Interviews can be a daunting and stressful situation. However the below steps focus on how you can banish those pre-interview jitters and focus on the positive aspects of the interview.
Take a moment
You’ve practised, practised, practised…if you don’t know it by now, chances are, you will stress yourself trying to learn new material 10 minutes prior to an interview. So stop stressing, and be excited. You’ve made it this far, so enjoy the moment. Studies show and an article featured on Forbes discussed, how candidates who prepare ‘too much’ can loose the P-I-E appearance. Positive, Interested and Engaged. By over preparing and worrying about your well rehearsed answers, candidates can come across non genuine and even less credible if they sit and recite rote learned answers.
How do I enjoy the moment?
Focus on something positive. Stop rehearsing your interview notes and cheat sheets. Of course it’s great to be ‘mentally’ prepared, however too much prep can overwork you and also run the risk of you becoming too rehearsed as stated above. Instead, take along your ipad and read some good news stories of people who inspire you? Look at some images of inspiring travels. Listen to a pod cast on your favourite motivational speaker or comic. Get inspired and remember why you’re there. To achieve your dreams and goals. Focus on the end result and you will be even more inspired to kill it in that interview.
Remember
As above, focus on the end result or what your dream job will bring you. However, also remember why you’re there. You are at the interview to meet with a potential employer and to see if there is a job fit. You have skills to offer, and they have a need for a certain set of skills. Remember that you are not going to be the only one in that interview room. So stop focusing on ‘you’ so much. How well will you do? How do you look? Do your answers sound ok? When you focus on the employer as a client with a potential issue to solve, if you listen to what they are saying, and if you are confident in your ability and services to offer…you will naturally provide a response to solve those issues.
So you’ve taken a moment, you’re enjoying the moment, you’ve remembered, now accept the process!
Accept the process
Stop chastising yourself for not being prepared enough or not having read the 105th blog post on the company. You can only prepare so much. If you’ve focused on the right material and preparation, you should be right. Now, just accept that this interview is a meeting of the minds. It is for both, candidate and company, to interview each other to see if there is a right fit. Don’t stress yourself that you might not be good enough or that you haven’t done enough. Pat yourself on the back that you’ve gotten this far (there was probably 500 applicants and your’e sitting in reception about to be interviewed with a very good chance at getting the job). Enjoy the process, shine in your interview and accept that you have done your best and the natural result will follow.
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