How To Handle Interview Anxiety: 11 Golden Tips

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Interview anxiety is a common thing that may affect candidates’ performance negatively and hide their real potentials and abilities.

Interview Anxiety
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.

interview anxiety

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.

interview anxiety

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.