The most common question I see on the internet in regards to interviews is “how do I become less nervous?” When Xanax is not an option, what do you do?
- Prepare. The more you know your stuff the less nervous you will be. Practicing helps but it’s not for everyone. The best thing you can do is have several SAR stories prepared, know yourself, know your former job duties, and know the company you’re interviewing with. Study for the interview like you’re in college and you’re preparing for a short answer test.
- Remember, interviewers are people too. If it’s someone who is not used to interviewing, there is a chance that they are nervous as well. Even if they’re seasoned interviewers, they know what it’s like to be on the other side of the table and they can relate to your nervousness.
- Realize that it probably won’t have a huge effect on whether or not you get a job offer. Unless you’re interviewing for a high profile public relations job, your interviewer is probably not going to care that you’re nervous. You’re not the first and you certainly won’t be the last.
- Accept the fact that you’re going to be nervous. No matter what you do, you will always have a tinge of nervousness (that is if you even remotely want the job). It’s okay to acknowledge in the interview that you’re nervous. It’s better to accept it and move on then try and hide it.
If you don’t get the job, it’s not the end of the world. There will be others. Just breathe and do your best.
March 12, 2008 at 8:10 pm |
I had close to a thousand interviews as a recruiter, but I recently sat on the chair of a candidate and I realized two things:
1) it’s so much different when you’re on the other side of the table.
2) you’re absolutely right about the tinge of nervousness. At first I was surprised when I realized that I was nervous before the interviews. But then I was happy about it and saw it as a sign that I was truly interested in the job.
And remember: interviewers are people too, but they’re eeevil because they work in HR
March 16, 2008 at 9:55 am |
Happy EE – My favorite comment about interviewing came from my roommate. She said one day “So you’re saying you sit there and judge people all day.” I responded, “Yeah, that’s about it.” Although it’s important to remember that while we’re judging them, they’re judging us.
March 21, 2008 at 10:40 am |
[...] you’ve applied for the Next Great Job, been through the interview process, battled with pre-interview jitters and have been surprised by how much you want the damn job. You’ve given it your all, you’ve got [...]