the position will be prepared, even when they’re asked the tough questions.

Also, don’t wait until the last minute to print out copies of your resume. Remember to also yay out your clothes and do the ironing the night before. You don’t want to pull your dress shirt out of the closet an hour before the interview only to realize it has a huge stain on it.

3. Practice interviewing.
A successful interview largely reflects the time you put in beforehand. You can and should hone your interviewing skills as much as possible.
If your voice trembles when you are nervous, conducting practice interviews will help you speak with more confidence. If you are unable to conduct a practice interview, then practice in front of a mirror, paying special attention to your posture, facial expressions and eye contact

4. Remember to act the part
Even if you’re not feeling confident, make sure you act confident. Always try to use appropriate body language in your interview, such as making a positive (but not finger crushing) handshake, looking your interviewer in the eye, and sitting up straight in your chair.

5. Do your research.
To interview confidently, you will also need to demonstrate familiarity with the position and organization, and be able to articulate how you’d be a good fit for both.

“If you learn as much as you can about the company and position, you’re less likely to be blindsided by a question or feel unprepared.
Finally, the best bit of advice is don’t worry, just relax and be yourself. the job interview is as much for you to see if you like the company as it is for them to see if they like you, so go in with an open mind.