Minimizing Interview Nerves

One of the most formidable foes of an applicant prior or even during a job interview: nerves. Regardless of what you call it – interview jitters, anxiety, trauma, and pressure – the fact is that that little tremor in your voice because of nervousness could cause you to make boo-boo’s during that all important meeting. So what to do?

Interview stress can be minimized if not removed prior to the face-to-face discussion. Actually, the advice to control stress prior to the job interview is pretty basic: practice, practice, practice. Anticipate questions and supply short, logical and straight to the point answers. Prepare for personal questions, like being asked whether you have a boyfriend/girlfriend or not. Usually this would stump you and prompt you to stutter and stammer. Not a good picture.

During an interview, the most used – and perhaps funniest – trick is the patented “imagine them in their underwear” stunt. Some say that this would you to have a perpetual small smile on your face throughout the interview, making you appear relaxed. I’ve tried it and it doesn’t work for me. However, smiling is not a bad idea. It is an ice breaker that would allow you to have a better rapport with the interviewer.

Another style is “humanizing” the interviewer. One reason one job seekers are so nervous is because they seem to think that interviewers are “robots” who ask questions and proceed to either accept or reject your answer. It isn’t like that. Interviewers run the ideas through their head; weigh your statements before ultimately arriving on a conclusion. When you realize that the person asking you questions is just as human – and probably just as stressed – as you are, it would help you maintain a mellower disposition, minimizing the nervousness factor while still maintaining quality answers.