How to deal with job interview anxiety
Heart palpitations. Sweaty palms. Overwhelming thoughts about your impending rejection. Sound familiar? If they do, you’re not alone. Many people feel the same way about job interviews, and if you’d like to appear as a confident, capable candidate, you will need to learn how to control your nerves before they control you.
While submitting applications
For those of us who absolutely detest interviews, we may stop ourselves from even applying for jobs in fear of messing up in the daunting interview round. I, too, experience this sometimes.
However, to quote the writer Ken Petti, “A chance not taken is an opportunity missed.” Instead of thinking about how badly we might do at the interview, take your chances and focus on what we can produce in the written round (if any) first. After all, we wouldn’t even need to bother about an interview if our resume has vast room for improvement.
Being shortlisted for an interview
Congratulations– you got into the next round! By now, you’re armed with research, adrenaline, and possibly support from your friends and family. What’s probably your biggest concern is the amount of time you have before The Big Day. While some companies may inform you weeks in advance, others choose to give you only a few days’ notice, which can be nerve-wracking. Hence, in these few days, practice and planning are the key components to building up your self-esteem.
Practise
Now is your time to shine. Make use of the research you have and your knowledge of yourself to practise spinning up answers on the spot. I like to Google ‘Top 50 Interview Questions’ and craft detailed impromptu responses. This simulates the actual interview environment and gets you used to telling stories about your experiences and values. The more you practise over the next few days, the more natural your facial expressions (especially your smile) will look, the more confidence you will carry, and the more relaxed you will be in front of your interviewer.
Planning
Imagine you had all the right answers, wore the best outfit in your wardrobe, and had every document ready in your bag or laptop. The catch: you were 20 minutes late to the interview.
This is why planning is exceptionally crucial, yet easily dismissed as an afterthought. There are several things that you need to plan to avoid a last-minute panic.
What you will wear. How you feel in your clothes can impact the way you feel. Even if you’re doing a Zoom interview, wear something that will show a professional image to make you feel confident, but also comfortable (e.g. don’t bust out those new heels that might give you blisters!).
If it’s a physical interview, when you will leave the house and what you will pack. I always add 15 minutes to the travel duration that Google maps displays to account for my poor sense of direction. Secondly, interviewers do not have a copy of your resume or curriculum vitae (CV) on hand most of the time. You will have to provide these (be it hardcopy or softcopy) for easy reference when you’re talking about your experiences.
What questions you will ask your interviewer. Often, interviewees don’t ask enough questions, which makes you stand out if you do. Some questions include inquiries about the work culture, their expectations of your performance, and other things that you can’t find online. Asking questions conveys interest and sincerity, and it leaves a lasting impression on your interviewer!
What you will eat right before the interview. Drinking a milkshake when you’re lactose intolerant probably wouldn’t be a good idea on that day. You might want to eat after your interview to prevent yourself from throwing up, or eat a light meal to fill your stomach. Indigestion can cause lots of discomfort especially when you’re trying to impress a stranger, so spend a minute to think about your diet on that day.
What you will do after the interview. It could be gaming with a friend, or going out to have a drink. If it’s something enjoyable that you haven’t done in a while, it could really give you a huge boost of motivation on that day as if to say, “Whatever happens, we’re going to celebrate!”
Right before the interview
Take deep breaths.
It can be overwhelmingly suspenseful to be sitting in the waiting room or in front of your laptop just minutes away from being invited into a room. Once, I broke into tears from the sheer pressure and tenseness during the wait (but recovered before the interview, fortunately).
Your heart would probably be leaping out of your chest, so take some deep and slow breaths to clear your thoughts, ground yourself, and calm your nerves. Remember that whatever happens in the interview happens to all their candidates, and that genuine, well-thought-out answers are far better than quick and trite ones. After all, an interview is for both interviewer and interviewee to get to know each other (just in a more structured fashion).
I learned this some time ago: Place your thumb and index finger at each point A. It doesn’t matter which hand. Gently massage these two points simultaneously by rolling your fingers in a circular fashion. This exercise quells the butterflies in your stomach and actually helps you to think better! There is no fixed time limit; you can do it until your anxiety subsides. I actually did this before my PSLE Chinese Oral Exam and the tension in my shoulders and neck disappeared within seconds. You can try it right now to see if it works!
Picture credits: Studio You
Imagine how the interview will go.
Really walk yourself through the whole process.
How will you smile? Introduce yourself? How will you sit? What is your resting facial expression when they are asking a question? How would you react to a question you didn’t expect? What are your past experiences that you can tap into? What is your speaking pace? How long would you like to keep each answer? And lastly, what questions will you ask in the end?
This visualisation will help you set your expectations for what’s to come. However, don’t overdo it– just one or two run-throughs is enough. Overthinking what will happen will instead generate more ‘what ifs’, which would do nothing to calm your nerves. Find peace with the fact that you’re anxious– it shows that you truly care about this interview– and tap on the adrenaline produced by your anxiety.
Affirm yourself.
No matter what happens next, assure yourself that you will give your best. Although you cannot control the outcome of the interview, you surely can influence your interviewer's perception of you and establish some level of rapport. Be proud of yourself for reaching this stage, and think about how you will celebrate your efforts, no matter their outcome, after the interview.
During the interview
Remember that your interviewer is secretly rooting for you.
An interview means an open job position, and an open job position means a desperate need for a good candidate. Your interviewer is hoping that you will fit right into that role the moment your interview starts. They may test your critical thinking skills, your self awareness, or the expansiveness of your knowledge base, not to whittle you down but instead to hear you at your potential. They are hoping that you will be their star candidate– and you get to prove them right.
Take a moment to answer tough questions.
It may seem awkward to have a moment of silence in between the question and your answer, but it is a good sign to your interviewers that you care about responding well, which adds to their first impression of you. Simply leave a remark along the lines of, “That’s a good question, could you give me some time to arrange my thoughts?” and sketch up a rough outline of your response in your mind. When you do come up with something decent, start casually and without hesitation, such as “right, so I have experience in…” or “actually, I was thinking about that time I…”
Remember that a carefully deliberated quality answer always triumphs over an immediate but sloppy one.
Of course, refrain from pausing at every question, or pausing for too long to think. For clichéd questions such as “what are your strengths and weaknesses?” you should be well prepared with an answer and be able to reply almost immediately. Pause long enough to get a rough outline of your response, but not so long that your interviewer starts to question if you’re daydreaming. I personally feel that 20 seconds is the maximum.
In a nutshell
Interviews are always the scariest before they begin. However, trust your experience with your past interviews and the comprehensive preparation you’ve done for this one. Nobody knows you better than yourself, and it just happens that your interviewer wants to know you! Be your own expert, give detailed and truthful responses, and remember that ice cream you’re having at the end of the day.
All the best!
Disclaimer:
If the anxiety you face is not unique to interviews and applies to most events in your daily life such as social interactions, household chores, or even worrying about worrying, you may need professional help. This is especially so if what you are experiencing is prolonged. Do consult a medical expert for more personalised advice as soon as possible.