10+ tips to calm pre-interview anxiety and jitters

We can't all be heroes, because someone has to sit

on the sidewalk and clap your hands when the heroes pass by.

W. Rogers

There are no people who are not afraid of anything, who never worry or worry, especially about work, on which the well-being of you and your family depends.

How to cope with anxiety before an interview? Perhaps this is not your first time looking for a job, but you are worried like the first time and want to hide your excitement from the HR manager. After all, if a potential employer is convinced that work is vital for you, they will ask whether you are willing to stay late after work, list high requirements and offer a low salary.

Naturally, not all bosses strive to manage their subordinates in this way, but be prepared to face such a situation.

So, you have sent out your resume, are waiting with trepidation, and finally receive an invitation to the long-awaited interview. Can you meet all the requirements? Do you have enough experience and qualifications? Are you dressed appropriately? Will you be able to make a good impression? Dozens of questions are spinning in the applicant’s head, your knees are giving way and your hands are trembling, even if you don’t lose your presence of mind. We experience a similar state before exams, and before a serious conversation with a loved one, but we always managed to cope!

• Why do you need this job now?

The correct answer indicates a competent approach to finding a job. It is very good if you have collected information about the company itself, because if you have at least some information about the potential employer, then the conversation becomes substantive. For example, you might respond, “I learned that your company encourages employee flexibility and values ​​their personal time. It is very important for me. I also enjoy leading the office and believe our collaboration will be successful.”

• What is your weakest point?

The correct answer shows how you discuss your shortcoming - your current weakness and how you overcome it. For example: “I think that I am not a very organized person, but during my professional career I have learned to draw up personal plans for my affairs that are convenient for me, so my disorganization has not interfered with my work for a long time.”

• How does time pressure affect your work?

This is a double bottom question. Needless to say, an acute lack of time is the only thing that makes you work. However, it should not be said that it is difficult for you to work under time pressure. It’s better to get out of the situation like this: “Lack of time in general does not affect the quality of my work. And usually I try not to let the situation get to the point of time pressure.”

Go to interviews to practice

We recommend that you do not refuse an invitation to an interview, even if you do not want to work for this company. Attend an interview for experience and to practice speaking skills! It is experience that helps to cope with anxiety before an interview: by the tenth interview, there will be no trace of jitters in front of the recruiter.

And during “practice” interviews, you have the opportunity to try out jokes, non-standard answers or psychological techniques, which you can then use at an interview with your dream company. Or forget about them forever

Why shouldn't you take rejection personally?

Sometimes the pre-interview nervousness isn't because you're desperate for the job yourself. Often you don't want to disappoint others' expectations or you don't want to admit that you weren't "good enough" to get the job. However, you should not depend on other people's opinions!

You must understand that your value as a person does not depend on how the interview goes. Do you feel qualified for the job? Understand that a lot also depends on your interlocutors. How does the conversation go and is there a pleasant atmosphere during the interview? Remember that you are a qualified specialist and that you can truly help the company. Knowing that you have useful skills can help you overcome shyness or fear of a job interview.

If your interlocutors do not find that you are a good fit for their company, while it will annoy you, it will also be a loss for the company. And this does not mean that you have little to offer. An interview is just a short meeting. It is also sometimes difficult for hiring managers to clearly understand which candidate is actually the best choice. Especially if there are several good candidates. Then, often only some small nuances will affect who gets hired and who doesn’t.

Take enough time to prepare

Often the culprit for jitters before an interview is insufficient preparation. Remember, even at school it was not so exciting to go to the hated chemistry when the homework was done perfectly.

Do your homework before the interview: find out all the possible information about the company, prepare a business attire and think through the answers to questions in advance. And don’t put off preparing for an interview until the morning of the interview - set aside at least one leisurely evening for homework.

Practice answers to common questions

A list of classic interview questions can be found in advance; all that remains is to prepare answers to them. Even if at the interview itself you don’t remember the prepared text word for word, you will have a rough plan of the answer in your head. And feeling prepared for the interview will help reduce anxiety.

Pay special attention to preparing answers to tricky questions: why are you leaving your previous job, what are your weaknesses, why the company should choose you, etc. One of the difficult questions will definitely be asked at the interview - be prepared. And if you think that you will be asked a brainteaser question during an interview, be sure to prepare for that too.

Think ahead about how you want to present yourself.

You should also prepare to present yourself. Think about how best to talk about your personality. What's bothering you? What can you suggest? What have been your biggest successes? Typically, introverted candidates often find it difficult to praise themselves. Practice quietly with friends, simulating an interview. They can give you feedback on whether you answered confidently and what impression you made on them. This will also help you overcome your anxiety and fear of interviews.

Before the interview, you should read your resume, cover letter, and job requirements. You can calmly take these documents for conversation. Also, bring a notebook and pen with you to write down important information. It also makes sense to find out more about your interlocutors in advance. You may find photos of them on the Internet. Then you will be able to make sure that they do not look at all as scary as you drew them for yourself. This information will help you overcome your fear of a job interview. Try to remember the names of the people you are talking to so that you can say them correctly, even if you are nervous.

Be ready for any ending

It is important to agree with yourself in advance that the outcome of the interview can be anything and you need to calmly accept any scenario. The recruiter may refuse you the position right during the interview or announce that there are stronger candidates for this position - this is normal.

Do not regard an unsuccessful interview or refusal as a tragedy: it means that this is simply not your company, and you are not its employee. Prepare thoroughly for the interview, be prepared for any questions, come what may.

Body language will say everything for you

It is important to learn to control your body. Waving your arms, restlessness and excessive activity can only scare away your interlocutors. Just like excessive isolation, quiet speech and complete compression of the whole body will not produce the desired effect on the interviewer.

If the interviewee is overly expressive, he might want to bring something with him to keep his hands busy. You can stock up on a notepad and pen - if necessary, they will serve you well, for example, if you need to draw a graph. And it will be better if the interviewer sees the pen turning in the hands of the interlocutor than to take part in “fist fights”.

Those who are too shy are advised not to shrink in a chair, trying to completely withdraw into themselves, but to sit straight, with their hands on the table, and look not towards their feet under the table, but at the person opposite.

Eye contact is very important, and no one forces you to look your opponent in the eyes - just evaluate the bridge of your nose or the interviewer’s hairstyle.

Before the interview, you can practice in front of the mirror. It will tell you which actions it is better not to take, and which ones need additional work. The mirror will also help you choose the right clothes.

Prepare questions for the recruiter

An interview is a dialogue between two parties: not only the employer chooses an employee, but you also choose a company for your development. Knowing that you and HR are on an equal footing will help you cope with anxiety during an interview - this improves your mood and self-esteem.

Prepare questions for the recruiter to gauge your interest and involvement in the company. But be careful - some questions about the company or position may show that you did not prepare for the interview. You will find a list of verified questions for employers in the article.

Take control of your facial expressions

To prevent your face from exuding panic fear during an interview, you need to relax it. To do this, take control of your facial expressions.

For one minute, make faces, as, for example, the famous comedian and funny man Jim Carrey does: raise and lower your eyebrows, frown, smile and curl your lips into a tube, move your jaw from side to side and back and forth. This way you will warm up your facial muscles, feel that tension goes away and your smile becomes more natural.

Give yourself a motivational speech

You may not believe in the power of affirmations and laugh at the heroine of the film “The Most Charming and Attractive” and her auto-training, but positive thoughts definitely improve your mood, and attitude is the main weapon in the fight against anxiety before an interview.

Before going into an interview, stop, take a deep breath, and read your instructions for success to yourself. This could be a simple “Everything will be fine in any case, don’t worry,” thorough auto-training or prayer. The main thing is that this will help you cope with anxiety before the interview.

Ways to help cope with anxiety

Let's look at a few ways to help you cope with anxiety and get into the right frame of mind.

• Give yourself a motivational speech

A strong speech can instill confidence in any person. Remember sports movies when the coach takes the floor and sets his team up to win. You don't have a coach, so be your own motivator. Tell us why you are better than others, what you can do, how you are different. Convince yourself that you are an expert and know everything you need to know.

If you still can’t motivate yourself, find yourself a “coach” - family members or friends. Surely they will have words of encouragement.

• Talk to a positive friend

What could be better than a boost of energy from a loved one? Call your friend and talk about any fun topics. He may say something to support you, or he may just joke and laugh with you. It is this kind of conversation before the interview that will set you up on a positive wave and help you calm down.

• Play inspirational music

In psychology, music therapy is used as a treatment method. Do you understand how much power she has? Turn on your favorite radio station in the car, your favorite musician, or even a specific inspirational track and tune into the desired emotional wave. Better yet, dance to this music. This way you will relieve both psychological and physical stress.

• Strike a superhero pose

Just not in front of the employer. Just stand in the Superman pose for a few minutes before your interview. And if your communication with the employer takes place without video, then you can strike a pose at any time during the interview.

The superhero pose will give you a wave of confidence.

• Remind yourself that it's just a conversation

No matter how important the outcome of the interview is, it itself is just a conversation. You are not asked questions so that you will “fail” the exam. One of the objectives of the interview is to find out the necessary information about each other. And the customer you are communicating with is not judge or executioner. He is a person just like you, he just wants to get to know you better.

• Give yourself permission to accept rejection.

You need to go into any interview with a positive attitude. But still, prepare yourself for the fact that you will be refused cooperation. This is not a disaster, and you are not a bad specialist at all. It’s just that the customer may not be yours. But somewhere there is a person or company that needs you.

• Shake it up and watch your body

If you feel that not only your nerves, but also your arms and legs are shaking, you should first get rid of physical tension. There is a strong connection between the body and emotions, and it can be used to reduce anxiety.

Imagine that you are shaking off the water the way dogs shake off after a bath: starting from the shoulders and gradually reaching the feet.

If your palms sweat from excitement, dry them and try to warm them up. Stretch your fingers and rinse your hands in warm water.

• Remember some funny incident

Imagine in your head any moment when you laughed until you cried. Transport yourself to that moment and try to feel all the emotions that you experienced then. This way you will switch to positive emotions and get rid of tension.

• Look at the situation from a different angle

We often perceive an interview as our big chance to change our lives for the better. But at the same time we forget that the client may need him more than we need him. Therefore, it is better to go to every interview with the message: “I want to help you and am ready to think about how to do this.”

• Treat the interview as an experiment

Imagine that you just decide to do research. See how people communicate now, what areas of activity they are interested in. Test how well you improvise. Look for game elements in the interview. You can imagine that you are an actor who has landed a freelance role. Play your role - it’s already yours, and no one can take it away!

• Reduce stressors

If you have trouble calming down, wearing uncomfortable clothes or a slow computer will only make you more anxious. Therefore, create a comfortable environment for yourself.

• Be as honest as possible

Lying doesn't come easy to anyone. Therefore, when we try to hide or embellish something, our stress level only increases. The employer also senses your condition, which does not increase your chances of getting a job. So try to be sincere. If you don’t know something or are not ready to talk about something, come up with polite wording for answers to such questions in advance.

• Place the blanks in front of you

Online communication has its advantages. The interlocutor either does not see you at all, or sees only your face. Accordingly, you can prepare for the interview and open answers to questions or other useful materials on your desk or computer screen that you can refer to periodically.

Students use this technique - they prepare cheat sheets for each exam, but do not use them. They just know that if something happens, they can not panic, but look for ready-made answers.

• Prepare the water

If you're nervous, drink a glass of water before your interview. Place water next to you so that you can get rid of the lump in your throat during a conversation. Cool water and swallowing movements help to calm down, relieve tension in the muscles of the larynx and relieve spasms.

• Take something in your hands

Another advantage of an online interview: you can twirl a pencil in your hands or use an anti-stress ball. The main thing is that your hands do not fall into the field of view of your interlocutor.

• Be “here and now”

Focus not on the possible outcome, but on the moment that is happening. Concentrate only on the facts, not on your feelings. At the moment of communication, you have one task - to convey your thoughts to your interlocutor. And some thoughts will arise in your mind one way or another.

• Interview yourself

Not only are you being selected, but so is the customer. Think for yourself - would you want to work with a person or company that, according to some criteria, does not suit you? Even if you're attracted to the salary or the opportunity to gain experience now, you'll regret your decision later if you don't like the rest of the job.

So during the interview, be sure to evaluate the potential employer. Ask questions, listen to the customer’s communication style. If you also try on the role of asking questions, then you will not be in danger of any anxiety.

• “Mirror” your interlocutor

A person attracts a person who is on the same wavelength as him. Therefore, try to adapt to the employer’s communication style. Listen to his rate of speech - let yours be the same. If the interlocutor is joking, you will joke too.

When we feel that we are being treated kindly, we relax and begin to behave naturally.

• Prepare yourself a reward

Regardless of the outcome of the interview, you will definitely have something to praise yourself for. You have left your comfort zone, gained new experience, perhaps some valuable knowledge. So you deserve the reward.

Try to please yourself immediately after the interview.

Remember which answers were the most successful, what knowledge you were able to demonstrate, etc. And then tell yourself: “Congratulations! Now I can do a little more than an hour ago!”

We congratulate you too! Because no interview can be considered a failure. Even if you didn't get the job, you gained valuable experience. And next time communication with the customer will be better and easier.

If every time you experience a slight jitters before communicating with a customer, don’t worry. It's normal to feel nervous. This means that you really care about your profession. Just think about how to cope with anxiety so that you feel confident. And then tune in to productive communication.