7 Tips On How To Get Rid Of Nerves Before A Job Interview
You’ve been carefully preparing your CV, writing motivational letters and applying for jobs, and it finally happened – you’ve been invited for a job interview! At first you were happy, but as the big day is approaching, you’re getting more and more nervous. Your self-esteem is lowering, your hands start sweating when you only think about the interview and you’re starting to feel like you’ll never get that job. Don’t worry! With our 7 tips, you’ll go to your interview calm and focused.
Before the Interview
Accept your anxiety and benefit from it
You want to leave a great impression – you want to seem well-prepared and self-assured, and you think anxiety is your enemy. You feel like being nervous is wrong, but is it really so? The thing is, the more you feel wrong about being nervous, the more nervous you’ll be. A job interview is not an everyday situation, which means that a moderate amount of anxiety is a normal feeling and trying to suppress it can only make things worse. Instead of that, use your anxiety to your benefit: repicture it in your mind as excitement or make a joke about it. And showing your nerves a little is not a bad thing at all – it will indicate to the interviewer that you’re really interested in that job.
Prepare well
Being well-prepared is the key to being calm and focused during the interview. Go through your CV and motivational letter once again and think about the questions that the interviewer could ask. Learn more about the company and the position that you applied for and think about the questions that you want to ask. Practice speaking in front of the mirror: remember not to talk too fast and to keep good posture. You can also make a cheat sheet that you’ll use before the interview to go through everything that you find important once again. Remember, when it comes to interviews, there is no over-preparing – the more you practice, the more confident you’ll be!
Pump up
It is important not to let negative thoughts and feelings overwhelm your mind in the days before the interview. To avoid this, do whatever relaxes you and puts you in a good mood. Listen to your favorite music or a motivational speech, do some yoga or go to the gym, invite best friends over and let them encourage you… the options are unlimited. Think positive about the interview and take good care of yourself – being in good shape (both mentally and physically) will boost your confidence and help release the anxiety.
Plan your outfit and route the night before
Learn more about the company’s dress code, and make your outfit smart and comfortable. Don’t leave choosing what you’ll wear for the morning of your big day – a nice outfit will help you leave a nice first impression, and on the very day of the interview you might have too many things on your mind to really plan it well, so choosing your outfit the night before is always the best. Also, make sure to prepare all the things that you want to take with you, such as a copy of your CV, or a notebook and a pen for taking notes. You don’t want to forget something, so it’s the best to do this the night before too. If you’re not sure about the location of the interview, you can do a test-drive to it the day before. You don’t want to get lost, so carefully plan your route anyways. Doing all of the mentioned will release stress on the day on the interview and minimize the risk of any bad surprises.
On the Day of the Interview
Go for a walk or work out
It is normal to feel nervous on the day of your interview, so it’s a good idea to get up earlier in the morning and release the negative energy by going for a walk or working out. You can also stretch, practice yoga, go for a run or a bike ride – all these activities will help you clear your mind and focus on what awaits you. The blood rush will boost your energy and you’ll feel more self-assured and in control of the situation.
Have a good breakfast
You don’t want to hear your stomach grumbling in the middle of the interview, therefore make sure to have a good breakfast or lunch. No matter whether you’ll have a healthy, balanced meal or just eat your comfort food, you shouldn’t be hungry. Stay hydrated and try to avoid caffeine – it will make you feel jumpy and get you even more nervous.
Be there on time
Organize well in order to arrive on time, and that means at least 10-15 minutes before the beginning of the interview. It will show your employer that you’re punctual and respectful, but also give you time to settle and quickly go through all the things that you want to mention or ask once again. If you’re feeling too nervous, breathe in deeply and slowly exhale, your heart rate will drop and you’ll soon feel better. You can go for a quick walk around the building if that doesn’t help. Think about your posture and smile – you’re going to ace this interview!
We know how difficult and unpleasant job interviews are, and we hope that this quick guide we created will help you get rid of nerves and leave the best possible impression. But no matter how badly you want that job, think of it this way – what’s the worst that could happen? Even if you don’t get it, it won’t be the end of the world: there will still be a plenty of jobs on the market and you could easily find something better! So try to put all the negative feelings about the interview aside; prepare well, be optimistic and hope for the best.
You want to leave a great impression – you want to seem well-prepared and self-assured, and you think anxiety is your enemy. You feel like being nervous is wrong, but is it really so? The thing is, the more you feel wrong about being nervous, the more nervous you’ll be. A job interview is not an everyday situation, which means that a moderate amount of anxiety is a normal feeling and trying to suppress it can only make things worse. Instead of that, use your anxiety to your benefit: repicture it in your mind as excitement or make a joke about it. And showing your nerves a little is not a bad thing at all – it will indicate to the interviewer that you’re really interested in that job.
