Written by David Gilbert 4th

Graphic Designs by Krystn Stockbridge

Take a Breath, You Passed the First Step

Congratulations, you got the call back! All that time filling out job applications has paid off. And yet, you’re still struggling with job interview anxiety. Now, instead of filling out applications, it’s the job interview you’re worried about. Employers have job interviews to narrow down potential fits for a position. Sounds stressful, doesn’t it? Well, the job interview has the reputation of being nail-bitingly stressful. So how can you fight against job interview anxiety? By creating a cure to ease your stress.

You must bombard your mind with happy thoughts. Find your Zen, center, or whatever it is you want to call it. Do what you can to remain chill. It’s important that you don’t allow job interview anxiety to drive you mad. If it helps, think of the job interview as the final leg of a long marathon. Keeping good stamina will lower your stress level. Here are seven ways to cure your job interview anxiety.

1. Research and Rehearse

Academic tests are draining. In school, failing an academic test can give you a bad grade. Unfortunately, the job interview is similar to academic tests as failure means the loss of a job opportunity. Ever since elementary school, we’ve been taught the best way to ace a test is by studying. Therefore, you can cure your job interview anxiety by researching the company. It’s that simple.

The best medicine to treat job interview anxiety can be found in a quick google search. Doctors cure illnesses by first asking questions about them. The same can be said with job interview anxiety. Besides, knowing about the company shows the employer you care about the job. You’ll make a great first impression on the employer. So, ease your job interview anxiety by being knowledgeable. Understanding the company’s role will tell you what the employer is looking for. At the same time, you’ll know if you’d be a good fit for the company.

2. You Must Dress to Impress

What you wear says a lot about you. Think about it: you wouldn’t wear a tracksuit if you were going to a late night bar with friends. Likewise, you wouldn’t wear workout clothes to the job interview. It wouldn’t be smart to dress casually in a business setting. A good fashion sense will take away much of your job interview anxiety. So pick the proper attire that shows your employer how serious you are about the position.

However, dressing well isn’t enough. Grooming is also important in curing your job interview anxiety. How you appear shows the employer that you’re confident. If you look good, then you’ll feel good. And by feeling good, you’ll do well in the job interview. So make sure your hair and hygiene are as great as your outfit.

3. Set the Time and Prepare the Mind

Timing is everything. Arriving on time shows the employer that you care about the position. Unlike school, you’re not marked tardy for attendance when you arrive late. For a job interview, being late could mean a bad interview, altogether. What a bummer it would be to lose the job before the interview can happen. Also, that feeling of being rushed will worsen your job interview anxiety even more.

So have a good night’s rest and set an alarm clock. It’s best to have time to spare before the job interview. You can use this free time to cure your job interview anxiety by relaxing yourself. Or, you can do last minute research to fully prepare for the interview.

4. Show Expression and Ask Questions

The job interview is all about attitude. Use eye contact and have good etiquette to show the employer you’re informed. Talking points are essential in easing your job interview anxiety. Although you may not know what the employer might ask, you should know what you want to say. So ask questions to show interest in the company. The more questions you ask, the more informed you’ll appear.

Also, you should tell the employer you want the job. As silly as it sounds, having clear intentions will leave a big impression. Detailing how your skills best fit the position shows the employer how much you want it. Tell the employer what you want them to know about you. Don’t let your job interview anxiety have you suffering in silence. Think about it this way: the more you speak, the less time you’ll spend worrying.

5. It Always Helps to be Yourself

The most important question of the job interview is who are you? Understanding this will take pressure off your back. The employer doesn’t know you better than you know yourself. So don’t go into the job interview in a costume. Unless that is, you’re interviewing for a position as a professional trick-or-treater. Being anything other than yourself will only make your job interview anxiety worse.

Know that you’re chosen for a reason. Before the job interview, the employer read your resume and liked what they saw. In other words, the employer already likes you. This means half the work is already done for you. So relax and calm that job interview anxiety just a bit. All you have to do is showcase what’s in the resume in the job interview. Remember that who you are and what you bring to the table is good enough.

6. Learn the Symptoms When Job Interview Anxiety is the Sickness

The job interview is known to be anxiety-inducing. Therefore, you should find ways to relieve as much stress as you can before the job interview. You won’t do well if you’re nearly having a panic attack. The best way to cure job interview anxiety is knowing that it’s hard to talk if you can’t breathe. Before the job interview, it’s a good idea to take a walk and even do breathing exercises. Understand that everyone gets nervous and that it’s normal to be. You’re not the only one who has to face the employer and their million questions.

Don’t search for alleviation outside yourself. You shouldn’t seek meditation with alcohol and other drugs to cure your job interview anxiety. To be clear, you should stay away from caffeine and other energy drinks as well. If nervous, all that sugar can make you feel worse. There are healthier ways to cure job interview anxiety without making yourself sick. Make a light meal or wear a lucky charm bracelet. You must find a calming technique that works for you.

7. Know the Objective but Have Perspective

Don’t let job interview anxiety have you thinking you’re in a life-or-death situation. The worst thing that can happen if you have a bad job interview is that you don’t get the job. What this doesn’t mean is that you’ll never get a job anywhere or ever. It’s important to know the difference. So tell yourself that failure isn’t the end of the world as you know it.

You can use the job interview as practice for another. What better way to cure job interview anxiety than through trial and error? It can be like the pop quiz before the big test. While the job interview is important, it isn’t a total loss if you don’t do well. In fact, have as many job interviews as you can. A failed job interview gives you the experience to do better for the next one. Therefore, you should learn from your mistakes. This way, you’ll know how to have a better job interview.

Now Take What You Practice and Put it Into Action

Job interview anxiety can overwhelm you. So use the time before the job interview wisely. As the saying goes, “practice makes perfect.” Therefore, make sure you’ve prepared for the job interview in whatever way you can. Research the company, have mock interviews, or simply learn how to be calm in stressful situations. Using these seven steps creates a method to ease your job interview anxiety.

Put yourself into the mindset that you’re going to succeed. Let this be the first thing you do when fighting against job interview anxiety. Understand that what’s most important about the job interview is being calm. A clouded mind will do worse damage in the job interview than the employer and their questions. So don’t be intimidated. The job interview is a test, not an interrogation. Remember, the job interview is centered around you. So use the job interview to market yourself. For more information on the importance of self-branding, read this article by Jennifer Mayberry on Superinterns.com.