Keeping Calm at an Interview
No matter how experienced or level-headed you are, interviews can be nerve-wracking times for everyone. While there’s ample reasons to be stressed, giving yourself over to anxiety is bad for your health as well as your interview.
Here are some top tips on how to keep yourself calm before that all-important interview.
Practise your answers- Interviewers generally ask the same types of questions which can be easily found online. This isn’t to say you should memorise your exact answers, but having a rough idea of what you want to say means you’re less likely to be frantically thinking of an answer and hopefully help you relax.
Gather everything you need ahead of time- The worst thing you can do for your stress is to be rushing to the printer on day of the interview because you forgot to print out a certain form. Assembling all your things the night before will save both time and stress and means you’re less likely to go into the interview completely flustered.
Lay out your outfit- Similar to the point above, you don’t want to be spending precious time before your interview in a mad dash to find your smartest pair of shoes. Deciding on your outfit ahead of time may seem like a simple thing, but it will make a world of difference to your state of mind on the day.
Try breathing exercises- Breathing exercises aren’t just for yoga classes. Regulating your breathing can help calm you down and stave off potential panic attacks if you feel your nerves getting the better of you. Try searching online for simple exercises you can do in any scenario, whether the night before or in the company waiting room.
If you’re unsure, ask- While a lot of interviews follow similar formats, some parts of them will differ, like their location and what they expect you to bring with you. If you’re unclear on any aspect of the interview, it’s always best to ask the people who are interviewing you. Whether that means sending an email or giving them a ring, they’ll likely be happy to clarify any queries you may have.
Try to set off and arrive early- Setting off early will help to account for any traffic or potential you might get lost. Try to arrive no earlier than ten minutes before. Not only will it help put your mind at ease, being punctual will also give a good impression of you to your employer.
Don’t think of worst-case scenarios- One of the worst things you can do in any stressful situation is think of all the ways that it could go wrong. You may think you’re simply planning ahead, but it will do you no good except to make you even more anxious than you already are.
Think positively- To combat the above point, try to think positively instead. The term ‘fake it till you make it’ may sound silly, but putting on an act of confidence can help to build your self-assurance. So give yourself a pep-talk, put a smile on your face and try to relax.