5 Sure Ways to Rid Interview Nerves

Going for your dream job? Are you extremely nervous? Need to find ways to stay calm? Here are 5 ways to keep yourself level headed and equipped to smash that job interview.

Be prepared

It’s an obvious rule in this day and age to know enough about the company who will be interviewing you. You should read over the job ad and research who they are and what they value so that you can show the right type of interest, passion and curiosity during the interview process. However, there are more ways to be prepared.

After the standard research, read your own resume, understand what they already know about you and imagine what questions they might ask based on what you have given them. Sometimes, there are projects or events that have happened more recently than your last CV update that could serve as a better example of what you are capable of.

After all that mental preparation, think about the physical aspects too! Present yourself well. Not only will this make you feel more confident but it instantly shows the interviewer that you are professional. Make sure you know where you are going and leave plenty of time to get there. Punctuality is important throughout an entire career, starting without it may raise questions about how much you value other peoples time. You don’t want that! Not to mention that running late will cause high stress and heart rate which never helps in an interview situation. Speaking about heart rate, it’s wise to avoid coffee too. Simply take some deep breaths to keep your body as calm as your mind.

Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness could technically be part of preparing yourself, however, the difference it can make is so important it deserves its own section. Not everyone feels that meditation will work for them. But mindfulness isn’t a typical type of meditation. Mindfulness is about thinking carefully before you act or in this case, respond. It’s about being aware and not letting yourself run on autopilot. Don’t just listen for recognisable words and questions that you practiced with. Really think about the question at the moment and answer it appropriately. By thinking mindfully you can prevent talking too fast as well. Practice short sessions of mindfulness meditation in the days leading up to the interview. It could be lying down in bed, it could be sitting ten minutes in the car before you head off for the day or even just standing in the shower.

Here is a TedX talk by Andy Puddicombe about what mindfulness is and what it can do (yes, even just practicing 10 minutes a day!)

Shake self-doubt

It’s not just about how much the company will like you, you also should be comfortable with the company suiting your needs and desires. Remembering this will ease the imbalance between interviewer and interviewee. Often we shake in our boots being afraid of judgement, we think that if we don’t impress this one person we might not impress anyone! But that’s never the case. Don’t be afraid of not getting the job, there are other jobs in the world and a thousand reasons why we aren’t always the successful candidate. When you remove the fear of failure you can focus more on being a strong individual equal to that of the interviewer and the process will become less convoluted and evoke more natural conversation.

Be comfortable to be yourself

You’re not only selling what you can do but who you are! They’ll want to see if they can work with someone like you, and as we said above, you’ll want to know if you can work with them. Whilst being professional and polite is a must, you should also be yourself. If you’re a joker, make some jokes. Sometimes, if you categorize yourself as shy and quiet, ‘being yourself’ in an interview can seem tricky. The best cure for this is spending time leading up to the interview with people you are completely comfortable around. Perhaps some friends or family who raise you up and love you. This will boost your confidence and assist you to come out of your shell.

If you have a ritual, a little superstitious action, do it

Even if you don’t! Start one. Sometimes having a special mantra or eating a banana or shaking your tic tac pack three times can give you some self-assurance.  Mostly it will boost the belief that you have luck on your side, which can never hurt! Though keep in mind… after following the first 4 steps you won’t need luck, I’m sure you’ll find you’re pretty awesome all on your own.

If you have any personal tips and tricks that you use to ease interview nerves comment below and let us and others know! For new and exciting opportunities to use your interview skills check out Peoplebank's job search page!