To get myself so worked up over interviews

[Mstxxx]

I've had a string of interviews for different jobs over the past month and I get so worked up its unbearable. I've got a 2nd interview tomorrow in person and I just can't cope!

As soon as the interview is confirmed my heart starts pounding out my chest until the interview is over. Yesterday I got a confirmed interview and my heart was pounding from the minute I seen it on email to when I went to bed, it was pounding in bed like I had ran a marathon. I also get intense migraines every single time I've been aware I've got an interview coming up. The day of the interviews, I'm shaking like a leaf and sweating. Luckily they've all been remote so far so they can't see me shaking or sweating but I have an in person one tomorrow and I just get so worked up I can't cope with it. I even had nightmares about it last night!

I don't know exactly why I react this way because I know logically it really is not that bad or serious to be so worked up about. I guess my biggest fear is they are going to ask me something, and my mind goes blank and I just sit there like an idiot. I've never actually had that happen so I don't know why I think this way. I think another thing that freaks me out is I just feel like a faker. I feel like everything I'm saying I don't even feel like it's me, or that I understand as much as I'm saying I do. But then if that was true - how can I relay my understanding the way I do if I don't genuinely understand it?! I think it's major imposter syndrome as well.

Interviewers - is it that deep?!

Interviews are stressful especially if you need a job or desperately are looking to move from where you are (still stressful if those things aren't there, but less of a pressure to actually "do well" as you don't have to get a new job). What might help is preparing some questions to ask them (things that are important to you) and to remember that an interview works both ways, they are looking to see if they would want to work with you and you'd be a good fit and you're also judging them and looking if you would like to work for them. It also sounds like you might be a generally anxious person with high expectations/perfectionist attitude as you say you think you're being fake etc. It's a lot more difficult to "sell" yourself if you feel self conscious or have low self esteem, so you might want to work on that and focus on the things you know you can do well and will add value to a workplace (ie you may not be perfect at x aspect of the job, but are very confident/capable to do y and also you are a good colleague, with strong work ethics, never late, will always help a colleague out when needed etc). Often it's just as (if not more) important what type of person you are and how you'd fit in a team other than your knowledge of every single aspect of the job (you can learn new things but if your attitude sucks or you're always grumpy and bring people down that's not as easily fixed). Lastly I've found being brutally honest with what I can/cannot do and what I'm like as a person helps me, that way I know I've presented an as accurate description of myself and love me or leave me. It doesn't always work as I've sadly come to realise at my current role, so back on the jobhunt I go!

Good luck tomorrow!