How to Overcome Job Interview Anxiety

How to Overcome Job Interview Anxiety Youve got a big job interview coming up. This could be it! Your one shot at the perfect job. Feeling anxious yet?Do you get anxious about the very idea of a job interview? Do you worry your nerves will get in the way of impressing your interviewer?If so, you are definitely not alone. In a recent survey, 73% of job seekers said that looking for a new job is one of the most stressful things in life.It’s normal to get nervous. A job interview is unlike any other situation you typically find yourself in.Very few other situations require you to be on the hot seat and give an account of yourself in such a unique way. It’s no surprise that nerves get involved before an interview, especially if it’s for a job you really want and the stakes feel very high.Unfortunately, that pre-interview anxiety can really sabotage your performance on the big day. A bad case of nerves can lead to serious interview mistakes including blanking out, blurting, babbling, sweating, and fidgeting.If you arent careful, the interviewer will be so distracted by your nervous habits that he wont even remember your strengths and qualifications.Though some feelings of nervousness may be inevitable, the bright side is that nerves can be managed.Be PreparedPreparation is the best way to overcome interview nerves, along with remembering that a certain amount of anxiety in a stressful situation is healthy. A bit of nervousness and anticipation may actually make you sharper and help you perform better. The problems arise when that little bit of nervousness becomes a debilitating case of anxiety.If you do your homework, preparation will lead to more confidence and confidence puts you in command   and can even make you look forward to the interview (seriously). Confidence can also help you channel your nervous energy  into a positive force.Its not so different from the way that an athlete trains to be in peak condition on the day of the big game. The more you prepare and practice, the more confident youll feel when your career aspirations are on the line in the job interview. This confidence will help you eliminate unattractive nervous habits (like saying um, uh, like) and feel more in command of your answer and body language.So lets talk about how to prepare in a way that will empower you and help you minimize pre-interview anxiety.Accentuate the PositiveThe self-help gurus are right: It pays to think positive, at least when it comes to job interviews. The job search can be brutal and its easy to get cynical even the best candidates face repeated rejection and rude behavior.While cynicism and bitterness can be entertaining at a dinner party, these qualities can really hurt you in job interviews. Nobody wants to hire a candidate with an attitude problem.At the same time, negativity can prevent you from seeing your key selling points clearly and expressing them well in your interview. Prepare and practice (see more on how to do that below) with the attitude that you can ace th is interview. Fake it until you make it.Once you have prepared, tell yourself you are ready. Listen to upbeat music on your iPodâ€"tunes that energize you and make you feel good about yourself and the world in general. Some people prefer to listen to guided meditations or motivating speeches you can even record your own pep talk.Just remember to cut off the music and other happy sounds when you arrive at the job interview site. Wearing headphones at the interview (even if its just in the lobby) will make you look distracted.An unfamiliar environment can add to the uncertainty, which is why career professionals generally recommend that you pay at least one visit to any unfamiliar interview location in advance.Otherwise, you risk the nightmare scenario: getting lost or stuck in traffic and running into your interview late, sweaty, and flustered. Give yourself extra time. If youre early, you can always stop at   Starbucks (one will inevitably be next door to your destination) to fresh en up and re-hydrate.Dont Give In to DesperationNo matter how desperately you want the job, remember that its just one opportunity. Your entire future is not dependent on landing this particular job. You dont even know that much about the position yet. Sure, it looks good on paper, but its not your only option.From the interviewers point of view: Enthusiasm is good, neediness can be a bit awkward. Think about it like a first date. You want to impress and show off your best qualities. You dont want to seem like a potential bunny boiler who has never been asked out before.No matter what happens, this interview will be a learning experience that will make you a better job candidate and savvier professional in the long run.Focus on projecting confidence and putting all of that preparation (see above) to use. You cant control the employers decision making process, but you can control how you present yourself in the interview.Keep in mind that you are there because they liked your résumà © or the impression you made in the screening interview. That’s a compelling reason for you to be upbeat on the day of the interview.Relaxation and Confidence Boosting TechniquesAnti-nervousness techniques including breathing exercise and mental imagery techniques work for some. Here are some that weve seen work wonders for nervous candidates:Power Posing Did you know that a simple 2-minute body language trick can instantly boost your confidence and improve your interview performance? Power posing is all about posing like a superhero for two minutes before your interview.You can go with the Wonder Woman or Superman and simply stand stall and strong with hands on hips and legs confidently apart (for more high-power poses and the science on how and why this technique works, I highly recommend Amy Cuddys awesome Ted Talk on body language).It may sound silly, but it works. A recent study found that power posing led to significant increases in testosterone (the dominance hormone) an d drops in cortisol (the stress hormone). This technique literally changes your body chemistry.A follow-up experiment looked specifically at job interviews. The high-power posers were overwhelmingly chosen by the interviewers as hiring material.Try it right now and see for yourself. Just remember to do your posing in private before the interview.Visualization It may calm your anxiety to visualize a successful interview. Picture yourself in the interview room making a fantastic impression and try to vividly imagine the strong sense of positive confidence that you will feel. Youll get the best results if you combine the visual with the strong positive feeling and associate the two. Its a fast and easy way to focus your thoughts and get a burst of confidence.Breathing One simple and effective breathing exercise is sometimes called box-breathing. It can be done in seconds no matter where you are and does wonders for calming anxiety. How to Box-Breathe:Box-breathing can be done in 4 si mple steps:(1) Inhale for a slow count of 4 seconds (2) At the end of the inhale, hold your breath for 4 seconds (3) Exhale for 4 seconds (4) Hold your breath at the end of the exhale for 4 seconds and repeat.You will instantly feel calmer after completing the cycle only once, but do it as many times as necessary for you to feel your anxiety dissipating.Pacing Yourself If you find yourself stumbling over your words, its likely that your anxiety has taken over and youre talking too fast. Nervousness tends to make you speed up your mannerisms and your speech. It can also prompt you to speak before you consider the question properly.Slow down and don’t be afraid of the pause. If you race to fill every silence too quickly, youre likely to blurt out something youll regret.Dont feel self-conscious about pausing. Interviewers expect you to pause and think before answering complex questions.If your pause starts to feel awkward, its okay to say something like, Thats a great question. I ju st need a moment to decide on the best example to share.Redirecting Questions You aren’t going to know the answer to every question, and sometimes that’s intentional on the part of the job interviewer. Some interviewers ask stress questions just to find out how you react.The best way to deal with these tricky questions is to gracefully redirect the question toward a similar topic you are familiar with, preferably underlining  your strengths as you do it. Whatever you do, stay calm and collected. Dont let one tough question change the tone of the interview. Focus on handling the next questions well and ending the meeting on a positive note.If you follow our advice and put in your preparation time,   we promise that your nerves wont sabotage you during your moment of opportunity. Feel the fear and ace your interview anyway!Connect with Pamela Skillings on Google+Photo credit: Sakurako Kitsa