Tips for Managing Interivew Nerves
Judgmental, critical and degrading. Appropriate adjectives for the perceptions created by an interview panel. Many of us squirm at the thought of attending an interview and the resulting interview nerves can assist to create horror stories of a disasterous experience.
My mom used to tell me, "you have nothing to lose but your pride", but what mom didn't consider was that maintaining the status quo - i.e. jobless, no money and a bleak future - was the most frightening part of all.
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Fortunately for me, I did eventually get my lucky break and I never looked back. These days I attend interviews with renewed vigour, partially because of fifteen years of interviewing experience and partially because I've studied incredibly hard during that time to position myself in a positive light every time my abilities are scrutinised.
Today I was wondering what advice I might give myself if I were to travel back in time and meet that nervous diffident graduate. I think that my advice might sound something like this. "Everything is an opportunity, meeting your potential employer, learning about their business, experiencing the interview, gaining feedback about your performance and ofcourse getting the job on offer. But if worse comes to worse and you are not offered the position you can take away the entire experience and reflect on the new opportunity to improve the areas that found you wanting last time".
The following tips are ones designed to help you alter your view of the interview process. We hope that this will help you to better manage your nerves and therefore perform better in your interview.
They have already seen your resume and they were impressed.
Given that you have been asked to attend the interview, the employer is indicating that the skills that you have submitted in your resume and cover letter are adequate to do the role. The interview simply involves elaborating on those expereinces that the interviewer approved by way of inviting you to meet.
The interview is not a judgement, its a meeting of potential colleagues.
It is in nobody's best interest to judge candidates. Instead, the interviewer is looking for a 'best fit' for the position. This usually includes a combination of desired skills and experience together with sociability.
The interview is an opportunity to explain the value that you can add.
Look at an interview as an opportunity, not a chore. It's an opportunity to explain how much value you can add to their business by doing the role that they are advertising.
The interviewers have a position that they want to fill.
You can think about it from the employers point of view - they have a position that they wish to fill. So from that point of view it is in everybody's best interest to fill the role. Everybody in the room is working toward the same goal.
Everyone in the interview panel has been in the same boat.
Everybody in the interview panel has been in an interview so they understand the anxiety you might be feeling. In fact, if all goes well, you may be on the other side of the interview room next time round when you are employed and assisting to find new candidates!
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You have not control over other people.
Don't concern yourself over the other job candidates. You have no control over them or their experiences. Just concentrate on what you can control - you - and enjoy the experience.
