5 Top Tips For Overcoming Interview Nerves

If you struggle to tackle your nerves on interview day, you are not alone. Interviews are a daunting process. After all, you are most likely attending one because you want to secure a good opportunity for yourself. However, it can be difficult to get your nerves under control on the day. Your hands may start to shake, and your voice begins to crack – we’ve all been there. This guide is here to offer some practical advice to help you get your interview nerves under control.

 

Practice With A Family Member/Friend

If you have not attended many interviews, it can feel like you are going into the unknown. To help keep your nerves at bay, you should take time to practice questions with a family member or friend. Sure, you may feel a little bit silly at the time, but practice can help you feel more comfortable on the day. Get your friend/family member to ask you some common interview questions.

You can even conduct a mock interview online with the help of some research. For example, if your interview is going to be held over Zoom. Ask your friend to video call you and walk through a practice interview with them to help you improve your confidence. It also gives you time to get to grips with the video conferencing software if this is something you have not used before.

 

Plan Something Fun After Your Interview

Interviews are a daunting process, and they can consume your thoughts for a long time, leading to heightened feelings of stress. To help you overcome nerves on the day, you should try and plan something fun straight after your interview. It gives you something to look forward to, and even if your interview does not go as well as you’d hoped, you can distract yourself by having a fun time.

It is also important to reward yourself for the hard work that you have put into your interview. If you start to feel stressed while waiting to go in, try and focus your attention on your fun plans afterward. It can act as a great distraction and helps you feel calmer and more relaxed. Even if you take yourself to your favorite coffee shop – you deserve it! Ask a friend to come along so you can debrief with them afterward. They can help put your mind at ease.

 

Prepare Interview Questions

The worst thing you can do in an interview is going in unprepared. Once you get a question that you didn’t expect, it can send your nerves into a downward spiral. Instead, it would help if you researched the company holding the interview and some practice interview questions that might come up. Having some information to help you in your interview can help boost your confidence levels and eliminates any awkward silences.

Take a look at some common interview questions online. An example question maybe – do you want to tell us anything else about you? Instead of panicking on the spot, try to pre-prepare your answers to come across as a confident communicator. Take a look at an online guide to help you. This guide to answering questions from Placement can help you feel more prepared on interview day.

 

Swap Caffeine For Water

Often the night before an interview can be challenging. You may struggle to get a good night’s sleep as you will likely have many thoughts going across your mind. Before you sleep, try to engage in a relaxing activity like reading a book to try and take your mind off the interview. Avoid practicing interview questions too late into the night, as you will stress yourself out.

In the morning, a lack of sleep may cause you to overload on caffeinated drinks like coffee and energy drinks. However, this is something you want to avoid. Research shows too much caffeine can heighten feelings of anxiety which will make you feel more nervous during your interview. Instead, stay hydrated with a bottle of water and keep it on you during your interview – so you can clear your throat if needs be.

 

Use Breathing Exercises

When we are stressed in the run-up to an interview, we may have difficulty breathing and remaining calm. Luckily, there is a range of breathing exercises out there that can help you. Conduct a quick online search to find some examples. Breathing exercises help us force out any air built up in our lungs to help our diaphragm do its job.

These exercises help you focus on slow and concentrated breathing, which will help you get your nerves under control. Of course, you don’t want to practice these exercises in the interview room. However, if you are alone in the waiting room, you can practice some before you go in – or on the morning of your interview. It can be a great way to relax you, helping you remain calm during the day.