How can I beat severe interview nerves?

[tropical]

I have an interview in a few weeks time. I really, really want this job. The interview will be a pnale interview of 3 people. I know from experience that I do not perform well at interviews. My mind goes blank, I um and er too much, I go red and my voice shakes. I'd love to be able to beat this and present a more true picture of myself.

I know I could do the job well. I just need to be able to present myself in a more normal light!

Telling me to take deep breaths and relax is not enough. I need some more foolproof techniques. It's not just normal nerves I suffer from, I really do go to pieces.

bach rescue remedy, and there are some homeopathic remedies, natrum mur springs to mind - but worth checking.

good luck!

I know it may sound a bit weird, but is it worth telling them at the outset that you get very nervous at interview, but perform well once you are in a job.

It might relax you - unless the job is one where you require bags of confidence!

definitely go for some rescue remedy. My Dh has bad nerves for interview and he alawys takes some.

Hi tropical, why not think about all the questions they might ask ("why do you want this job" etc), and how you would answer them. Write yourself some notes to take in. Maybe knowing they are there, even if you don't look at them, would help you stop worrying so much about your mind going blank.

After a question, take a moment to think about it (look serious and thoughtful!) Compose yourself, then answer, and don't worry if it takes you a minute. Don't feel like you have to say something straight away to fill the silence, IYSWIM.

Oh Tropical, I know exactly how you feel - i am utterly shite at interviews too. If you google interview techniques there are a lot of helpful sites, basically the techniques boil down to really thorough preparation, research the company well, think of the questions they are likely to ask, think of ways to present any 'weak' areas in your cv in a positive way, etc, etc.
If it's any help, I recently started applying for jobs after a two year break and was invited for interview for one post. My previous posts had all been within the same company, so I had not had a proper interview for 15 years . There were two people on the interview panel, one of whom told me (nicely, tho') several times not to be so nervous, which made me even worse as I thought I was hiding it reasonably well! I did admit that it was my first interview for years, which I think helped. I had done a LOT of preparation, tho', so although I didn't answer some questions as fully as I had prepared and had to ask them to repeat one question I was able to somehow bring my mind round to my prepared answers. Anyway, after a skills test and two weeks after the interview I was offered the job, much to my amazement as I thought I had completely bollocksed it up. My sister was furious, because although she kept being told she interviewed very well and came across as confident, she was never offered the job, so looking like a rabbit in the glare of headlights, as I obviously did, is not always a problem .

I would suggest that if you have chance, go for a couple of interviews in between for jobs that you really dont particularly want, ones that are easy to get an interview for (say if you just phone and go along) and just practise with them.

It's much easier to relax in an interview if you dont actually really want the position - you are less eager and flustered and thus come across more collected (bit of reverse psychology!!).

If you can convince yourself that you're not that bothered about this position - easy come easy go attitude - and not think how much you want it and how well you could do it - then you start to feel like you have nothing to prove, can be yourself and hopefully that will have the effect of letting you come across as quitely confident.

Do practise with extra interviews if you can - good practise for the interviewers as well - dont think of it as time-wasting! Think of yourself as playing the part of someone completely capable of getting this job and then apply that to the 'proper' interview in a few weeks time.

It worked for me - acting nonchalant when I'm churning inside has got me a couple of jobs that I've absolutely loved in the past!! Good Luck!!

binkleandflip - I think that is how I got my last job, 7 years ago. I wasn't that bothered about it and I was able to relax much more easily.

Do bach flower remedies really work?

1.) Do lots of prep work in terms of the usual questions - write them down now
a) walk me through your CV
b) what are your greatest strengths/weaknesses
c) what are you looking for in a job
d) why did you leave the last job
e) why are you interested in this job; what are you looking for in your ideal job

READ THEM OVER AND OVER BEFORE THE INTERVIEW.
2.) If you are used to drinking coffee, have one half an hour before. It used to give me an adrenalin rush

3.) Make sure your clothes are comfortable

4.) I know this sounds odd, but if you are really getting nervous, try to imagine your interviewers on the toilet - that vision makes them look more human and less intimidating

Another vote for rescue remedy - it does really work!

Tell yourself that you are better and know more than the people interviewing you.

glass of wine...

had to say that because balancingact said everything else I could think of - good post

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Make sure you prepare, you can never learn too much about a company, and demonstrate your knowledge throughout the interview. If you have prepared then that should aid your confidence.

Bach remedies are good, camomile tea is calming. Get a good nights sleep, have everything ready the night before, clean shoes, smart clothes etc. Plan journey and arrive in plenty of time. All of this will put you in a good frame of mind for when you go in.

Take the iniitiative and start up conversation with those you see when you arrice. Have good questions (critical in my opinion), a copy of your CV etc. You can also list key strengths and achievements and potential answers to obvious questions and keep that under the CV so you can refer to it just before you go in to refresh your mind - or even have it on top all typed out so they don't actually realise what it is!.

Don't be frightened to say you are nervous as you haven't had an interview for xx years. Don't be frightened to ask them to repeat the question or say you dont' understand - that is more positive than giving in and trying to move on and bumble through it without really answering.

remember you are interviewing them to a certain extent, they may be crap interviewers or it may not be all its cracked up to be!

Thanks everyone. I'll do my best. I get nervous just reading people's tips. It's such an automatic response. I need to get over it. It's such a silly thing to worry about. I have to remember that despite my nerves, I have been offered jobs in the past.

It's not for anohter 2 weeks so I have plenty of time to prepare.