Avoiding Job Interview Nervousness

Try to overcome your fears of the interview by putting things into perspective.  Try to remember that the interviewer is just a normal person like you and the two of you are just going to have a conversation. Always remember that the very worst case scenario would be that you don’t get the job, but then again, there is no guarantee that this is the perfect job for you anyway.

Try not to think that you are the only one that is being interrogated. You too are interviewing the person to see if the job and the employer is suitable for you and if it’s what you want or it would be a place you would like to work in.

Calm Your Nerves

One of the quickest ways to help you relax and calm your nerves is by using breathing techniques for relaxation, they can be done anywhere, at anytime and without anyone realising or seeing anything different about you.

The technique is simple to learn, breathe in slowly and take a shallow breath through the nostrils. Pause a moment then breathe out slowly through the mouth ending with a sigh and let all the tension go. There are other relaxation techniques you can learn to do before you leave for the interview such as, yoga and meditation.

Most of the time the thoughts of attending the interview and waiting for it can be far worse than the actual interview itself and you will probably leave the interview wondering why you got yourself all worked up in the first place.

Preparing For The Interview

Preparing for the interview will help to combat nerves and create a more confident you.

• Be prepared to accept rejection because competition for jobs is much stronger these days and only one of you can be successful.
• Try to visualise yourself as a product and at the interview try and sell that product by showing it in the best light possible.
• Show all the good points and the advantages of the “product”.

Once the interview is over however it went give your self a pat on the back for attending, even if you don’t think it went well or that you may not be offered the position.  At least you got to the interview stage.

Try not to go over and over what was said and don’t tell yourself off wishing you had said or done something differently. What has happened is over so just let it go. Try not to sit by the phone waiting for the call from them. If they call and offer you the job, well done if not then just let it go and keep up your job hunting.

The more time you take to prepare for your interview the better it will turn out, every question that you are asked by the interviewer will present you with the opportunity to sell yourself to the company and will give you a chance to tell them why you are the best candidate for the job.

Throughout the interview you want to make a huge impression on the interviewer and only show yourself in the best possible light and avoid answering Questions that show you in anything less than this. Planning a little beforehand how you will deal with Questions will help you and here are some points to give you the upper hand.

Elaborate on examples

Be prepared to demonstrate your abilities and best qualities, describe situations that you have been in and how you have made achievements and changes in your present job. Always back up any claims that you make for example if you say you are able to work well under extreme pressure to meet deadlines then go into detail and present a couple of scenarios explaining ways you worked well under pressure.

Keep a firm grip on the interview

Interviews are much like politics, think back to politicians you have seen been interviewed and how they react and answer when asked questions from reporters. Questions are usually answered in a very general way without actually committing themselves, a politician will only give the information that they want known and which shows them only in the best light.

Very often the interviewer will ask trick questions so be prepared and on guard for these, examples are the interviewer could ask if you prefer to work alone or as part of a team. What the interviewer is really doing is trying to trick you to get you to tell them one or the other, be ready for this and answer in a non committal way.

A good answer would be that you work equally well in both positions and each has benefits. Try to remember that any answers you give have to be directed towards positive reasons for hiring you, before you answer any questions pause and think about what answer you should give don’t just let anything come rushing out that you might later regret.

Make your points clearly

Always answer clearly any questions the interviewer asks you and tell the truth in a positive manner that shows you in the best light possible. If you think you might be talking too much then pause and ask the interviewer if you have answered the question fully.

Keep the conversation open

After having answered a question asked by the interviewer follow it up with a question yourself, for example ask “Does that answer your question”. Asking this will let the interviewer know that you want to provide them with the answers they need and keep the conversation open and flowing.

You will only get one shot at securing the position in question so you have to make it count and like anything surviving and winning interviewers over takes practice, so arm yourself with the questions that interviewers frequently ask and prepare yourself by practicing scenarios and giving the right answers.

Even the most successful and experienced candidates can come across an interview that suddenly takes a turn for the worse and starts heading down the drain rapidly. If you get the feeling that your interview is heading that way then trust your instincts, there probably right, maybe you feel the interviewer is losing interest in you and the conversation or that the interviewer is aiming to stop short the interview.

When this happens most people confronted with it will have the same reaction, panic and start to lose confidence, withdraw into them selves and prepare to give up. Try to remember however that at this stage you have nothing to lose, if you give up and walk away with your tail between your legs you have failed the interview and lost the job if however you try to work it around and bring life back to the interview you maybe will still stand a chance.

At the very least the interviewer will see that you are determined and that you don’t give up when confronted with the first hurdle, which works in your favour.

Here are some tips to help and guide you should the interview start turning into a disaster:

• If you sense the interview is rapidly turning into a disaster take the bull by the horns so to speak, confront the interviewer head on and ask outright for example you could say something like ” Excuse me but this interview doesn’t seem to be going very well, what do you think?” If the interviewer agrees with you then chances are the interview won’t succeed or go any further but at least you tried to turn it back to positive.
• If the interviewer likes your open way of doing things you might get lucky and he/she might say “let’s start over”.
• Always remain positive throughout the experience and ask what mistakes you made so you can correct them for future interviews.
• If you are open and honest and deal directly with the interview going downhill then remember you have a 50-50 shot of turning it around and starting fresh.
• Some interviewers will conduct the interview as though they are playing poker, you will have no idea what they are thinking or of how the interview is going. Being open with them can often snap them out of this and steer them away from any negative thoughts of feelings they may have had.
• Remember even if you don’t get this job you will have gained experience and changed the interview from a negative one to a positive which is in your favour.
• Never pretend that a disastrous interview is going along fine, by doing this you are only wasting your time and that of the interviewer and negative feelings will only linger it is better to end the interview on positive feelings and not get the job.

So you got this far, the company liked your resume they gave you the interview and it went well so what now, is it in the bag so to speak and you just sit and wait for the call back asking when you can start?

The answer is no, just because you think it went well doesn’t mean you will get the job for sure. What if they interviewed others after you and they went well too? What if others also bothered to write a thank you letter after the interview?

So what’s the point of the interview thank you letter, the thank you letter can go a long way to helping you clinch the position and plays just as an important role as your resume did in getting you the interview in the first place.

The thank you letter is your last chance to sway the interviewer your way before he/she makes a final decision, in it you can reiterate what was said during the interview and get the point across for the last time of why you are the best choice for the position.

There are several other benefits in your favour of writing a thank you letter and these are:

• Writing the letter shows you have manners, are thoughtful and have good business etiquette.
• The letter gives you the final chance of impressing the interviewer and outlining why you are the best person for the job.
• You can be more personal in the thank you letter than in your resume and cover letter, after having seen the place you can comment on how well you would fit in and how you could make a difference working there.
• It leaves an impression on the interviewer when making the final choice for the position.
• Any particular values that you talked about during the interview can be gone over again in your thank you letter emphasising your strongest points.
• Thank the interviewer for his/her time and mention how nice it was to meet them face to face.
• Mention what you learned during the interview and how see yourself putting them into practice in the job.
• Ask them to contact you if they need more information.
• Don’t forget to point out that you are looking forward to a positive decision from them.
• This is your chance to add anything that you may have forgotten to mention during the interview.
• Always send a thank you letter within 3 to 4 days of having the interview.