Interview Anxiety? Here are 4 Ways To Deal With It

Congratulations! You scored a job interview for your dream position! But the nerves have set in.

Sweaty palms, racing heart, and in the worst-case scenario your mind goes completely blank.

If this is you, the good news is, you can turn your nerves and anxiety into a powerful tool.

You are only one step away, here are some tips for managing pre-interview and during the job interview nerves, so you can easily handle the process, avoid stress, and ace your interviews.

Tip 1: Prepare & Research: 

Based on my personal experience, a major reason as to why certain interviews were difficult for me, was simply due to lack of preparation. Give yourself enough time to prepare for your interview. Think of questions that make you nervous and highlight the three top answers you would give.

Research the company to get a clear picture of what they are about. Make sure you also research your potential boss, which will help you find ways to connect with them more effectively during the interview. All these will help ease your anxiety and make the interview process manageable.

Tip 2: Practice

“Practice Makes Perfect”, this also applies to interviews.  Do some research on questions that may come up and practice on the answers that you will need to give. To summarize everything, always give relevant examples of all your achievements. You can also meet with coaches, mentors, and friends for mock or practice interviews. The more familiar interviewing feels to you, the less anxiety you will feel about the process.

Tip 3: Avoid Negative Thinking

Stress around interviews, all fall back on our assumptions of what the outcome will be.  Counter any negative thought with a positive one to help lower the levels of anxiety. For example, instead of focusing on the fact that you don’t have enough experience for the job, shift your attention to the achievements you have at hand and highlight them with the best examples you can think of.

Tip 5: Relax

Employ some useful relaxation techniques, such as progressive muscle relaxation or breathing exercises as a way to manage anxiety.  Try to frequently imagine a positive interaction with the interviewer especially an hour or so before the interview.  Keeping all this in mind, it is important to note that preparation is essential. You cannot be fully relaxed if you are not thoroughly prepared.

In Summary, consider all your failures as a learning experience. If one job interview is unsuccessful, it does not mean that you will never get another chance. Learn from it and focus on the next opportunity.

If anxiety is what is keeping you from getting through an interview, Fear not! We’ve got you!

Now with all this in mind, go out there and ace that interview!

Upcoming interview? See how you can deal with your anxiety and secure that dream job.