4 Job Interview Tricks That Will Help You Stay Calm

Job applicant waiting for job interview | Source: iStock

The hiring manager calls your name and suddenly you start to break out in a cold sweat. You can feel your shirt sticking to your back and the palms of your hands getting moist. The interviewer asks how your commute was and your voice starts to tremble as you let out a weak reply. What can you do? How can you
make your nerves settle down? The Cheat Sheet has a few handy tips for how to calm yourself and ace your interview.

1. Prepare

Take time to prepare for your interview by asking a friend or family member to go over some commonly asked job interview questions with you. Being prepared will help you feel more confident and you’ll be less likely to be taken off guard by an interviewer’s questions. Career coach Susan P. Joyce emphasizes that practice makes perfect. “ … Think about what your answers are or should be. Then, write your answers out. Read them out loud a few times. Then, say them out loud without reading them. Practice until you can comfortably say your answers out loud without reading them. It’s good to get feedback on your answers, which means saying your answers to someone else. This is great practice,” Joyce said.

2. Visualize

Visualize yourself at the interview doing well and answering all of the questions correctly. You can go one step further and create a vision board to help you imagine getting the job and being successful in your new career. Author Tess Denton said a vision board is a good way to focus on goals for both the present and the future. “A vision board is a method of goal setting and life transformation. It is a visual expression of what you would like to see present in your life. The process of creating a vision board provides an opportunity to spend focused time and energy reflecting on specific items, elements, and situations you want to attract into your present and future,” Denton said.

3. Breathe

Man relaxing | Source: iStock

When you’re feeling nervous, your natural response is to take short breaths and breathe faster. Psychologist James Pann says it’s important to slow down and take deep breaths. When faced with a perceived threat, our bodies go into “fight or flight” mode, and this can cause us to react with sweating and increased heart rate. However, once you slow down and focus on taking deeper, controlled breaths, this will help you get back in control of your anxious feelings.

4. Hire a coach

A professional career coach can also help you with interview questions, address any concerns you may have about the hiring process, and offer advice on basics such as presentation skills. A career coach is able to offer solid advice from an object viewpoint. “A great coach can help you to achieve balance in your life, find ways to unravel your patterns, and discover new ways of thinking about who you are in work and in the world,” career coach Mathew Heggem told Monster.