Beating Interview Nerves

Oct 12, 2017 | Blog

Photo credit: www.blackenterprise.com

Photo credit: www.blackenterprise.com

Most of us experience some degree of nervousness or anxiety before and/or during a job interview. For some, it’s easy to shake off but for others it can make the interview experience something to fear rather than embrace. The team at CA have some choice pieces of advice for getting rid of interview nerves so you can represent yourself in the best way possible.

Proper preparation prevents…

If you walk into an interview knowing that you have not done your homework, nerves will almost certainly ruin things for you. Poor company research, inadequately predicted questions and a lack of knowledge about the people who are interviewing you will destroy your confidence, making you fear every question heading your way. If you’ve done extensive preparation, you will feel well-equipped to handle everything you are asked to speak about, and the more you answer, the quicker any nerves will dissipate.

If you suffer from nerves badly, then a dress-rehearsal can help to increase your confidence about an interview. Sit in front of a mirror and pretend you are in the interview.  Answer the questions you anticipate coming up in exactly the way you plan to in the interview, paying attention to the physical as well as the verbal. When you see yourself looking presentable, professional and answering questions well, you will feel far better equipped for the real thing.

Dress the part

The way you dress has a significant effect on your confidence, and confidence is a great way to banish interview nerves. Plan your outfit but also make sure you try it on too, especially if it’s new and hasn’t been worn before. Make sure it not only looks sharp but is comfortable with no distracting things like long cuffs or shoes that pinch.

Be yourself

Dressing the part will give you the confidence you need, but be careful to make sure you are yourself during the interview. Don’t be tempted to adopt an interview persona. You are aiming to show them who you are, but with a little added confidence.

Accept that you will still feel some nervousness

You can drastically reduce how nervous you feel but you’re unlikely to be able to get rid of nerves altogether. Accepting that you will still feel some nervousness is not only realistic but it’s actually a good thing. To have some nerves can actually be useful – as well as being part of the interview experience they can make you sharper and keep you on task, reducing the effect of other distractions.

Focus on the potential outcome

Taking some time to consider what happens if you get the job can help you ignore the nerves and focus more on presenting yourself as a perfect candidate to the interviewer. Thinking about the bigger picture makes anxiety seem far less significant an obstacle in getting to where you want to be.

Nerves can make or break an interview so do what you can to reduce them, while staying true to who you are as a person.