Tips for Beating Interview Anxiety -

Tips for Beating Interview Anxiety -Theres leidhing like an bewerberinterview to throw an otherwise calm and collected individual off their game. Being interrogated by someone who holds the power to either give you a job or send you home empty-handed can be intimidating. And, of course, when a person is intimidated, they typically underperform.Cognition can be confusing, jitters can be jarring, and it can be difficult to remember things like learned skills and experienceslet alone your full nameas you sit under the judgmental gaze of that seemingly all-powerful hiring manager.If youve found that you struggle with interview anxiety, here are a few tips to take with you the next time you suit up and head out to meet with a hiring team.Stress Is NormalFirst things first, you need to understand that even successful people feel stressed at times. Its a very prototyp emotion, and theres nothing wrong with it. In fact, trying to completely eliminate stress isnt a great ideaespecially since its practically impossible to do so.Rather, its something you should strive to understand and manage. Many of the tips below are ways to directly do that, but the first step is making sure that youre approaching your interview anxiety with a realistic, management-oriented focus rather than an agenda of eradication. If you feel stressed, step back, take a deep breath, and remember that its a perfectly normal reaction to your situation. Once youve done that, its time to take steps to manage the stress.Go in PreparedIts always wise to go into an interview prepared. Take the time to research and learn about the company where youll be interviewing. Look up things like their public announcements, earnings calls, social media posts, and even take the time to look into which specific personnel within the company might be interviewing you.In addition, go over any questions you might have as the interviewee and make sure youve gathered all of your documentation ahead of time. Preparations lik e these are excellent ways to stay calm before the interview day officially arrives.Practice Makes PerfectThe truth is, its hard for most people to talk about themselves without coming across as either insecure or narcissistic. Learning to talk about yourself in an accurate, reasonable manner is a learned skill, not just something the lucky ones are born with.That said, the simple act of practicing your responses to classic interview questions can help bolster your confidence. This handy list of common interview questions from Glassdoor can help you get comfortable with a plethora of different inquiries you might hear from a hiring manager. Go over them, and dont just think about the answers. Speak them out loud, as if youre actually in an interview, answering a person in real time.Dress to ImpressYour clothing can make a huge difference in your appearance. It can send messages to those who see you and can also instill a sense of self-empowerment. In fact, professional attire has be en shown to literally broaden perspective and increase abstract thinking for the wearer. In other words, an excellent way to beat those nerves is to dress thoughtfully for each interview you attend.Be PunctualIts always recommended to arrive at an interview on time. In fact, its best to get there early. That doesnt mean you should hang around the secretarys desk for a half hour before the interview, of course. If you arrive early, simply wait in your car or a nearby coffee shop until its time.While this helps demonstrate your responsibility, it also can help you stay focused and calm, rather than feeling stressed and anxious because you were delayed by traffic, couldnt find the building, etc.Finances Are TabooIt never looks good to show up to an interview mora worried about your own compensation than the job itself. Money and benefits are topics that should be saved for a later time, if and when youre offered the job.This interview strategy is typically brought up as a way to help i ncrease your likelihood of nailing the interview. However, its also quite helpful in reducing performance anxiety as well. Knowing you dont have to open up the can of worms that is financial negotiations can take a load off your mind and ease the pressure and anxiety of an interview right from the get-go.Be YourselfIts easy to feel the need to oversell your qualifications in an interview, but any savvy hiring manager is going to see through that facade, anyway. So dont try it. Thats not to say you shouldnt highlight your strengths, though.Be confident about what you do know, be professional, and show genuine interest. Simply being your professional self can go a long way in helping the entire experience feel less like a performance. And, of course, if it feels less like a performance, its likely to help calm those unwelcome butterflies.Nailing the InterviewTaking some time to create an interview preparation strategy can be a great way to maximize your confidence and help calm anxiou s thoughts. And, of course, poise and confidence directly translate into a better chance of success in each and every interview.If you can manage to implement some of these tips and can avoid being sidelined by those pesky nerves, youre much more likely to impress the hiring manager in your next interview.Are you tired of your resume being rejected by applicant tracking systems? I know how frustrating it is to submit your resume and receive no response. I hate seeing qualified people never break through the screening process. It shouldnt be that way. Thats why I created this guide and I encourage you to download the FREE PDF so you can start seeing better resume response rates