After putting in long hours finding and applying for the right jobs, you do not want to let all of that hard work go down the drain because of stage fright during the interview process.  You may be the best match for an open job but if you are unable communicate that idea in an interview due to nervousness you will not get the job.  Before your next interview, work on ways to beat your interview fright.

Mock Interviews.   Everyone has heard of mock interviews but few people really use them as a tool.  First, develop some questions that you think could be asked in an interview setting.  Next, ask a family member or friend to play the role of the interviewer. Answer these questions just as you would in a real interview.  Have the mock interviewer give you feedback on everything from voice level and tone, facial expressions, body language, and answers.  Ask them to be overly critical of everything you do and say during this interview.  At first this will be very awkward.  That’s ok; let it be awkward, get it out of your system and then continue.  Remember why you are going through this exercise. If no one is available, work with a mirror or videotape yourself and review.   It is not just about practicing.  You need to critique yourself so that you curb incorrect actions.  Keep practicing and critiquing and you will greatly decrease the nervousness when it comes to the real interview.

Reduce Your Energy Edge.  Everyone is hyped up to some degree before an interview.  Extra energy can present itself as enthusiasm during an interview or it can cause you to be fidgety and to talk too much.  If your interview is first thing in the morning, get up with plenty of time and get some exercise to burn of excess energy.  However, if your interview is during the day and you are coming from another job, try to take off with enough time to stop off somewhere and take five minutes to walk around before heading to the interview.  If you are pressed for time then do some things in the car that could help eliminate your energy edge, such as turning up the radio and jamming out to some good songs. 

Clear Your Mind.   Show up to your interview about 10 minutes early to give yourself some time to calm down and clear your mind.  By this time you have practiced your lines and improved upon areas of weakness—you are ready to wow your interviewer.  So it is time to quit thinking.  Once the interviewer comes to greet you, you need to quit over analyzing everything you say and do and just be you.  Being genuine is something that interviewers will pick up on.  Just clear your mind and be in the moment.  If your mind is clear you will not be thinking about your nervous energy.  Plus, you need to effectively listen during the questions being asked so you can answer appropriately.
 
Remember, it’s all about putting your best foot forward.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 19th, 2010 at 11:07 pm and is filed under Interviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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