Me in Three
- There are not many folk on this earth who can boast they’ve never experienced nerves in a job interview. Going for a job you really want to get is bound to make you feel slightly anxious, and these feelings are perfectly natural. It’s important to realize that, with a little help from Career Savvy, nerves don’t have to hold you back, and might even work to your advantage. Be Honest. If the interviewer asks you, mentioning that you feel a bit nervous might be a good idea, rather than keeping it yourself. Firstly, it shows the interviewer that you care about the interview and want to do well. Secondly, saying it out loud can make you feel heaps better, and the interviewer will probably want to reassure you and make you feel at ease.
- Practice. A frequent response to nervousness can be stammering or tripping over your words. This is just because you’re brain is working overtime to try and get words out your mouth, before they have been properly formulated into a sentence. If you have pre-prepared answers to questions that are likely to come up, they will roll off your tongue. It’s a great feeling when you know exactly what you’re going to say as the interviewer asks you the question. Enjoy Yourself. However odd a suggestion it seems, enjoying the interview is a sure fire way to make it altogether more easy-going and successful. Smile at the interviewer and make one or two jokes if you feel it appropriate. Make sure you laugh at theirs too. By doing this, you’ll be making the interviewer feel more comfortable in your presence, which will in turn make you feel comfortable also. Remember that you should be talking about positive things you’ve done or achieved in life, and that positivity should come across in your tone and demeanor.
- Don’t Predict the Future. You don’t know what the interview will be like until you get in there, so there’s no need to feel worried about an awkward or difficult question unless one actually comes up. Most interviewers just want to hear about your experience and your skills, so remind yourself that there’s nothing scary about that. You know yourself better than the interviewer does, so don’t be afraid to steer the conversation in a direction that will give you a chance to talk about something positive. Don’t wait to be asked if you feel you’ve got something up your sleeve. Familiarize Yourself. An unsettling aspect of job interviews for a lot of people is that there are in an unfamiliar place, being questioned by people they don’t know. Firstly, you should go along to the place of the interview and have a snoop. You won’t have to worry about finding it on the day, and you can suss out the building you will be in. Secondly, introduce yourself to the interviewer, either in person or over the phone. The best way to do this is to simply tell them you’ll be interviewing with them next week and wanted to introduce yourself. If that feels a little out of your comfort zone, make up an excuse to get in touch with the interviewer by asking them a question: is there anything else you should bring? Where is the best place to park? The interviewer will be very used to nervous candidates and will take this into account. You have to remember that the interviewer wants to find the right person for the job, therefore wants you to do well.
Stories, Hacks, & Barriers
Groundbreaking ideas and practices from Nancy Santanos