Job interviews are scary: there, we said it. Sitting down and marketing yourself to a company is a nerve-wracking experience, potholed with little fears: fear of failure, fear of stuttering, fear of saying the wrong thing, fear of saying too much, fear of saying nothing – the ‘what ifs’ are endless, and can paralyse you before you’ve stepped foot in the door. To help with your pre-interview jitters, remembering the following could help:
Believe in yourself
They called you for the interview because they can already see some potential in you through your CV. Your CV made the first round which, statistically, is extremely difficult, but you made it. Give yourself a little credit.
They are people just like you
The interviewers are people just like you doing their job. They are not there to interrogate you, but to discover whether you are the right candidate for the job. Make things easier for them by showing them you are the person they’re looking for.
Put things into perspective
Despite what your anxiety might be telling you, this is not a life-threatening situation: it’s a stepping stone to a new, exciting opportunity.
Think positively
This is not the time to be putting yourself down. Believe in yourself and your capabilities and boost your morale. In this situation, you need to be your own personal cheerleader, so go in confident and happy to prove why you’re the best candidate for the job.
Normalise it
Keep things simple. Try to remember: a job interview is just a talk. Don’t build it up to be greater than that. The interviewer wants you to be yourself, so they can gauge whether you will be a good fit within their organisation.
Be you and only you
We believe this is fundamental. If you lose the job by being yourself, then chances are the workplace wasn’t a good fit for you to begin with. Nobody will be happy working in a place where they can’t be themselves at.
