Your heart is beating faster than usual, your hands feel clammy, your mouth is so dry it feels like you have cotton inside – and the butterflies in your stomach are out of control.
The Reasons –
1. Fear of the unknown.
Think about it – what do you have to lose here?
What’s the worst thing that can happen?
If you come across as desperate – “Please, please, hire me,” the interview is beginning on a defensive note.
Interviewers smell fear.
Face the fear – put it in perspective – this is not that big a deal!
2. Fear of looking like you don’t know what you’re talking about – “brain freeze.”
So, you’re about to go in and talk about yourself.
What’s so tough about that?
For some people it’s huge. They consider it bragging and they “hate” bragging and talking about themselves and their accomplishments.
Change your idea of bragging to the idea of “informing.”
If the interviewer doesn’t get to know you – how can he/she decide if you are a person who will fit in this job?
3. Fear of Rejection
Who wants to be rejected?
Nobody. It doesn’t feel good.
The truth is that the rejection may have nothing to do with you. It may have to do with the interviewer/company – there are tons of extenuating circumstances.
Get over yourself!
The Cures
1. Change Your Thinking
This is not an appointment with a dentist – no physical pain.
It’s a conversation with another person. This conversation is a two-way process.
You will be interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you.
Is there a good fit here – both ways?
What looks good on paper may not be what it appears – for either party.
2. Prepare
Preparation will make you feel more confident and less anxious.
Can you imagine giving a performance without some practice and preparation?
“Winging” the interview is a big mistake.
Prepare – read a book on interviewing, practice your answers – get help – get prepared!
3. Get a New Perspective.
Is this the only job in town?
For every job you apply for, there are probably three or four equally qualified candidates in line for the same job.
Whether you “stand out from the crowd,” will depend on your preparation and ability to show confidence in yourself.
Believing in your self – is number one. Who will believe you, if you don’t believe yourself?
4. Don’t Take It Personally
You may have had a number of interviews with no offer. You may be feeling defeated, and it’s beginning to affect your-self esteem.
This would be true of anyone.
Move on – and learn from your mistakes.
The biggest mistake is to take it personally.
5. Let It Go
“Did you get a marriage proposal after every date?”
Well, you probably aren’t going to get a job offer after every interview.
Learn to enjoy meeting new people and having new experiences.
Who knows you may even grow to like interviewing.
Boost Your Interview IQ:
Boost Your Interview IQ – Second Edition (white cover – published – 2012) – for a quick brush up on Behavioral Interviewing as well as other interview questions.
It’s a quiz book – fast read – you determine which answer is the strongest answer.
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“Boost Your Interview IQ” by Carole Martin provides you with the essential skills and techniques you need to apply in any real life interviewing scenario. If you are truly interested in exploring the fundamentals and learning the essentials of job interviewing, then this book will be an important guide.
Before I read Carole Martin’s book, I must admit that I was lost when it came to interviews. As a young lawyer with three years of experience in my field, I truly thought that I knew everything it took to effectively express myself and market my skills to a potential employer. I had conducted countless client interviews myself, and so I thought I had most question and answer techniques down to a science. But when I flunked my first major interview for a dream job with a prestigious employer, I realized that I needed help from an expert. In hindsight, I wish I had sought out this information earlier. Perhaps because I was too accustomed to being sought out by others as an expert in my own field of law that I did not realize I needed an expert’s advice on basic interview techniques.
I am thankful that I contacted Carole Martin and found her book “Boost Your Interview IQ.” I feel that I have begun the journey towards interview success. In my opinion, learning real life interview techniques should not be about “gimmicks” or “tricks”. Instead, Carole Martin provides a wide-range of examples that point you in the right direction. You will learn through a question and answer technique designed by Carole that will give you a thorough understanding of the basics. Reading this book is the beginning of a journey that will equip you with the essentials of interviewing. So if you are curious about how to interview, then I recommend you read this book first. The rest is up to you!”
