Of course you’ll be nervous, it’s an interview! Accepting that you will be nervous allows you to work on some strategies to help before and during the interview.
The pen is more powerful… It seems to me that many people are helped by the act of writing. I suspect it’s as much the act of writing as what you write. What to write? If you’re nervous about forgetting something, write a list of what you need. If you’re nervous about certain interview questions, write down your answers. It won’t deliver them exactly as you write them, but it will remember most of what you write. If you are nervous about certain behaviors (talking too fast, giggling, not smiling), then on the corner of a piece of paper write a coded symbol that reminds you to smile, listen, etc. If you are waiting outside the interviewer’s office, write a thank you to the interviewer in advance. Writing that thank you allows you to focus on the successful outcome of the interview. You will leave the thank you when you leave the interview and you will appear well organized.
Help someone else. If you need to practice for an interview, find someone else who needs to practice. Use your new partner to practice and look for opportunities to offer advice. When you realize that your problems are similar and normal, you will relax. Although you may face similar challenges and concerns, you will find it much easier to solve your problems than yours. Along the way you’ll gain insight into your own challenges.
Be your own third party. Even if you don’t have a partner to work with, consider pretending you do. Take a look at your situation and ask yourself “if I were someone else, what would I do?” This technique is particularly powerful if you identify someone who you feel handles these situations well. If you know that ‘Bob’ is always good at talking about his career, then imagine how ‘Bob’ might handle a difficult question in an interview.
Find your ‘quiet place’. Before an interview consider the place where you have always felt safe, relaxed and happy. Practice seeing yourself in this place. When you get nervous imagine yourself back in this place.
Focus on a detail around you. Nervous people relax when their attention wanders, so this is a good strategy for the waiting room. That’s partly why doctors’ offices have magazines. But you can find an interesting painting to look at or a window to study the clouds outside. Focus on the details and try to memorize what you see.
Ask questions. During an interview, asking questions will make the interview more comfortable for both you and the interviewer. Have a few questions ready for the interviewer, “How long have you worked here?” Turning an interview into a conversation allows you to feel the normal and comfortable rhythm of the conversation.
Nervousness is normal. Accept that your nerves can help keep you energized. Then use simple strategies to manage your stress level.
