Interview anxiety is a common thing that may affect candidates’ performance negatively and hide their real potentials and abilities.
Sometimes it’s
more than usual for those who initially have an anxiety disorder; that’s when
therapy is necessary.
Additionally,
people mainly keep thinking about all the bad possibilities and results. Sometimes
these negative thoughts and feelings control them and get them overwhelmed.
We are here
to tell you that you’re not alone; that’s why we have some tips to help you
calm down and perform your best in the interview.
Please
notice that it’s not a medical opinion and that you have to ask your
psychiatrist if you’re going through abnormal symptoms.
Tips to help
you handle interview anxiety:
1- Pay
attention to your routine
Sometimes
our lifestyle causes us a lot of anxiety. Bad habits like drinking a lot of caffeine
or staying up late can make us more than nervous.
Please take
care of your daily habits, especially those before getting into a job
interview. Eat healthy food, drink a lot of water, sleep early and find other caffeine
alternatives, like fresh juices.
2- Be ready
and prepared
Being ready
takes a lot of burden off your chest. Prepare your documents and provide a lot
of copies of them. Don’t wait for the last moment to pick your interview
outfit.
Prepare it a
night before the interview day. Clean and iron your outfit well. Choose a
comfortable and suitable one.
Moreover,
prepare every single thing you’ll need in the morning, so it doesn’t become
hard for you to do a lot of stuff.
Don’t forget to read about the company and the job description well.
3- Try visualization
Visualizing
something makes it possibly happen. It’s an excellent method that a lot of
successful people use.
Try to sit
in a comfortable place and position. Take a deep breath. Think of how you’re
going to enter the interview with a friendly smile and immense confidence.
Imagine yourself
answering the questions and interacting with the interviewer. All of that helps
you calm down and feel better about what’s coming up.
4- Repeat
self-affirmations
Write down
your traits. Highlight the positive ones and embrace the negative ones.
For
instance, tell yourself, “I do my best,” “I have a good experience,” “It’s okay
to make mistakes.”
Stand in
front of the mirror and keep saying positive stuff to yourself. Eventually, you’re
going to be convinced with them somehow.
Make sure
not to fall for the trap of your mind telling you negative stuff about
yourself. Try as much as possible to be aware of your thoughts and their
reasons.
5- Rehearse
interview questions
Google
potential interview questions according to your industry and practice answering
them on your own. You can ask a friend for some help.
That helps
you avoid a lot of anxiety, as we mostly feel anxious about things that we know
nothing about. Our minds keep thinking of possibilities and feel overwhelmed.
You can also
recall questions from past interviews and see if there are better answers for
them. Ask your experienced friends. They may have a lot of solutions.
6- Go for a
walk
Walking
helps a lot in reducing anxiety levels. Please make your music playlist and
customize it for daily walks.
If you don’t
walk daily, it’s okay; you can start now. The night before the interview day is
a suitable time for creating this habit.
Walks release
a lot of energy and boost bad moods. Ask a friend to accompany you. If you don’t
have friends to join you, it’s totally fine. Going for a walk on your own is
also so enjoyable.
7- Treat
yourself afterward
Promise
yourself with something to do after the interview. That helps you focus more on
the fun after the job interview, not the anxiety during it.
Book cinema
tickets, go shopping, or buy yourself a meal from your favorite restaurant.
If you
prefer to stay home, watch exciting movies or binge-watch a new TV show. You
can also give yourself a warm relaxing bath. You deserve that.
8- It’s just
a job opportunity
Think of it as a
job opportunity among other thousand ones. It’s not the last opportunity on earth. Even if you didn’t get it, it’s not the end of the world.
Keep in mind
that it’s a journey, and you’re trying your best. Don’t expect perfect results
from yourself, and don’t pressure it.
Learn from everyone and everything you meet, and it will eventually pay off.
9- You’re
never alone
Other people
go through the same feelings. You’re not the only anxious person on earth.
Your
feelings are valid, so be easy on yourself and don’t treat them harshly.
Going
through anxiety for an interview is a widespread thing. Ask your circle of
friends if they ever go through the same thing and share your thoughts.
10- Write
down your thoughts
Writing
helps a lot with decreasing anxiety and dealing with your feelings. Get a cute
notebook and colored pens.
Write down your thoughts and feelings. Sometimes they sound so scary as long as they are not represented in front of our eyes.
11- Be there
early
Arriving early helps you
relax and calm down. It also gives you the chance to get ready and get used to the interview place.
Prepare a
soothing music playlist to listen to when you’re waiting. You can also watch a
TV show that you like to calm yourself down.
Chewing gum while waiting is also a good idea, but make sure to get rid of it once you’re in.
In conclusion,
it’s okay to have interview anxiety but try your best to handle it. Don’t
forget to seek professional help, as getting knowledge from articles and blogs is
not consistently enough.