No matter how many job interviews you’ve done, they can still make you feel sick to your stomach. So why do we get so nervous? It could be because you feel the interviewer has power over your future; power to determine whether you are the right fit for the job, and that’s nerve racking! Or maybe it’s because you have no idea what to expect.
Whatever reason it may be, let me give you the top three tips for overcoming nerves during your next job interview:
Practice with a Professional
The best way to overcome those pesky nerves is to come prepared. The better equipped you are, the less anxiety you will feel. At Hire Heroes USA, we offer a mock interview service that will get your ready you for the tough questions you will face. Our volunteers will provide you with feedback on how to improve your interview skills.
One of the most difficult questions you will encounter are situational/behavioral interview questions. For example, “What was the most complex project you oversaw? And what would you do differently next time?” These types of questions can be heart-stopping if you are not sure how to answer. I can guarantee you will outperform your competition if you are more prepared than they are.
Strike a Power Pose
Often right before an interview even starts, we are hunched over our phones, shrinking in our chairs, or crossing our legs trying to look prim and proper. Those body positions are the exact opposite of what makes us feel confident and powerful.
Amy Cuddy is a lead Harvard researcher who has studied the effects of power posing on high-stakes social evaluations, particularly interviewing. She found that performing power poses encourage feelings of power and dominance, action orientation, pain tolerance, and testosterone (the dominance hormone), while simultaneously reducing stress, anxiety, and cortisol levels. In turn, participants who performed power poses before a job interview displayed more confidence, passion, and enthusiasm.
Watch Amy Cuddy’s 6-minute Power Pose video:
Increase Your Concentration
Sometimes the issue isn’t whether you’ve practiced, or how confident you are in your skills and abilities. Occasionally, it’s the fact that your heart is beating in your ears, and you just can’t focus. Meditation is all the rage right now, and for good reason. Studies show that meditation both decreases stress and increases the ability to focus. Make it your goal to spend 5-10 minutes a day meditating to significantly boost your ability to concentrate.
Give these tips to interview success a try today: practice with a professional, strike a power pose, and increase your concentration. If you are a transitioning service member, veteran, or their spouse, then let Hire Heroes USA provide you with the career transition assistance you need!
If you have more tips and trick for successfully overcomes interview anxiety share your story below:
"This post first appeared on the Hire Heroes USA blog. See more at blog.hireheroesusa.org.”