The more you need that job, the more likely that interview panic (worst, interview freeze) may pop up right at the time you need to appear confident, energetic and able to communicate effectively.
How do you fight it?
First, remember that most battles are won before you set foot on the battleground. No question, this is a battle: with yourself! You need to be in control of your emotions, your reactions, your intellect. You want your memory to be sharp and very receptive to anything your Interviewer says (throws out) to you.
You don’t need Nirvana, but you need to know the product you are ‘selling’: you. So after preparing a great resume (more on it at our blog ) do something unusual, and read it. Read it right before your interview. This will remind you of dates and facts you will be questioned about and you don’t want to appear vague or imprecise about your own professional career. This will also remind you of how perfectly matched you are for this job! Sell yourself… to you first! Once you KNOW that you are the perfect match for this job, how good it is for that Company to hire you, how hiring you is the ‘natural’ choice for them… you will be in a great position to take the next step into your new office.
The certainty acquired by reviewing your own resume and seeing how much indeed you have accomplished, will provide you the extra confidence needed to land the job ahead of the competition. It will allow you to focus on your career, your achievements, not your emotions (especially fear). It is a ‘just the facts’ approach.
Second, and between readings of your own resume, read the Job Description for the position you are applying. Know it to the T. Know it better than your Interviewer, so you will be prepared to answer the questions before they are posed (or thrown at you). You know the Interviewer is trying to establish the match between the demands of the job in all aspects, and you. So help them, do their job for them and have your answers ready due to a comprehensive understanding and knowledge of who you are, who they are, and what they are looking for today, and into the future as you move up in your career with them.
Caveat: If you clearly lack any of the requirements on the ‘wish to have’ list of the job description, be honest and upfront. You can disarm the Interviewer by being candid and put it out in the open, coming out clean. Of course, follow your disclosure with your strong points that more than ‘make up’ for such small detail/s. Your attitude can make up for your shortcomings. Honesty is the most recognized merit, by most employers and people in general.
Third, dress as best as you can, without overdoing it, and consistent with the environment. In some environments, a tie or high heels are frown upon. Learn everything you can about your ‘target’. Remember that Google is your best friend! If in doubt, bring the tie and jacket (make-up and high heels, etc.) in the car (if not a complete change of clothes) and show up at the parking or lobby of your target early, and study the ‘battlefield’, scout the environment. Then go back into your car and prepare accordingly.
Fourth, remember that your focus should be on the need of the Employer, and immediately after, on how you match them. This should take your attention away from any other thoughts, including the negative ones. Stay focused, which by itself is something you are probably being tested on.
Fifth, be yourself. After all, anything else you try is doomed to fail. You can’t keep up an act long enough to fool the recruiters. When you try to be someone you are not, the insincerity comes out of your pores. Even if the interviewer can’t verbalize it, he/she will know that something is ‘wrong’, and that will be enough in most cases to block your entrance to the job you seek. Additionally, you can’t win what you are not prepared to lose. Take a stance; show your best attributes without any shame. Standing up for YOU shows integrity of character, honesty and in itself will add points to your candidacy for that job.”
Sixth, if you are in panic of ‘losing’ a job you did not get yet in the first place, you will probably fail at the interview. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy. To the interviewer, the message is: “I am not sure I deserve this job and I am afraid you will recognize that”.
Seventh, if you are really the shy, timid or intimidated (not to say ‘fearful’, which is the real word here), do as actors and performers often do: imagine your interviewer/s naked. Some performers go as far as to imagine them sitting in the bathrooms (since that is something we ALL certainly do, on regular basis, no matter how impressive, intimidated and important we like to be perceived). These thoughts will certainly put your interlocutor in a very ‘human’ dimension and not threatening at all. The downside is if this will make you break up in hysterical laughter. In that case… don’t do this!
Eighth, remember that the worst thing that could happen to you is that in the evening you will be in the exact same position you were that morning: without a job and looking for one. It’s not new, this is something you already experienced and survived. You will gain with the experience of another interview and of managing yourself, which is another step in the direction of mastering job interviews.
Lastly, thank your interviewer for the interview, in all situations. Get up, walk out of that office, out of the building, into the parking lot or to the metro/bus/taxi stop as the winner that you are, as if you know that you landed that job. Never, ever, concede defeat or you may decide your interviewer to follow your lead and write you off. Do not assume defeat, ever. Do the exact opposite. Sometimes the tail wags the dog.
This is the spirit of your departing words: “If you come up with other questions after this meeting, please call me at (xxx) xxx-xxxx at any time and I will be glad to show what a good fit I am for XXXX Co. I look forward to continuing our conversation soon. As I consider several career options, at this point I would prefer to join your team in your effort to keep growing your Company (improve operations, excel in Customer Service, bringing new and exciting products to the market, grow market share, eat your competitor’s lunch, etc. adapt to the case). Thank you very much for your interest in my skill and experience as they can contribute to the mission of your Organization. I will be waiting for your call, and I am available 24/7 to speak with you”.
With these ‘bye for now’ words you are making several fundamental points. You show confidence; you ratify your conviction that you are the right person for the job; you put the interests of the Company first; you confirm that the Recruiter will look good by hiring you, as that is the right decision: that person looks for her/his interest first, then the Company, so you address both needs in that order; you make yourself available which by itself scores some very important points, availability is already a merit; you establish that other employers are interested in you, there is competition for you as everyone wants what others found to be of value and they don’t want to ‘miss-out’ on a great ‘value’; you are giving another chance/s to the Recruiter to ask you questions he/she may have missed; you show that you are aligned with the Employers needs, not just yours.
Good luck in your interviews and share your experiences by commenting this article, even if you totally disagree. Our hope is to help you and other job-seekers in similar situations.
