Put a Stop to Pre-Interview Jitters NOW!

On Pins and Needles

Feeling butterflies in your stomach? Or are you getting breathless and your palms are starting to sweat? Perhaps it’s because you may be feeling last-minute jitters about your upcoming job interview.

Whether the interview is tomorrow, in a couple of hours or even in a few minutes, it’s natural to feel nervous. However, if you let your nerves get the best of you, then the interview may be completely compromised, and you may just lose your only chance to make a good impression on potential employers.

So, if you are about to undergo an interview, it’s important to alleviate stress as much as possible in order to boost your chances of getting the job.

Stress-Relievers

To calm your nerves, consider using one or more of the following techniques:

1. Just Breathe

Take a few seconds to breathe in deeply through the nose and mouth, exhale, and then repeat. The more air that flows into your body, the more calm and less anxious you will feel.

Try practising breathing techniques for a few minutes daily until the day of the interview arrives. This will help you feel calm and relax, both physically and mentally.

2. Be Prepared

To prepare in advance, familiarise yourself with some the most common yet tough questions – eg. “What’s your biggest weakness?”, “What is your greatest achievement?”, etc – then think about how you will answer them (with the inclusion of examples to support your answers).

Make sure to research the company and the job position thoroughly beforehand, which you can do by gleaning the company’s website, press releases and social media accounts. Remember to jot down any questions you may have so that you can seek clarification from the interviewer, who will see this as a clear demonstration of your interest and willingness to learn.

Combined with visualisation – whereby you imagine yourself answering questions in a calm, confident manner – this can greatly aid in reducing your anxiety. You can go even further by visualising a positive outcome of the interview, an outcome in which you are certain that the interview went well and that you did your absolute best to impress the interviewer.

3. Listen To Music

As you listen to music, high levels of stress-related hormones – specifically cortisol – can decrease, leaving you feeling calmer and much more relaxed.

To improve your mood before the interview, put on some soothing, slow music. Combine this with light exercises such as walking, jogging, stretching and meditation.

4. Rope in A Friend

At the end of the day, an interview is a conversation between two or possibly more people. While you’re here to prove that you’re the best candidate for the role, the interviewer is merely trying to determine whether or not you measure up – they’re not trying to interrogate you, nor are they trying to trip you up intentionally.

Rope in a friend and try staging a mock interview, in which your friend will ask you questions. They can provide you with honest yet constructive feedback on how you answer and/or present yourself, plus they can offer support and kind words where needed.

Alternatively, an in-person pep talk or an uplifting phone call before the interview can make all the difference in boosting your confidence.

5. Treat Yourself

It’s always a good idea to reward yourself, whether or not you nailed the interview.

Chances are, your pre-interview nerves shut down your appetite. Refuel yourself by grabbing a bite to eat or a drink from a nearby cafe. Then, take a walk to a quiet, peaceful location like the local park or beach, and allow yourself to unwind in Mother Nature’s embrace.

Think of the good things that await you after the interview is done. By rewarding yourself with a sweet treat or an outing, you’re reinforcing a positive mindset, one that can carry you through the next phase of the interview process (or other interviews). It’s important to keep yourself motivated and never lose sight of your ambitions.

Calmness Guaranteed!

By using one or more of these techniques, you’ll be able to quell your jitters and walk into the interview more confidently, more assuredly and more composedly. Approach this opportunity (and many others) with a positive attitude, and in time you will reap the benefits – good luck!