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Tips for Beating Interview Nerves
Even if you’re not the
type of person who normally gets nervous, job interviews are one
situation where it’s more common than everyone likes. Making a
good first impression is important, but if your palms are sweaty
and your hands are shaking, that’s not going to happen so
easily. What can you do to beat an attack of nerves during a job
interview?
Interview
Preparation
Being well prepared for
your interview will go a long way towards banishing nervousness.
If you think you’re really going to have a problem with nerves
during your interview, enlist the help of a friend or family
member for a trial run so you can practice answering questions
and talking about your skills and other details.
Check all the important
details the day before your interview—the clothes you’ll be
wearing, travel directions, review your resume and any notes
you’ve made about the company. Try to get all of your
preparation completed a few hours before you plan to go to bed,
then treat yourself to a couple of hours of relaxation before
you sleep.
On the day of your
interview, allow yourself plenty of time to get there without
having to rush.
If you’re relying on
public transport, for example, make sure you know exactly where
you’re going and what route will get you to the right place.
Plan to arrive early if possible, so that any unforeseen delays
won’t make you late.
Waiting in
Reception
If you arrive early you
may find yourself waiting in reception before you’re called in
to your interview. If the interviewers are running late, you may
be there a while. Being inactive right before your interview
means you’re vulnerable to those nervous feelings, so it’s good
to take advantage of the extra time with some last minute
preparation—review your resume, any preparation notes you have,
and maybe check out the company literature that’s available at
reception. It doesn’t matter too much what you do while you
wait—just don’t sit there and watch the clock!
During the
Interview
Walk tall, sit up
straight, make eye contact with your interviewers, make sure
your hand shake is firm, speak clearly and smile when it’s
appropriate. Pretending to be confident can be just as good as
the real thing—after all, you’re the only person at the
interview who really knows what you’re thinking.
Still Stuck?
Try using the "The
Job Interview Secret"
Also, please review our Free
Interview Tips section.
If you need more help, please
consider using a Career
Counselor.
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