Does the idea of going on another interview cause you to have panic attacks? Here are some tips for overcoming interview anxiety.
For some people, going on an interview is exciting. It makes them feel like the job of their dreams is within their reach. For others, it is a high stress event that causes anxiety and even panic. The fear is so strong, it is almost crippling. Cold sweats, sleepless nights leading up to the interview and even panic attacks are just some of the ways that this interview fear can make these people miss out on the jobs they really want.
If you think about it, it makes sense. Interviews can cause the same type of anxiety that people experience when speaking in public or being on stage. If you are someone who experiences “interview fright”, know that it doesn't have to prevent you from getting the job you want. There are some things that you can do to prepare ahead of time and overcome the anxiety that causes you to not perform at you best during the interview.
Here are some tips to cope, and even overcome, interview anxiety:
- Be prepared – Knowing what to expect is important to lessen anxiety. If the company you are going to interview with sends you an email explaining the interview process, make sure you read it over to get an idea of what to expect. It's also helpful to drive to the interview location a day or two before in order to find out how long it takes to get there. If the company has an office inside a larger building, you might be able to go in and scope out the layout. This will help you be more comfortable on the interview day.
- Be familiar with your resume – Many times people don't remember what they wrote on their resume and when an interviewer asks a question about it, it leaves them feeling “on the spot”. To prevent this, read over your resume until you can almost recite it. When you are confident that you know the material almost by heart, you don't have to worry about “what if I don't know the answers”.
- You are interviewing them as well – It is easy to get stuck in the trap of wanting the company to give you a job so badly that you forget that you are interviewing them as well. An interview is sort of like a date, both parties meet, talk about their goals and abilities and they decide if they are a good fit. Just as you wouldn't go on a date and do whatever it takes for the other person to like you, you shouldn't do it at a job interview. When you take the focus off of proving yourself and put it on trying to find a good fit, you are less likely to have overwhelming anxiety.
- Get there early – If the fear of being late is keeping you up at night, plan to arrive an hour early. Of course, you don't want to go into the office and wait for an hour, but you can wait in your car and use the time to read over your resume, read a book or just gather your thoughts. Don't check in at the interview until 15 minutes before the start time. Be careful with this one, if your anxiety isn't about being late, then you may find that the waiting around just gives you more time to work up to a full-blown panic attack.
- Keep smiling – The best way to overcome anxiety, or just general “interview jitters” is just to keep smiling. If you aren't feeling confident, smile and fake it. The worst thing you can do is to go through the interview with a look of panic and fear on you face. So smile, make eye contact and just get through it.
How do you get past interview anxiety? Let me know in the comments.
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By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for CSJobsBlog. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
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