How To Calm Nerves During Your Interview

This article will tell you how to deal with ‘interview nerves’

That awful feeling of anxiety that can affect us all at important moments in our career and life.

Don’t worry!

As always, we’ve got you covered!

Let’s get started!

So the big day has arrived and your interview or job assessment is approaching. All your preparation is done and you have a chance to unlock the next stage of your career, your finances, your life.

This is it!

How you perform at this moment is genuinely important because it can have a pivotal impact on your future and this is why lots of people are so affected by interview nerves and anxiety both before and during their interview or assessment event.

Some interview nerves = Good

Feeling anxious before a big event in your life is perfectly normal and actually a healthy response to the stimulus and situation you’re faced with. (And don’t forget that a little anxiety will actually help keep you sharp and quick-witted.)

But obviously it’s crucial that you don’t let your interview nerves impact your performance in a negative way.

Lots of interview nerves = Bad

If you’re so nervous that you feel overwhelmed and can’t think straight then that’s not a great place to be and clearly your performance will be affected in a way that won’t be beneficial.

‘Ok, I get the picture. So what can I do about it?’

Interview nerves and anxiety arise mainly through fear of the unknown and in the above article we tell you exactly what to expect and how to prepare your mind and body to ensure you feel relaxed and confident on the big day. It offers advice and tips including:

• Get into a regular & healthy sleeping pattern
• Exercise 3 times a week for a month prior to your interview
• Eat healthily
• Moderate your alcohol content
• Plan relaxation time
• Spend time outdoors & with family and friends
• Practise the exercises you will undertake on the day
• Ensure you do the right prep on the day
• Getting a great night’s sleep on the eve of your interview or assessment
• Getting to your destination a hour earlier than is necessary
• Making sure you have water & snacks with you

‘Ok that’s all great but what if I have a panic attack or something?’

For a minority of people, interview nerves turn into severe anxiety that can take control to such a degree that they feel crippled. If you find yourself about to cave-in on the day you need to bring out the big guns and control your breathing.

• Breathe in through your nose and count to 7. Breathe out through your mouth and count to 11. You might find it difficult at first if you’re feeling very nervous, but after a minute or two you will feel better as CO2 and oxygen levels become balanced again inside your body.

• If you have a history of anxiety/panic attacks you should consider speaking with your doctor about medication. Many public speakers (such as politicians, CEOs etc) use medication such as beta blockers to ensure their performance isn’t impaired at critical moments. This is obviously a highly personal choice and is not something we can endorse wholeheartedly as the decision rests entirely with you and your physician. If this seems like a drastic step, you could consider natural or herbal remedies as an alternative which work well for many thousands of people.

‘That’s great. What else?’

Another useful and practical step to offset interview nerves is to take a toilet break to relax. Seriously, if you’re feeling stressed while at your interview or assessment just head to the restroom (even if you don’t use the facilities). It may sound silly, but having a few moments to yourself in a bathroom cubicle can give you a badly-needed break from the constant feeling of being ‘under scrutiny’.

The simple act of securing a few moments to yourself in private can give you a chance to clear your head and return to the fray feeling more focused and relaxed.

You should also ensure you use your posture and psychological triggers to your advantage. Sitting up straight will help prevent your interview nerves from making you tense and stop your chest getting tight.

Remember to smile often, not only does this project a relaxed and confident image to your interviewers but it sets off a chain reaction of hormones inside your body which will help you feel more relaxed and positive.

One recommendation should be to exercise for at least 1 hour before your interview or assessment event.

This is huge. Get up early if you have to. Exercising not only burns off any negative energy you may be carrying but it also replaces that energy with a supply of endorphines (peptides released by your pituitary gland that produce a feeling of well-being).

Feeling relaxed and confident on the day hinges on the quality and amount of preparation you do. Interview nerves can be banished with the right groundwork.

Practice, practice, practice

Practising the tests and exercises you will perform at your interview or assessment day will not only improve your competency, but it will also help you relax as you will feel prepared.

Read: 14 Most Common Call Center Interview Questions and How to Answer Correctly

Important! Update your CV before your interview

Lots of candidates make the mistake of thinking they don’t need to improve their CV once they’ve been invited to interview.

Big mistake. Here’s why:

1. You should update your CV before the interview event and take a fresh, new-and-improved version with you. (Ideally one that is TAILORED to the role you want.)
2. At interviews and assessment days, your CV will form the basis of your interview. (Whether the interview is competency-based or not.) You’ll be expected to answer questions on your CV and usually to walk your interviewer through it.
3. This is the big one: After you’ve left your interview or assessment day, your CV will be held in the hands of the people who are making the hiring decision.

They will literally be looking at your CV while making the hiring decision.

(I’ve been in this position many times. After spending an entire day meeting and interviewing lots of people, the candidates’ CVs are the documents you use to remind yourself which candidate was which and also to revisit the candidates’ skills and experience.)

Your Resume summarizes the ‘professional benefits’ of you and is what leaves the last impression.

So one last time: Your CV makes your first and last impression; it’s a crucial document. Make is as strong as it can be.

Read: 10 Things You Might Be Doing Wrong In Your CV

Some final questions for you…

• Do you have to take a Versant Vocal Exam? If so Don’t Take The Versant English Exam Until You Have Read This!

• You can find free advice on how to answer interviews using the S.T.A.R. Method and You Must Be Ready to Answer this Questions.

• Worried about your assessment day? Maybe you’re worried about Getting Interviews or Getting Screened Out.

• Be sure to check out 14 Most Common Call Center Interview Questions and How to Answer Correctly – it’s filled with tips, tricks and insider-secrets that will help you succeed on the big day.

• Perhaps you’d like some guidance on 8 Lessons You Can Learn From A Job Rejection?

Thanks for reading!

I hope you enjoyed this article? I’d love to hear your feedback on it and also to learn how your interview or assessment centre goes. Please feel free to get in touch and let us know, thanks and good luck!