5 Ways to Overcome Your Fear of Interviews
Everyone knows that job interviews are difficult and, for some people, can prove pretty scary! For many people, coping with the pressure and fear of interviews doesn’t get easier, regardless of how much practice they get.
But instead of trying to stop the fear of interviews altogether, what if we discovered and practiced ways of simply coping with the pressure? We’ve put together a few interview tips that will help you manage your nerves and overcome your fears in an interview situation.
Do your research and know your audience
Being prepared for a big interview is one of the best ways to overcome your fear. If you do your homework by researching the organisation you’re being interviewed by, you’ll be much more confident when answering questions. Relying on luck or ‘winging it’ is never a good way of reducing nervousness and stress. If you’re well prepared and have asked yourself, ‘why do I want this job?’ and ‘why am I the right person for this job?’, you’re far less likely to succumb to your fear of interviews.
Depending upon the person interviewing you, they may also expect you to know a certain amount of their own background. As a result, they may be impressed if you ask targeted, relevant questions about the organisation, its values or perhaps its approach to certain matters. They may ask you some pretty tough questions as well, so do your research and be prepared to give them robust answers. If you’re able to speak freely and confidently about the company and why you want to work there, the interviewer will really see what you could bring to the role and the company.
Practice makes perfect
Once you’ve done your research, you should probably consider putting what you’ve learnt into practice by answering some example questions. It might be tempting to just memorise a few answers, but this really isn’t the best way of getting your points and personality across in an interview scenario.
Instead, write down a list of frequently asked questions and highlight key points that you wish to get across, such as why you want to work for the company and why they should choose you. Then ask a friend or family member to take on the role of interviewer. Ask them to ‘freestyle’ a bit, avoiding following a script and varying the way the questions they ask and they way they ask them periodically. By being forced to think on your feet and formulate your answers, you’ll be ready for anything when it comes to the real thing.
Be yourself
When applying for jobs and going for interviews, it’s extremely important to be yourself, both within your application and in person. Interviews are a way for a company to work out if you’re well suited to the role, but they’re also an opportunity for you to decide if the company is well suited to you. Don’t let your fear of interviews stop you from showing your personality and uniqueness although always be sure to judge the company and your audience before going too far! Ask questions, be honest and get passionate about things you believe in… If you do so, there’s every chance an interviewer will recognise that you’re being sincere. It may just help you stand out from the crowd.
Give yourself some time to relax
Just before you go into an interview, give yourself 30 minutes to gather your thoughts and relax. Whether that’s by listening to some soothing music, enjoying a coffee in a quiet corner or reading something completely unrelated, it’s important to reset your brain and calm your nerves. If you’ve relaxed just before your interview, you’ll help declutter your mind, remain composed and formulate clear responses.
Think positive and believe in your abilities
If you go into a job interview already thinking that you’ve got no chance of getting the job, then you’re not giving yourself a fair chance. The application process can be ruthless and disheartening but it’s important to believe in your abilities and stay positive. Negativity and fear can prevent you from seeing your attributes and conveying them within an interview. Going in with a positive attitude edges you one step closer to success and works towards making your fear of interviews more manageable.
You’ve got this!
The fear of interviews is something almost all of us will have to deal with when developing our career path. Using these few simple interview tips, however, and you can start to overcome this. Remember, nerves aren’t always a bad thing, they show you care about the outcome, so use them to your advantage. If you’re passionate about a role and demonstrate that to an interviewer in an honest way, it will help you start to relax in the interview.
Be confident, trust in your own abilities and go for it!
