Tips for Controlling Interview Angst
Making a good showing during a job interview is challenging when your everyday nervousness regarding job interviews escalates to full-on anxiety. Here are some interview anxiety tips to mitigate negative thoughts, dread, upset stomach, and similar symptoms.
Thoroughly Prepare
You may experience anxiety in the form of nagging doubt when you’re not fully prepared. Studying common behavioral interview questions, scripting answers to difficult questions, and conducting extensive company research are fundamental to job interview preparation.
You'll probably never get rid of those butterflies, completely. That’s only normal. Don’t let it get to you or throw you off your game. Preparation helps, a lot.
Reduce the Unknowns
Anxiety is a nasty thing. It comes up from possible insecurities or very reasonable doubts and fears manifested into counterproductive actions. Anxiety evokes irrational behavior like panic, confusion, and even dismay. Reduce the unknowns! Select your outfit in advance, create a travel itinerary, and even do a practice run to the interview site the day before.
Watch Your Consumption
The night before the interview may lend itself to emotional eating. Some sweets or deep-fried foods is okay, but watch your intake. Also, you’ll want to avoid too much caffeine, vitamin B, and vitamin D. The morning of the interview, or in the hour or two before it, be sure to temper caffeine intake with some nutritious food that can soak it up. You don’t want coffee slamming your brainwaves five minutes into the interview. Unless that's your thing.
Stick to Script
For the most part, you’ll probably feel better once the interview starts. However, people suffering from job interview anxiety may feel little margin to speak extemporaneously.
Therefore, since you’ve prepped quite a lot and have a game plan, as much as possible, try not to improvise or to get cute. You have a few “talking points” ready, so try to stick with them as much as you can. Now, you have to be able to adjust to questions that you may not be prepared for. Ideally, some answers you feel in control of will calm you down and build some confidence that will allow you loosen up and handle the inevitable curve balls.
Interview preparation isn't easy. Especially on your own! JobStars' affordably priced Mock Interview Prep program may be just the ticket for your needs.