Tag: job interview anxiety

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Can You Overcome Job Interview Nerves?

Overcome Job Interview Nerves?

Did you know that the job interview is often voted as the number one fear for Americans and Brits alike?

Do you need to be charismatic to pass a job interview?

You don’t need to be super confident to win the job interview, but having fears and anxieties during the recruitment process will lead to you missing out on the chance to increase your salary, a chance to move up a step on the career ladder, in short, the chance to pass the job interview.

How to overcome interview nerves – Practice and Strategies 

Most people only spend around 45 minutes preparing for a job interview.

Whereas, interview professionals spend around 4-5 hours preparing, as they know that a successful job interview can be life-changing – how long do you, on average, spend preparing for your job interview?

The first way to increase your interview confidence is to use job interview answer strategies. Having a strategy is like having a plan; with a plan, you feel more in control and feeling in control equals confidence.

A job interview strategy allows you to answer those curve ball interview questions with ease. Imagine you get asked one of the most common asked questions in interviews:

The most commonly asked Job Interview Question.

“Tell me about your (add industry; example – sales management) experience?”

This question, normally asked at the beginning of an interview, gives you the opportunity to deliver a short statement about your experiences and skills relevant to the job position you are applying for. But most people struggle to answer this question with confidence (which makes the rest of the interview go downhill) because they have no strategy.

With a simple strategy, you can answer with all interview questions with ease, as you focus on the strategy not what you are saying. The mind shift in focus creates confidence.

The strategy for (most) interview questions is ‘ADS.’

Answer, Detail, Summary – following this strategy,  you will answer the  interview question straight away by using a confirmation statement, next you give detail (often in the form of a story/experience) which highlights either your experience or your unique selling point, before finally summarising your interview answer (reaffirming your selling point)

With all interview questions the employer is looking for a key skill or experience (to check if you are suitable for the position in their organisation) The interviewer with opening job interview questions want to know if you have the generic experience and skills for this role, the following questions will help undercover specific required skills.

  • Answer – give the duration of time in this industry “I have worked in X sector for 15 years…” then state several achievements to highlight your competencies “….during this time I have achieved Y and Z…”
  • Detail – start a story or state an experience to create an emotionally based interview answer “….I did by (add story)…” or “an example of this was when I ….”
  • Summarise – sum up the whole interview answer “….This is why I’m applying for the advertised position, with my 15 years experience and my ability to Y and Z, I know I will be asset to your organisation” to reconfirm your unique selling point.

Remember a strategy gives you confidence, a platform and a plan to rely on when feeling nervous.

Job Interview Fear Destroying Technique.

The process of understanding how job interveiw anxiety works can be complicated but put simply;

When you are nervous, your heart beats erratically, this erratic heartbeat sends a signal to the  amygdala part of your brain. This signal fires of the flight, fight or freeze response. In this state your mind works differently, your logical part of your brain shuts down and you respond automatically – this is why you forget your well planned job interview answers during the job interview.

For more information on how you can control your  mind read this book Evolve the Mind  

Control Interview Anxiety.

To control this reaction all you need to do is control your breathing – as this sends the opposite signal to your brain. To be in control you need to breath rhythmically.

  • Breath in for 4 seconds
  • Hold the breath for 3 seconds
  • Breath out for 8 seconds (a long strong breath)
  • Repeat until you feel relaxed

Rhythmic breathing changes your hart rate and sends more oxygen to your brain helping you to create a state of relaxation. This is key because the most charismatic interviewees are those who come across controlled and relaxed.

The Job Interview Power Game 

People become afraid when intimidated by others.

The job interview is often, unintentionally (with some high powered job interviews – intentionally) a power play. In a one to one situation, there is always a power game where one person is more in control then the other; we often take our lead from this power person without being aware of it.

In the job interview you need to be in charge. To become more powerful you can show your authority for your sector by stating information about the sector that other people aren’t aware of (a quick google search can help you uncover some interesting facts about your niche) or become an industry expert. 

The person power play is a barrier to interview confidence, the person power play is when you react differently to different people in the same situation; if you see someone s intimidating you will feel intimidated.

Feel more confident in a job interview.

First, you need to dress to impress, everything about you has to shout power.

Secondly, and more importantly, you need to look for those little things that will show you at the interview is human: look for scuffed shoes, dandruff, loose buttons on shirts or a dirty office. By finding things that diminish the feeling of power from the interviewer you will feel more relaxed – the best state for a job interview

The power game is simple but has a massive psychological impact on your job interview and the job interview outcome

Conclusion 

Many people are afraid of job interviews. The truth is if you prepare for your job interview, by predicting the job interview questions, you can easily prepare your job interview answers.

If your job interview answers highlight your unique selling point, are stated in the positive and are said in a confident manner, then you can influence the job interview to increase job offer.

The techniques stated above are simple and easy to implement. They will help you to control your state creating a state of confidence that allows you to sell yourself while remembering your key selling points.

Interview Preparation Resources

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Do You Know the 3 Ways to Overcome Job Interview Nerves?
	


	
	

		
3 Ways to Overcome Job Interview Nerves?


To be the king of the job interview you need killer job interview answers, but…and this is more important you need to be seen as confident, charismatic and charming


The 3 C’s are the packing to the job interview answer. Why is this important I hear you ask????


Think about it, packing has influence. When you are buying your weekly shopping the packaging on the product, even if the same product is produced by the same supplier but labeled differently, is key to your purchasing habits. There is a whole sector on sales psychology that you can research.


The job interview is the same – the only difference is that you are selling you skills, qualities and experience. People are influenced more by how you come across, your rapport, the way you express your answers with stories, humor and anecdotes. But this is where the problem is…..most interviewees are too nervous to be confident, charismatic and charming. This article will teach you 3 simple and easy to implement techniques to increase your interview confidence, helping you to influence the job interview.


nervous2




Practice and Strategies


Most people only spend around 45 minutes preparing for a job interview


Whereas interview professionals spend around 4-5 hours preparing, as they know that a successful job interview can be life-changing – how long do you, on average, spend preparing for your job interview?


The first way to increase your interview confidence is to use job interview answer strategies. Having a strategy is like having a plan, with a plan you feel more in control and control equals confidence.


A job interview strategy allows you to answer those curveball interview questions with ease. Imagine you get asked one of the most common asked questions in interviews.


Job Interview Question:


“Tell me about your sales management experience?”


This question, normally asked at the beginning of an interview, gives you the opportunity to deliver a short statement about your experiences and skills relevant to the job position you are applying for. But most people struggle to answer this question with confidence (which makes the rest of the interview go downhill) because they have no strategy.


But with a simple strategy, you can answer with ease, as you focus on the strategy not what you are saying.


The strategy for most interview questions is ADS


Answer, Detail, Summary – you answer the question straight away, give detail (often in the form of a story/experience) and summaries your answer (making a clear ending)


With all interview questions the employer is looking for a key skill or experience (to check if you are suitable for the position in their organisation) The interviewer with opening job interview questions want to know if you have the generic experience and skills for this role, the following questions will help undercover specific required skills.


    

  • Answer – give the duration of time in this industry “I have worked in X sector for 15 years…” then state several achievements to highlight your competency “….during this time I have achieved Y and Z…”
    • 

  • Detail – give a story or state an experience to create an emotional-based interview answer “….I did by (add story)…”
    • 

  • Summaries – sum up the whole interview answer “….This is why I’m applying for the position, with my 15 years of experience and my ability to Y and Z, I know I will be an asset to your organisation”
    • 



Remember a strategy gives you confidence, a platform and plan to rely on when feeling nervous


    


Simple Nerve Destroying Technique


Science made simple


When you are nervous, your heart beats erratically, this erratic heart beat sends a signal to the amygdala part of your brain. This signal fires of the flight, fight or freeze response. In this state your mind works differently, your logical part of your brain shuts down and you respond automatically – this is why you forget your well-planned job interview answers during the job interview.


For more information on how you can control your  mind read this book Evolve the Mind  


To control this reaction all you need to do is control your breathing – as this sends the opposite signal to your brain. To be in control you need to breathe rhythmically


    

  • Breath in for 4 seconds 
    • 

  • Hold the breath for 3 seconds 
    • 

  • Breath out for 8 seconds (a long strong breath)
    • 

  • Repeat until you feel relaxed
    • 



Rhythmic breathing changes your heart rate and sends more oxygen to your brain helping you to create a state of relaxation. This is key, because most charismatic people are those who come across as controlled and relaxed


Interview questions and answers


Power Game


People become afraid when intimidated by others


The job interview is often, unintentionally (with some high powered job interviews – intentionally) a power play. In a one to one situation, there is always a power game where one person is more in control than the other; we often take our lead from this power person without being aware of it


In the job interview, you need to be in charge. To become more powerful you can show your authority for your sector by stating information about the sector that other people aren’t aware of (a quick google search can help you uncover some interesting facts about your niche)


But there is the person power play, where we react differently to different people in the same situation. If you see someone s intimidating you will feel intimidated


First, you need to dress to impress, everything about you has to shout power. Secondly and more importantly you need to look for those little things that will show you at the interview is human. Look for scuffed shoes, dandruff, loose buttons on shirts or a dirty office. By finding things that diminish the feeling of power from the interviewer you will feel more relaxed – the best state for a job interview


The power game is simple but has a massive psychological impact on your job interview and the job interview outcome


Conclusion 


Many people are afraid of job interviews. The truth is if you prepare for your job interview, by predicting the job interview questions, you can easily prepare your job interview answers. If your job interview answers highlight your unique selling point, are stated in the positive and are said in a confident manner, then you can influence the job interview to increase job offer.


The techniques stated above are simple and easy to implement. They will help you to control your state creating a state of confidence that allows you to sell yourself while remembering your key selling points



	


	





		

		
Posted on 
Why Confidence Is Key in the Job Interview
	


	
	

		
Confidence Is Key in the Job Interview


Confidence equals charisma and a charismatic interviewee is the one who steals the job offer


Don’t ever underestimate the power of a confident interviewee.   Confidence is the packing for your gift and your gift of course is your unique selling point. People admire confidence, are spellbound by charisma and are naturally persuaded by those who ooze self-esteem.


This article will teach you how to increase your job interview confidence, confidence that will win you the job offer.


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Job Interview Confidence #1


Confidence is an emotional state. The natural state for most in the job interview is anxiety.


This technique is quick and powerful and will spin your anxiety into a feeling of extreme confidence


First think about being in a job interview. As you imagine this situation, focus on the feeling of anxiety inside of you. Notice where this anxious feeling originates from in your body; your stomach, feet, chest, head


As you focus on this feeling of anxiety you will feel it move inside of you, you will feel it spinning. Imagine you can see this spinning feeling and give it a colour.


Imagine pushing the feeling externally. See it spinning in front of you.


Flip this spinning feeling back on itself so it spins in the opposite direction, spin it faster and faster, faster still until it changes colour.


Once it changes colour, push it back inside of you replacing the old feeling. Spin it faster and faster inside of you until you start to feel the feeling of confidence spreading throughout the whole of your body.


Do this before your job interview and you will double your job interview confidence




Job Interview Confidence #2


All job interview coaches will tell you to use examples and stories to sell your skills and unique selling points. This is a great strategy to adopt.


Using stories has a confident side effect, it makes you feel more confident. Anxious interviewees have an external perspective, they focus on the employer’s reaction. By using stories you will naturally go inside yourself, imagining the event from your own eyes as you dictate the story-line.


When you have this internal focus your fear evaporates and you focus on the emotions attached to the story – which will be positive as the story or example will be one of you being at your best


Interview questions and answers


FREE With Every Purchase of The 73 Rules for Influencing the Interview


Job Interview Confidence #3


Put yourself into awkward situations


Confidence comes from familiarity. This is why most people are anxious in job interviews, this random activity – the job interview,  is so uncommon that your frame of reference is one of fear. By making, being the focus of attention, a common experience, you eradicate the fear through exposure.


Attend public speaking groups, approach and talk to strangers, go to speed dating, as for directions…anything to get you speaking more. To key skills, you will want to learn and develop is improv speaking and debating





	


	





		

		
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Be Your Confident Self During Your Interview: Beating Anxiety
	


	
	

		
Stay Confident During Your Interview


Nobody likes interviews, but some people are better at them than others.


For some people, the excitement of actually getting a job interview is usually swiftly followed by panic. And for some people, the panic and anxiety induced by a job interview is sometimes enough to call the whole thing off. But then, it’s a passage we all must go through if we’re going to get to the places we want to go.


However, that doesn’t make them any easier. To help you get through your interview unscathed, we’ve put together some useful tips. Heed our ways and, while you might not quite be your dazzling, confident best, you’ll be closer to that version of yourself than the opposite.


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Become Superman (For Two Minutes)


How would you feel if I told you you could give yourself the gift of confidence?


Well, you can. The ‘Superman Pose’, as it’s known, is a trick of the mind that has shown to chemically give ourselves the boost we need to feel confident. And the best thing about it is that it’s so simple.


Just stand in front of your mirror, put your hands on your hips, and look at yourself as you stand tall and proud.


For reasons yet unknown, after two minutes you’ll have improved your confidence levels. At the very least, it can’t hurt.


Affirmations


Some of the most confident celebrities, including Will Smith, use affirmations to give themselves the confidence they need to attack the day.


On the morning of your interview, loudly proclaim to yourself just what you’re going to achieve that day. “I’m going to nail this interview”, you might say. Ask yourself how, and answer: “because I’m a talented, confident man/woman and I’m more than capable of delivering results”.




Breath Slowly


People with more profound levels of anxiety can feel fearful and uncertain on a daily basis, not just on the days when it comes to job interviews.


For those people, gaining some confidence on the morning of the interview won’t cut it: they’ll need to manage their anxiety when they’re sitting in the waiting room and also during the interview.


One technique is to using breathing techniques to control the anxiety. You’ll be amazed at how quickly breathing can have an impact on our calmness levels.


Before you go into the interview room, take a few moments to prepare yourself. A useful tool is the 4-7-8 rule; breathe in slowly through your nose for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, and then exhale for 8 seconds.


Repeat this for a moment and your stress hormones will have lowered and you’ll feel calmer.


Chew Gum and Avoid Caffeine


Some of the things we feel in the build up to an interview date back to our hunter gatherer days. By cranking up the pressure, we’re keeping ourselves in fight or flight mode at levels that anybody would struggle to cope with.


To combat this, watch what your eat and drink.


Caffeine, for instance, will help you feel alert but will also increase your heart rate and make you more anxious. If you must give yourself a wake up boost before your interview, go on a run – you’ll be surprised just how energising exercise can be.


Additionally, carry some gum with you and chew it on the way to your interview – it’ll link back to your basic, primeval state when, way back when, being able to eat in peace meant we were under no threat from predators.


Not only will you feel more relaxed, your breath will also be fresh!


Fail to Prepare, Prepare to Fail




There’s plenty of tips and tricks to make yourself more confident, but it’ll count for nothing if you do them and then haven’t prepared properly for your interview.


When that happens, no technique will be able to cover your back – you’ll be found out. The best possible method to being confident in an interview is by truly knowing what you’re talking about inside and out.


Learn the material, have your friends test you, and make sure that if anything stops from getting the job, it won’t be because you haven’t prepared. You might still be nervous for the first couple of minutes of the interview, but eventually you’ll show you do indeed know what your stuff!




Article by Gemma Rainford 






	


	





		

		
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How to Get in a Winning Mood For Your Job Interview
	


	
	

		
How to Get in a Winning Mood For Your Job Interview


Doesn’t it make sense to prepare yourself mentally as well for your job interview?


 Having that inner confidence and poise will shine through to the interviewer when you walk in that door and give you even more of an advantage over all of your competitors.


If you are nervous, this will show in your body language and your speech reducing the chances of being offered the job role.


Confidence comes form mental preparation. If an interview was a race, the mental preparation would be the pre-race ‘warm up’


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1. Fake it till you make it


Act confident and you will be confident.


Just by imagining being super confident in a job interview, research shows, actually increase job interview confidence.


Using positive visualizations tricks your mind into believing you are confident.  Once you believe you are confident, your posture, body-language and your communication in general will come across as more confident.


Prior to the interview take 15 minutes to practice interview confidence meditation.


2. Search for the interviewer


Most people have a social media profile.


By finding your interviewer online you can start to view them as human.


Interviewee anxiety comes from how the interviewer is perceived to be – a big scary industry expert.


Applicants, to increase confidence, can change their view of an employer by seeing them in a new light. As you flick through their social media profiles and pictures you can see them for who they are – a person who also interviews people.


3. Exercise Away the Anxiety


Get up and go for a run!


Exercise is by far one of the best ways to release job interview stress.


Start the day with a run or yoga, sit-ups or a swim. Exercise releases dopamine  which improves job interview performance.


All that build up tension can be released by a simple exercise routine.






    

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By changing how you approach the interview day can have a massive impact on the interview outcome.


Research shows how a relaxed and more confident applicant will naturally have a stronger rapport with an interviewer, and can recall past experiences that can be used during the interview questions.