Calming Your Interview Jitters


Does the thought of going on a job interview cause your palms to sweat and your body to break out in hives? Stop itching, you’re not alone. The vast majority of job seekers admit to emotions ranging from mild uneasiness to downright panic leading up to interviews. The good news is there have been no reported cases of job seekers who died of nervousness during a job interview. So relax and follow these simple tips for keeping your anxiety at bay before and during your interview.

First, take the proper amount of time to prepare for your interview. Being well-prepared will boost your confidence and lower your anxiety. Experts recommend that you spend at least three hours preparing for each interview. You should draft answers to the most common questions and practice speaking them out loud. You also should read up on the company with which you will be interviewing and prepare some questions on your own. This lets the interviewer know that you are truly interested in the company and the position. As a final step in your preparation, make sure you have good directions to the interview site.

Set your alarm early so that you don’t have to rush on your way out the door. Refrain from drinking too many cups of coffee or cola before the interview. Caffeine is a stimulant that increases feelings of anxiety. Instead, drink water, which will hydrate and energize your body and clear your throat.

Practice deep breathing exercises. Experts agree that deep relaxation and breathing practices help the body, emotions and mind to return to their natural state of good balance. Taking a few deep breaths during your drive to the interview, once you arrive and just before you enter the interviewer’s office will allow your body and mind to relax and recharge.

Arrive 15 minutes ahead of your scheduled interview time. This should give you enough time to run through the sample questions and answers one last time. You also may want to stop in the washroom to check your appearance. One interviewee always heads to the bathroom prior to an interview to run hot water on her hands. She says, when I’m nervous my hands become as cold as ice. My anxiety would be a dead giveaway to the interviewer if he were to shake my frozen hand.

To build his confidence, one job seeker pulls out copies of his past performance appraisals and reads them to boost his confidence. My reviews have always been stellar. So when I’m in need of a confidence boost, I just pull them out and read all of my accomplishments and what my manager said about me. It’s energizing!

Finally, remember that you are already a winner. You are likely a first round finalist in the company’s job search. Out of all the applicants, they picked you to come in for an interview. The interviewer thinks your qualifications are worth exploring. Now you need to believe it.

Hopefully, your initial conversation with the interviewer has put you at ease. However, if you are still feeling anxious, stay focused on the question at hand. Don’t think ahead or try to anticipate the next question. Maintain eye contact as much as possible when speaking or listening. Avoid looking away or looking down; this is a sign that you lack confidence or interest. Here’s a tip: Focus your eyes on the interviewer’s face right above and between his or her eyes. Although you are not looking straight into their eyes, you appear to be maintaining eye contact.

Remember, despite how nervous you feel, the interviewer will likely not even notice when you are nervous. Most feelings of nervousness are held inside, which means that no one knows they are there but you.