1. Prepare!
- Type out potential interview questions and prepare answers for them.
- Use the STAR technique when answering questions. Describe the situation, then the task, then the actions and finally the results you attained. This will prevent you from answering interview questions vaguely, ensuring you get to the point.
- Create short stories outlining your main successes for each employer you have worked for. It is useful to use the format of (Problem-Analysis-Result, or Situation-Action-Response). These also make great bullet points on your résumé!
- One day before your interview, pack your bag with everything you might need – paper, pens, your CV, mints, a bottle of water etc.
- Prepare your outfit – dressing smartly will ultimately increase your confidence and help banish their nerves.
2. Role playing: Practice the night before an interview. Put on your interview clothes, sit in front of a mirror and run through the questions the interviewer is likely to ask you. This may sound silly, but it will really help cut down on your nerves.
3. Get a good night’s sleep! Feeling tired the next day will only make you feel more worried and less prepared – increasing your stress even more!
4. Have a good breakfast: It might be difficult to eat on a churning stomach, but food it good for the brain and will help you remain focused throughout the interview. Make sure you eat at least one hour before your interview to give your food enough time to digest.
5. Perhaps the interviewer will be nervous too? Consider the interview from your interviewer’s point of view: Undoubtedly they will feel the pressure to ensure that the interview flows well.
6. Give yourself a pep talk:
- YOU are the most well-qualified, well-spoken, well-mannered, intelligent, personable and professional candidate the client will ever interview. No one is more qualified for this position than YOU!
7. Be honest: When you walk into the interview room, don’t be afraid to mention that you are feeling nervous. You will often find that once you have mentioned it, your nerves will fade.
8. Remember that you are also interviewing THEM. As the interviewer asks you questions, at the end of your answer, try to ask the interviewer a relevant question. All of a sudden, you and the interviewer are having a discussion, not a one-sided interview.
9. Arrive early: Aim to get to arrive 5-10 minutes before the interview is scheduled to start. Running late will only increase those stress levels.
10. Don’t be afraid to be nervous! Above all, don’t be afraid of being nervous. In a high stress situation, nerves will help you. They will essentially enable to you respond quickly to questions and will make you more aware of what’s going on around you.
