Calm your Interview Nerves
Congratulations!
You’ve just been asked for an interview, but you’re already starting to feel those ‘interview jitters’… no worries, the team here at Tru Talent has got you covered.
In this month's blog, we’ll hear from our awesome team of recruitment specialists who'll share their tried and true techniques of how to calm those interview nerves so you can be your best most confident self when it matters most.
The most important thing to know is we all get nervous and in many cases that nervous energy you feel before an interview or any big moment in your life is a good thing, we really mean that! Those nerves tell you that you’re growing, you’re taking on an important challenge and you’re moving into a greater stage of your life.
You’re in control of how you’ll feel in your interview and the work that will mean you’ll be your best most empowered self begins now, not just on the drive to your interview.
Your interviewer knows you’ll be nervous
You should know that your interviewer will expect you to be nervous and that’s ok. They’ll want you to feel at ease as much as possible so they can have a great interview with you. Remember your interviewer knows some of how you feel because they would have been in your shoes as the interviewee many times before.
Preparation, Preparation, Preparation
You’re preparation begins now! You’ve already discovered so much about the role and the company you have applied for to get you to this stage of being asked for an interview, however, now is the time to dive deeper so you feel super confident for the big moment.
Use all the weapons in your arsenal to immerse yourself in the company, its structure, its mission, and its future goals. Google, LinkedIn, and the company website along with their social media accounts are great resources to build a full picture of the organisation.
A key focus of this preparation should be to understand and portray how your skills and experience match the company and the specific role you're interviewing for. You should know your CV inside out and be able to answer questions referring to your CV that may come up e.g. gaps in your working history.
Remember to check with your interviewer if you need to bring any documents or other materials with you, if so, ensure you have originals where needed and printed copies where appropriate.
Practice interview questions
Interview practice with friends, family or trusted professionals is one of our favourite techniques to settle those interview jitters. Interview role-play with someone who will be supportive and kind, but also honest is what you’re looking for. You won’t know the exact questions you’ll be asked in your interview but an educated guess or a quick google on the types of questions you may be asked is a great place to start. You should ask your mock interviewer to give you feedback on what you did well and highlight any areas you could improve on. The more you do this the better you’ll feel about your interview.
Visualisation & flipping negative self-talk
We know this can sound a little daft or even far-fetched, However, studies show that visualisation and positive self-talk are key factors in the success of high-performing professionals, not just sports stars. How you think and the stories you tell yourself are so important, maybe a better way to put it is ‘the state’ you’re in as you go into your interview is where your power lies.
But how do you do it? Visualise yourself in the interview, see the impressed and smiling faces of your interviewers, and see yourself leaving knowing that the interview went really well. The more detail and positive emotion you direct toward these thought exercises the better. We know it’s a bit ‘out there’ and we’re not asking you to believe us, we’re asking you to give it a go because we know the power this technique has.
We know from research conducted by psychologists and therapists that the language we use to talk to ourselves can have a powerful effect on our beliefs and actions. So catching those negative thoughts in the moment and reframing them into more positive ones can make a world of difference to how you feel and perform.
Lay out your outfit
You’re going to want to choose what you’re going to wear for your interview ahead of time. We suggest laying out your outfit the night before and make sure everything is ironed and stain-free to ensure there are no last-minute clothing-based panics the day of the interview.
Get a good night's sleep
Getting a good restful night's sleep the night before your interview is so important because sleep is a vital component of performance. Try to also avoid alcohol and too much screen time late into the evening.
Get there and get there calm
Running late to an interview is a guarantee for anxiety. That’s why we always recommend you plan your route the day before. Know where you’ll park and who you need to report to. Ensure that you arrive at least 15mins before the interview so you have time to collect your thoughts and settle yourself before going in.
Win the Morning… Win the day
It’s the day of the interview and the morning is when you’ll lay the groundwork for an amazing interview. Remember these three key things.
Not too much coffee. You’re going to want to feel energised for your interview but too much caffeine can work against you and make you feel jittery, anxious and scatter your thinking. Coffee in moderation!
Eat breakfast, even if you’re not hungry and it’s only something little… trust us, it’ll really help.
Exercise if you can, even if it’s a walk around the block or a quick 20-minute workout, this’ll really help burn off any extra energy and bring a little calm to your day.
Your secret weapon - Breathing techniques
If it all gets a little too much, remember you can use simple breathing techniques to calm yourself and bring back focus to the present moment. Breathing techniques are used by the world's leading specialist fighting forces, so if it works for them in some of the most stressful situations known to man, it can surely work for you. Try the Box-breathing technique - simply breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, breath out for 4 seconds, and hold for 4 seconds then repeat until the intensity of the moment and your emotions have subsided or passed.
The team here at Tru Talent really hope this blog has given you what you need to powerfully prepare for your next interview so you can bring your best and most calm self forward each and every time. We love to hear your success stories, so please share them with us at info@tru-talent.co.uk.
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