How to Manage Anxiety Before a Job Interview

You’ve been sending out resumes left and right, applying for jobs in your sleep, and now you finally got the call and have a job interview set up. After lining up the interview, you might discover that you have a lot of emotions, including anxiety. Perhaps you’ve been looking for a job for a while and have started to feel a little desperate to return to the workforce.

Of course, you know that to perform your best in the interview you’ll want to manage your emotions.

Here are a few ways to manage your anxiety before the interview.

Recognize how you feel. Don’t bother denying how you’re feeling about the interview. Your emotions are not right or wrong. If you’re feeling anxious, nervous, or worried it’s necessary to acknowledge how you’re feeling so you can implement some strategies to better manage your anxiety.

   

Discuss how you feel with a friend. Take some time to share your feelings with a friend, spouse, or partner. It can help to manage your feelings simply by acknowledging them to another person. When we hold our emotions in or try to bury them, they can feel more oppressive and difficult to handle.

Get some good sleep. Of course, you want to get good sleep before your interview. Don’t stay up late watching television, perhaps take a hot shower or bath, and read for awhile to help you relax.

Avoid alcohol. Do not drink the night before your interview. You might think it will help you relax and fall asleep, but alcohol actually impairs your ability to fall into a deep sleep. And it should go without saying that you don’t want to drink in the hours before your interview.

Meditate and self-talk. Take a few minutes to meditate the day of your interview and develop some phrases for positive self-talk, such as “I have the skills necessary to do this job well” or “I will perform well in this interview.”

Breathe. When we’re feeling anxious, we can sometimes neglect to breathe properly, and this can increase our feelings of anxiety. So, take some time and breathe deeply, while repeating your positive self-talk phrases and you’ll do just fine in your interview.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How to Choose the Right Career Track

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• Choosing the Right Career Track: "The first step is to collect job postings that appeal to you, sorting them by whether you're drawn to the organization ... or if you're drawn to the job description."


• 10 Things Successful People Never Do: "If you’re worried about who did what and getting the credit you deserve, you’re probably not as successful as you could be."


• Can You Be Friends with Your Boss?: "Having a positive, constructive, and trusting relationship with your boss is always a good thing."


• Nervous About That Job Interview?: "Take your time, listen properly to the question being asked, and don't be afraid to pause for a few seconds before you answer while you think of the right approach."


• 5 Things You Must Know if You Want to Live a Happy Life: "You can’t be happy if you are judging the circumstances in your life constantly instead of accepting them."

How to Overcome Interview Jitters

I was teaching a class last week to a group of military service members preparing to transition into the private sector. At one point in the class I had a young gentleman ask me, "Why do people get so nervous in an interview? It's just a conversation!" I agree so much with that statement, I actually stopped the class to give the man a high five.

However, not everyone is so laid back about the job interview. Many of us are nervous about the idea of the job interview. No matter how much we prepare and practice, we still get the attack of the nerves. Next time you are facing the prospect of a job interview, use some of these strategies to calm your (often inevitable) nerves.

Put the Interview Into Perspective
Think of the interview as your opportunity to learn about the job, the company, and its culture. Treat the interview as a two-way street where you assess the company as much as they are assessing you. Almost all of us have been in an interview where based on your observations, or even your gut feeling, you know that this is not a place you want to work. Don't focus so much on giving a "great performance" that you lose track of the fact that you are looking for the right fit for you.

Assess Who Has More to Lose
Walking into the interview, the interviewer has much more to lose than you. All you truly have to lose is time and maybe a bit of money you spend on gas and a babysitter. However, every interview you gain experience, connections, and confidence in your ability to answer the questions. A wrong hire can cost the employer time, money, their reputation, their customers, and possibly their entire business. Think about how much more they have to lose than you next time you need to calm some of those nerves.

Practice the Three R's of Interview Preparation
The three R's stand for Research, Rehearse, and Relax. Research the industry and the company to become an expert at answering questions about why you want to work for the company and what key transferable skills you bring to the table. Prepare your interview talking points about your personal statement of value or cost-effectiveness, then rehearse it until it rolls off your tongue with ease. Last but not least, relax by revisiting the two points above. As I always tell people, luck is when preparation meets opportunity. Go out there and prepare and use your next opportunity to make your own luck!

Three serious interview tips from comedians

Last night I attended a hilarious comedy show by a nationally-known comedian. I have been a fan of his for a while now and it was a treat to see his show live because of his performance flair and the intricate awareness he brings to his life and our culture.

I was reflecting afterward about how difficult it must be to prepare a comedy routine, and I couldn't help but be struck between the parallels between it and preparing for an interview. There are things you can learn about interview preparation from comedians, ones that would make you a stronger interviewer.

1. Create an air of observation: for a comedian, anything has the potential to be material, from trips to the airport and dinner with a significant other to children and going to the doctor. Comedians have to be perpetually observant and bring those observations into their acts. As it is highly likely that you will one day be interviewing for another job, you need to create an air of observation now, as the material you are creating is material for an interview. What projects have you worked on of which you are particularly proud? What are your workplace strengths and weakness? How do you function on a team and how have you remained productive when working with difficult team members? These are but a few questions to get you thinking and there are many more. Spend time reflecting on your current and past positions to create a bank of interview material worth developing.

2. Develop your material for your specific audience: not every comedian is for every audience. Rodney Dangerfield would bring a different crowd to his shows than a Dane Cook. Knowing your interview audience would allows you to filter through your material and cater it specifically to this group. Think about who your audience is, what appeals to them, what their values are, and what their needs are; this will help you hone your material for them and make your message all the more relevant.

3. Practice like you have never practiced before: comedians practice new material through live stand-up appearances in front of hundreds of people. They refine their stories through trial-and-error and perfecting their deliver so that it is natural and not forced. Most of us, however, cannot practice in front of a mirror. If you want to land a position, practice thoroughly.

If you want to progress in your interview, do the hard work - comedian-level hard work - and get disciplined in your interview preparation.

Four Interview Topics to Keep in your Back Pocket

In a recent Daily Leap post we recommend that you have a current resume ready at all times. This is excellent advice for the reasons detailed in the post. Just as important as keeping a current resume handy are topics that can be used in an interview. When you are interviewed, you are asked questions about your work style, experience, character, decision-making, and other aspects about yourself. Keep from struggling to come up with answers by focusing in on these four broad areas, ones where - if you reflect on them regularly - you will be able to interview with ease.

1. Strengths and weaknesses: Nearly every interviewer will ask you something about your personal strengths and weaknesses, so it would be wise to have answers for these topics handy. Regarding your strengths, take a psychometric assessment such as the Strengths Finder 2.0 to obtain an objective appraisal performed, then add to it with examples of how those strengths manifest themselves in your work. For your weaknesses (or your strengths), complete a 360 degree evaluation of yourself to find areas of development, and address those areas in an interview and what you are doing to correct them.
   
 
2. Successes and failures: You will almost always be asked about your successes and failures as well, so as you go about your work make note of those projects that have been successful and the role that you played in them. The more successful projects that you led or provided substantial direction with, the better. Conversely make note of those projects that were not successful and what you learned from them. Both of these areas are essential topics for an interview.
 
3. Work style and environment: Be sure to have an answered prepared about your work style and ideal work environment. Do you like to be given a lot of direction or minimal? Do you prefer to frequently work with groups of people are you more of a solo contributor? Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment or one that is more slow and steady? Or do you like to work for larger organizations or smaller ones? Be prepared with answers to these and similar questions with clear, concise examples.
 
4. Working with others: Regardless of whether or not the job is strongly team-based, you will likely have to work with other people. Think about your experience working with others - including times you have had to professionally confront problems, work with a team, and had to work through divergent opinions - and prepare answers for them.

A good defense is the best offense. Reflect weekly on these four broad topic areas and - the next time you need to interview - you will be well prepared.

Three Techniques to Fight Nervousness

Today I am leading a workshop for a group of educators, and I'm nervous. Not "climb into a hole and never come out" nervous, but I'm wrestling with the normal jitters one gets when putting himself/herself out there. Questions like "What will they think of me?" or "Will I do a good job?" or "What if I screw up?" dance in my head, none of them really helping me, save to keep the adrenaline up.

Though I am specifically leading a workshop, I could just as easily be interviewing or giving an important presentation to senior management. Practicing self-management in the face of stress and nervousness is a critical component of success. Facing fears and rising to a challenge can help us grow confident and competent in our abilities. When the times comes for you to step up in the face of perceived adversity, follow these tips to give yourself an edge over your nervousness.

Focus on your purpose, not your outcome: Those who are focused on their purpose stay in the moment and zeroed in on the importance of their endeavor. In contrast, those who focus on the outcome needlessly worry about something that they can never control. When preparing for an interview or a presentation, beat your inner demons by staying strictly focused on your purpose and pay no attention to the outcome.

Visualize: Visualization techniques have shown to calm nerves and to produce positive outcomes in those who practice them. Take some quiet time for yourself to visualize your endeavor, creating in your mind the positive outcome that you desire. Feel the resonance from this place and make preparations from this perspective.

Practice! After deciding to be on-purpose and visualizing your success, work out the physical nuances of your presentation through practice. Write down specific goals or objectives that you want to reach and assess yourself on how well you reach them. Enroll a friend, too, if you would like an objective set of eyes.

Adhere to your purpose, visualize your success, and powerfully practice to achieve the level of success you desire. Good luck!

3 Strategies to Avoid an Attack of Nerves During your Next Job Interview.

I was speaking to a very personable, witty young man last night in a class I was teaching. He said that when he goes to an interview, while they are talking in the hall on the way to the interview he is able to be himself. However, as soon as he sits down in the interview chair, he freezes up and is a nervous wreck. This is a common problem for many people when it comes to job interviews.

I would like to offer some tactics you can employ to make sure this does not happen to you.

Put the Interview into Perspective
People dread job interviews more than going into the dentist for a root canal. No pain is going to be inflicted during the interview! It is just a conversation with another person. You really don’t have anything to lose in an interview except the time it takes to go to the interview. The worst thing that can happen is that you do not get the job. You did not have the job when you walked in the door, so what did you really lose?

Assess Your Fears
What is it about interviews that you fear? Is it fear of the unknown? Prepare for the interview and this fear will be alleviated. Is your fear based on the fact that you want them to like you, or that you want their approval? The more nervous you appear, the less likely you are to gain that approval you are seeking. Don’t worry about the things you can’t control. You can control your preparation, your attitude, and the way you present yourself in an interview. If you do these things well, you have done your best and the rest is out of your control.

Preparation
I am an introverted person by nature. However, I get up in front of hundreds of people and teach job seeking skills and I really enjoy it! The reason I am able to do this comfortably is due to my preparation and knowledge of the subject. The more prepared you are to discuss a subject, the less nervous you will be. Become very familiar with your skills, the benefits you can offer an employer, and prepare several examples of times you have used these skills successfully. Take several hours to prepare this information and all your future interviews will go much more smoothly.

Four Things to Keep in Mind During your Next Job Interview

Sweaty palms, butterflies in the stomach, having a hard time sitting still? Many of us are terrified of job interviews. Are you afraid you will say something “dumb”, you won’t know how to answer the questions, or that you will be rejected? It could be any one or a combination of all three that makes us scared in the interview process. Here are four things to help you calm yourself down and prepare for success in your next job interview.

There is no question you can’t answer!
One of the biggest fears in an interview is fear of the unknown. We don’t know what questions they are going to ask and better yet, what they want us to say when we answer them. There is one subject being discussed in an interview – YOU. No one knows what skills or experience you have better than you do. Therefore, no one can answer these questions better than you can.

If you are prepared to discuss the benefits your skills and experience offer the employer, there will truly be no question that stumps you. Think of yourself as a salesperson or marketing executive whose one and only product is you. Answer every question in a job interview in terms of how your skills and experience can solve the employer’s needs and you will set yourself apart from the crowd.

You are well-qualified for the position.
Many years ago, I went on an interview for a job that was out of my career field. I asked the interviewer what it was about my skills that made me a candidate of interest. Their response was that they did not see any skills and they only interviewed me because I applied. Ouch! This type of situation would not happen in today’s job market.

Employers receive so many applications that they could never interview every candidate. Therefore, if you get called for an interview it is because you are qualified for the position – and the interviewer agrees with you! By the time you get to the interview, you have already convinced them that you are well-qualified for the position. That should put an extra spring of confidence in your step walking into the interview next time!

You will be an asset to the organization.
Do you truly believe this statement? Every one of us can bring value to a company in some way. Your job is to discover what that value is, believe it with all your heart and sell it to potential employers. If you are not quite at the point of believing this you may want to refer to my job search motto: “Fake it ‘til you make it!” This does not refer to faking qualifications or skills, but to confidence.

The one thing you must have (or fake) in an interview is confidence. When an employer sees a confident candidate they automatically assume you are a competent candidate. Convincing them of your competence is half the battle in an interview.

You are not the only one in the room with fears.
One bad employee can really hurt a business. A bad employee can lose customers, cause other employees to quit, or damage the reputation of the business. Imagine how fearful that business owner is when they are going out on a limb and hiring a new employee that they don’t know. The next time you go into an interview, keep in mind that you are not the only one who has something to lose. You are not the only one in the room with fear. Let that thought calm your nerves the next time you sit down to interview for a job.