Don't Let Your Nerves Ruin Your Chances
by Clare Jaques, Monster’s Interview Expert
Most people dread job interviews. They reckon sleepless nights and nerves are part of the deal. They see job interviews as an interrogation.
In fact, job interviews are as much for your benefits as the company’s. The company has an opportunity to get to know you, and it’s a chance for you to decide whether you want to work for them. Once you make this mind-set shift, it puts you back in control and automatically gives you more confidence.
Here are five steps you can take before a job interview to increase your confidence and reduce your nervousness.
Be Prepared
Have you ever been in a situation where you knew you hadn’t prepared enough? Most candidates go to a job interview and hope to “wing it”. This strategy – or lack of – rarely does anyone justice, and cuts your chances of a job offer.
So what should you prepare?
- Research the company.
Find out about their vision, products, culture and the kind of people who work there. Then use that information, with the job description, to provide examples of why you’re a suitable candidate.
- Think about the obvious questions.
If you were the interviewer, how would you test whether somebody had the skills, characteristics and experience you’re looking for? Prepare answers to the more obvious questions. There’s no way you can prepare for every question they throw at you, but if you’ve thought through strong responses to the more obvious questions, it will be easier to come up with compelling answers to anything you’re asked on the day.
Act Confident
Even if you’re not feeling confident, act confident.
Your mindset and the way you hold your body will affect your interview nerves and will impact your performance. Pretend if you have to. Do whatever you need to do to feel confident, without appearing arrogant.
Try it now. If you were really nervous, how would you be sitting? Would you slouch and look at the ground? Get in that position. What do you notice?
Then change your position to how you would sit if you were confident and believed you could get the job. Perhaps you’d sit more upright and make good eye contact. Try it out now. How much more confident do you feel?
Ask For Help
If you’ve had a few “thanks, but no thanks” letters, then this can knock your confidence. You might want to kick-start your interview performance by asking for help.
If you prefer to work through things on your own, there’s a great range of books and e-courses out there to help. Or maybe you’d rather work with an expert to get some objective feedback and advice, in which case you could consider specialist interview coaching.
Relaxation
The most important thing you can do to relax before an interview is to work out what stresses you. Are you the kind of person who can’t sleep until you’ve checked your suit and travel directions for the 10th time? If yes, make a check-list and tick everything off before you go to bed that night. Then forget about it.
Review your CV, your company research and answers to the typical questions - then put them away, long before bedtime.
Do whatever you would normally do to relax, whether that’s reading a good book or taking a bath to maximise your chances of getting a good night’s sleep.
And Finally… Smile!
The most important thing you can do to relax before an interview is smile!
It might sound odd, but smiling releases endorphins, which are the body’s natural antidote to stress. So if you get to that interview and notice your nerves creeping up on you, take a deep breath in, breathe out slowly and smile.
You’ll feel the difference and give yourself a head start over the other candidates.
Visit Monster's 'Ask the Interviewer' Forum for more tips and to post a question.
Visit Clare’s website, Interview Stuff, for more expert advice and practical tips on job interviews.
