Interview nerves - What are you strategies?

[Wheresmybrianat]

I have an interview on Friday for a job I would love, I know I would be great at it and have always had fantastic feedback in previous similar roles.

The problem is I fall apart in interviews. My nerves get the best of me. I forget what the question is and start to panic and ramble. The interview is an hour long and will be a panel of three.

What are your fail-safe interview techniques for nerves? I really want this job

Put the job description into chat GTP and ask what questions might be asked.

Then think of examples from your career (or life) if things got have done

Good luck

Wonder woman pose In the 5 minutes before it starts. Standing upright hands on hips in a power pose. It will significantly effect your performance.

There is a fascinating ted talk about it. It should work with any powerful dominant pose btw.

Thank you! I didn't realise Chat GTP did this! I'll give it a whirl

I vaguely remember someone telling me this before I'll sneak off to the toilets beforehand and give it a go.

Write out answers for all your likely questions- not that you'll remember them but the act of doing is will reassure you.
Prepare something to say if they open with "tell us about yourself" or similar.
Remember that nerves can be your friends- it's your body's attempt to prepare you for something difficult. A friend of mine says "here come the cavalry!" when she feels her heart beating faster- recasting the natural nerves she feels as a positive rather than a negative, because some level of nervousness actually helps you rise to the occasion. If you experience nerves only as a negative you can get caught in a spiral of being nervous about being nervous.

Here is the link to the condensed talk!

Ask for the questions in writing or even beforehand. In my workplace this is now standard for all interviews other than those which have an integral part of thinking on your feet for press conferences and similar.

Take a note pad into make notes or ask them to repeat the question.

If you don't have experience of something say what you would do.

Know when to stop talking, don't fill the silence unnecessarily.

Most interviews are scripted so at the end ask them if there is anything they would like you to talk more about or anything you haven't answered in full.

My question to them is always for them to tell me what they have been most proud of doing since joining the organisation and also what frustrates them the most. It gives them the chance to talk and give you a good look into the culture of the organisation.

Think of some ‘standard’ questions-‘tell me about yourself’, ‘why do you want this job’ etc, write down and learn the answers - not so you will parrot them out in the interview but so you pretty much can answer without thinking too much. Look at the job description and person spec, think about how you could evidence how you can perform each task etc - again writing down answers and learning works for me. Incidentally some organisations now provide questions in advance to get the best out of people so you could always try calling and seeing if they would give them to you?

I’ve sat on a number of interview panels and would recommend

• research sample competency based interview questions eg tell me about a time when you
• prep your STAR stories and say them out loud a number of times - once you have 4/5 stories you can tailor to almost any question
• prep your overview of Cv but crucially make it relevant to the role. If you know that well it sets you up for the interview.
• research the company
• obvs also check your route; your outfit and bring tissues and water

great call from .pp re chat gpt!

best of luck!

Practice questions with a friend or partner. Multiple times. Use example questions from the web ("tell me about a time you overcame a problem' etc. and get them to look at your CV and job description to guess what questions that would raise for them 'what were your reasons for you leaving X job after 3 months/ have you any experience using the YZ software?' etc.

Read the website lots and be very sure you understand what they do/ stand for.

On the way to the interview put everything away and break out the feel good tunes that make you walk taller and feel like dancing. you can look up calming breathing exercises if you think they might help you.

Take a bottle of water. When nervous I find it helps to have something to do with my hands/ buy time by taking a swig.

I can remember my boss telling me how nervous he got interviewing.

Game changer. It really helped to know that those people on the other side of the table were as nervous as I was. At the end of the day, you are also interviewing them to see if they're offering what you need.

I try to just see it as a conversation. Listen, think, respond as you would at work. You know your stuff, you've got this.

Remember, too, that you have skills and experience that they need. Quite possibly you'll know more about what the role needs than they do. Very best of luck!

I imagine the interviews naked! It's never not worked. I've only once not been offered the role I went for.

*Interviewers

I interview people all the time, it's a main part of my job.

Firstly, don't worry about being nervous. It's totally natural and I expect people to be a bit nervous, it's a strange situation. A few nerves can be good for you, they show that you care about the role you're being interviewed for.

Focus on being friendly, smile and make eye contact. Don't worry about taking time to think before you answer a question and say if you don't know. I'd much rather someone say "I'm not sure, but I'd find out by doing XYZ" than trying to bullshit an answer.

Think about things you'd like to let them know. Think of examples from your current and previous work. Take a good look at the job description and try to see how you can evidence that you meet the criteria along with relevant examples.

Always ask questions yourself. One of my biggest red flags is when candidates don't have a question to ask me at the end of the interview. You could ask what they like best about working there, or what their main objective is for 2024, or research the organisation and ask a question about something you've read. Show them you've done some research into the organisation.

I would write down the main points you'd like to get across and relevant answers to questions you think that would come up and read them over and over. It'll help you feel prepared.

Just be yourself, smile, ask questions, be friendly and interested in what they have to say and you'll be great.

Box breathing before you go in.

I repeat the question to give myself something space,

"A time when I learned from something that went wrong? Sure. Well, last year I..."

"Inclusive practices? Yeah, this is a great question...thanks...well I start all projects from the perspective of..."

Sounds very trite on here but it's more subtle irl and always work.

You don't need to talk fast. Give yourself room to speak, pause, listen, reflect, it won't go against you.

I get jobs because people think I'm calm and patient.

That is SO not how I would describe myself.

And remember, breathe out.

If there is water, feel free to take a sip if you need to buy time.

Your body's response to being nervous is exactly the same as when you're excited - repeat out loud before going in that you're excited and your brain will recognise the shift.

Wonder Woman pose for sure.

And an old sales technique that I've used in every interview - mirror their body language. They're leaning forward? You lean forward. Hand on the table? Place one subtly on the table too. When you mirror someone's body language it puts them at ease, if they're at ease you're at ease.

Finally - remember you're interviewing them too. You're both trying to find a fit, No business will ever interview someone for fun (trust me, I've been on the hiring side hundreds of times). If you're at the interview stage then you deserve to be there. Just remind yourself that - the fact you care so much already? They'll be lucky to have you,

Oh also, answer the question. Don't force it, don't waffle. Just answer what they've asked with an example. You'd be amazed at how many people just don't answer the damn question.

Think of at least 4 really good examples and use the STAR method to be able to answer any competency based questions.

It's also good to have a few answers prepared for common interview questions like why you applied for the job,or your personal strengths and weaknesses . They will likely ask you questions about the CV so have a copy printed out

Take brief notes in and don't be afraid to look at them if you go blank. Also write the question down if you think it will help you remember it, and take your time thinking of which example will suit it best before you answer.

Think of 2 questions that you can ask them at the end and research the company and thier values if its external

Best of luck

All of the above. And also, ask your GP for a couple of beta blockers -
Propranalol. I had a job interview (in person) recently and was very nervous as I have been remote working for years and haven’t had a face to face interview for years. I asked the GP and she said they happily give prescriptions for a small number of beta blockers specifically for interview nerves - (I was given 4, only took 2).
They helped me immensely, took away the sweaty hands, wobbly voice etc and I felt more in control. I felt more clear headed and managed not to babble. I also got the job 😊
Good luck!

How did you do ??

I hope it went well OP.

My answers are a bit late now but I hope they might be useful to someone else later:

Practical answer for another time is beta blockers! You have to get them prescribed but mum got private prescription via superdrug for occasional use and really likes them.

I mainly find nerves = adrenaline so I try and hype myself up, same as before exams.

I would also add taking notes in. Knowing your mind isn't going to go blank and you have nothing you can do about it is incredibly valuable.

I think it went well. I used many of the strategies from this thread, so thank you, everyone. I found some out-of-date propranolol from a few years back, which definitely helped with the nerves.

The role I applied for is unqualified and I'm partly qualified, have completed my course apart from an essay. The lead interviewer was concerned that once qualified I would leave for a new role. I have no intention of pursuing a qualified role, it was more about gaining new skills and learning than being registered but I think that made them nervous. Not sure I did enough to convince them my intention would be to stay in the role, fingers crossed