5 Tips to Get Over Your Job Interview Nerves

Interviewing for a new job is tough. It’s easy to become overwhelmed with nerves and anxiety before an interview, but these feelings are normal. An interviewer is about to assess your capabilities for a specific job, take notes on your answers, and review your background and qualifications. Of course, it’s going to be nerve-racking! You can walk out of the interview knowing you nailed it, awaiting the “welcome to the team!” phone call, or you can walk out with your spirits low and mistakes you made on your mind. Regardless, you want to walk into that room as prepared as you can. Here are five tips to get over your job interview nerves.

  1. Be prepared. Walk into the room with a smile on your face, prepared to answer any question thrown your way. Bring copies of your resume/portfolio and know them like the back of your hand. It’s better to be overprepared than underprepared. Lay out your outfit the night before and be sure to come up with some questions to ask your interviewer. Bring a notepad and pen to your interview and prepare to be an active listener.
  2. Do your research. Spend some time on the Company’s website, Glassdoor and LinkedIn pages to get an idea of what the company stands for and who their executives are. Make sure you truly understand the work they do and what your role would be. You do not want to waste your interviewer’s time with basic level questions about the nature of the company when you can find all this information on their website. Take note of some recent developments and projects the company has been working on and inquire about them. Show your knowledge and enthusiasm about the prospect of working at the company.
  3. Try some relaxation techniques. You can meditate before you leave for the interview, or perhaps listen to calming music on the way over. Talk to yourself. Try power posing, this technique can improve your confidence levels immediately. Visualize yourself walking into the interview room, calm and collected. You can even try some yoga-style breathing techniques.
  4. Arrive early. If parking will be difficult, allow time to find a spot. The same goes for traffic. You do not want to be late. Impress your interviewer with your timeliness. When you arrive, confidently ask for your interviewer by name. Sit in the area you are directed to and take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the space. Take some deep breaths and make sure you look presentable. Remind yourself, you can do this, and you are confident. You are going to nail this interview! Your nerves will keep you on your toes. Take this time to collect yourself. Remind yourself that you are in control and qualified.
  5. Be yourself. Interviews are scary, but they are even harder when you’re projecting a persona that you think your interviewer wants to see. In the end, this could be your new place of work, and you want to feel comfortable. Never be afraid to be yourself. Your quirks are what make you unique, and if a company does not want to hire you because of something they don’t like about you, it’s their loss. Let your personality shine in the interview and don’t be too shy to talk about your accomplishments. You’ve worked very hard to get to where you are now, and that’s nothing to be ashamed of – the company you’re interviewing for thought so too because you landed an interview.

Be prepared. Walk into the room with a smile on your face, prepared to answer any question thrown your way. Bring copies of your resume/portfolio and know them like the back of your hand. It’s better to be overprepared than underprepared. Lay out your outfit the night before and be sure to come up with some questions to ask your interviewer. Bring a notepad and pen to your interview and prepare to be an active listener.

In the end, you want to walk out of the interview, knowing you gave it your all. If you made mistakes and stumbled over your words, it’s okay. Those are lessons to learn from for your next interview. There is no “perfect” interview. Companies are looking for different people for specific jobs, and thus, interviews are going to be challenging. Nerves tend to arise in these situations, but when your meeting is over, regardless of the outcome, you did it! You fought your fear of interviewing and beat your nerves. That is something to be proud of, even if you don’t get the job.

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