Interview anxiety

Foggy.nelson

After working since leaving school so about 10 years, i'm now unemployed. I've gotten an interview for a job-bridge in something that is outside of my qualification but something I am very interested in. The only thing is the taught of the Interview makes me physically sick. I'm definetly not the same confident teenager who wasnt phazed by them 10 years ago, and the taughts of doing one next week is keeping me awake. Any help, tips or wisdom greatly appreciated

Itsallrelative

Congrats on getting through to the interview! If they're bringing you in then they're already interested in you. They no doubt had loads of applications, so make sure you're giving yourself credit for being selected.

Interviews can be scary, but remember that the people interviewing you are just people. They're normal people like you and me, who just happen to be looking for someone to join their team. They're not trying to catch you out - in fact they want you to do well so they can finish their search and get someone on board.

In terms of interview preparation, the most valuable thing you can do is think back over all of your experience and come up with examples of things you've done. You'll want to have a good example for each of the main things that are likely to be asked - this will vary a little depending on the type of job, but core questions will be things like using your initiative, working as a team, dealing with conflict, when something went wrong and how you dealt with it etc. Also there will be questions of why you want to move into this field, and some digging into your knowledge of this new area. Put a few hours aside to think all this through and formulate some good answers.

A key thing to note is that the person most likely to get hired isn't always the one who has the most experience, skills or knowledge. If you display a positive, proactive attitude, a passion for what you do and desire & ability to learn, you will do better than the person with all the knowledge but no spark. So go in there, show how interested you are, give ideas and display how much you can contribute to the role.

If after all that they still decide to go with someone else, at least you have some interview experience under your belt. You haven't 'lost' anything and are in the same position you were before they invited you. Take the experience, learn from it, and use it to do better next time. Maybe write some notes afterwards on what they asked you, along with all the "I should have said xyz" you thought about on the way home

My final tip is to keep on applying for other jobs in the meantime. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. It sounds counter-intuitive, but the less 'important' it is to get the job, the easier it is to relax and do well at interview.

Hope that helps - good luck with it!

AmberGold

Just been through all this after working for many years and had the same issues re nerves. All turned out well.

Take some time to google typical interview questions, print them out and draft answers. You can use editorial control to steer the interviewer to areas you are strong or have a track record. Have someone review your answers, an old manager / HR person would be a good bet.

Research competency based interview questions and again draft answers. Competency based interviews seem to be very popular at the moment and do require an amount of prep.

One question I made a total hash of at an interview a few years ago was the simple question of "Tell me a little about yourself". Apparently lots get throw by this first seemingly simple question and as the initial impression is crucial it important not to mess it up. This time around I was well prepared and had a three minute response covering my core skills, track record, achievements and a small bit about my personal live (where live, children, what I do in my spare time).

Remember sell yourself, don't be afraid to ask for a the job or feedback on your performance at the end of the interview. Research the company on Google News, Wikipedia and demonstrate this knowledge at the interview.

The end of the interview is important, if they ask if you have any questions have one or two related to their expansion plans, competition or whatever. I generally say "well I've covered a of ground at the interview and ask if they'd like to hear anything more about any areas you have covered.

I always wrap up by giving a summary of how I feel I'm suitable for the job (I give three points), stating its the job I really want for whatever reason (company's position in the market, my career progression, culture, blah blah) and asking if they will recommend me to the next stage.

Interviews are a pain, do as many as you can for practice. Its a technique and a process you can master quickly. Nothing to be afraid of.