- What are the reasons for the worries?
- How to prepare for an interview
- We tune in internally
- Choosing a suit
- Collecting information
- Let's get distracted by enjoyable activities
- We take a sedative
- How to behave during a business meeting
The employment process in most cases involves the candidate going through an interview procedure. If this business meeting is not a formality and is not held for show, the job applicant will experience serious stress before and during the interview. This condition can become a serious problem and negatively affect the outcome. To avoid such consequences, it is important to figure out how not to worry during an interview.
What are the reasons for the worries?
Excitement is a mental, emotional state caused by a person’s evaluative reaction to any events, processes, circumstances that have already happened, will happen or are happening at the moment.
This condition is multifaceted and can be of different nature. It is generated by thoughts and feelings of the unknown, uncertainty, fear regarding the outcome of an important event in life.
Causes of anxiety before a job interview:
- the importance of the event - the dream of working in this company, the first interview in life;
- lack of experience;
- uncertainty of the result;
- presence of difficulties - no job, unable to find a job for a long time, lack of money, problems in personal life;
- poor preparedness, lack of necessary information;
- low self-esteem, general uncertainty or due to past failures at interviews.
The nature of the state of anxiety is that this is how the body reacts to thoughts, trying to prepare for uncertain and “terrible” consequences.
Anxiety manifests itself differently in each person, it all depends on the individual characteristics of the individual, the degree of mental stability, and life experience.
Excitement before an interview and during a business meeting manifests itself in the following forms:
- voltage;
- stiffness;
- inability to concentrate on what is important;
- loss of concentration;
- unreasonable activity, gaiety;
- nervous trembling;
- looking away, blinking frequently, squinting;
- flushed face or paleness;
- rapid breathing;
- gesticulation, unnatural hand movements;
- increased sweating - often sweating of the palms or the appearance of sweat on the forehead;
- speech disorders, stuttering, trembling voice;
- incoherent construction of phrases when speaking;
- confusion of thoughts when answering questions;
- nausea, vomiting.
As you can see from the list above, anxiety can be a serious problem in an interview. This condition can have a serious impact on its results, since it is associated with lies and distortion of information.
There are special techniques for interviews when a specialist deliberately makes a candidate worry in order to assess the degree of his stability.
Why it is important not to worry during an interview:
- the opportunity to fully demonstrate your strengths;
- maintaining clarity of thinking;
- focus and concentration on the main thing;
- naturalness of behavior;
- clear and structured speech.
Body language will say everything for you
It is important to learn to control your body. Waving your arms, restlessness and excessive activity can only scare away your interlocutors. Just like excessive isolation, quiet speech and complete compression of the whole body will not produce the desired effect on the interviewer.
If the interviewee is overly expressive, he might want to bring something with him to keep his hands busy. You can stock up on a notepad and pen - if necessary, they will serve you well, for example, if you need to draw a graph. And it will be better if the interviewer sees the pen turning in the hands of the interlocutor than to take part in “fist fights”.
Those who are too shy are advised not to shrink in a chair, trying to completely withdraw into themselves, but to sit straight, with their hands on the table, and look not towards their feet under the table, but at the person opposite.
Eye contact is very important, and no one forces you to look your opponent in the eyes - just evaluate the bridge of your nose or the interviewer’s hairstyle.
Before the interview, you can practice in front of the mirror. It will tell you which actions it is better not to take, and which ones need additional work. The mirror will also help you choose the right clothes.
How to prepare for an interview
After a call with an invitation to an interview, joy sets in, but the state of euphoria quickly passes, and a state of excitement arises. And the closer the day of the business meeting, the stronger the pressure of anxiety and confusion.
But this condition is the norm. All people who want to get a job face it. And the vast majority of people survive such situations successfully. You need to remember this. The main thing is not to dwell on your fears, not to spin tragic scenarios in your head. Life doesn't end after an interview.
To understand how not to worry before an interview, you need to know the basic rules for preparing and conducting this event.
Aspects that help overcome anxiety before and during a business meeting:
- mental, psychological and emotional mood;
- choosing suitable clothing;
- theoretical training;
- elaboration and playback of possible scenarios for the development of events.
We tune in internally
Mental, emotional and psychological attitude includes three main points.
- Acceptance of probable failure. The upcoming meeting is not the last in life, even if life circumstances are difficult. Interviewing is a hiring process that millions of people go through, and rejection is inevitable. The main thing is to draw conclusions, learn from mistakes, and avoid repeating them in the future. Accepting rejection will allow you to take the event easier and focus on actual preparation, which will increase the chances of successful completion.
- Discharge. Scroll through your head about possible options for a negative development of events during a business meeting - you were kicked out, you said something completely stupid, the recruiter started laughing at you, etc. Think through as many options as possible, bring them to the point of absurdity. This approach will help throw out all the accumulated fears. You can discuss all options with family and friends.
- Play out the interview in front of a mirror - get dressed, say hello, sit down, rehearse your speech, answer questions. Look in the mirror at your position, gestures, behavior. Notice the negative aspects and correct them. You can invite a friend or relative to participate.
Choosing a suit
Confidence is greatly influenced by appearance and clothing. It is important to choose an official style that will fully comply with generally accepted rules. Read special materials on clothing requirements during interviews, ask friends who are more experienced in this regard.
If you have the opportunity, you can first visit the company where the business meeting is scheduled and see how the employees are dressed. Another important aspect of your appearance is that you should be comfortable and comfortable.
Collecting information
The more a person knows about the interview, the easier it is to control anxiety. Thorough preparation for an interview involves the following:
- Studying information about the purposes of the interview, techniques for conducting it, features, pitfalls. You need to get acquainted with the main stages of business communication, look at the most popular and common questions. To solve the problem, use articles, specialized literature, and videos about interviews.
- Development of your own resume and answers to possible questions. The method of training in front of a mirror is suitable here. Attention should be paid to complex issues - reasons for dismissal, advantages and disadvantages, expectations from a new job. You should not memorize answers according to a template, because the interview will not go according to the script. The interviewer will ask questions in the wrong order, their wording will be different, and unexpected developments in the conversation are possible.
- Drawing up questions to ask the recruiter - the specifics of the team, job responsibilities and functions, upcoming tasks, career prospects, reasons for searching for an employee.
- Studying the scope of activity, the specifics of the company. Be sure to check out the corporate website, social media groups, and news. Collect all possible information about the employer.
Let's get distracted by enjoyable activities
Simple actions will help against anxiety. You need to distract yourself and occupy your mind with something detached. The following are perfect for solving this problem:
- sport;
- hobby;
- walk with friends;
- communication with loved ones.
It is important to rest well the day before the interview and go to bed early.
We take a sedative
Now let's figure out how to cope with anxiety before an interview if all else fails.
In order not to worry, you can take sedatives before the interview:
- valocordin, corvalol;
- validol;
- valerian;
- Afobazole;
- Novopassit;
- Gerbion;
- Persen.
Before using any drug, read the indications. It is better to use proven remedies that you have used to calm yourself before. To check the reaction to the sedative, it is worth trying the remedy a few days before the interview.
Take enough time to prepare
Often the culprit for jitters before an interview is insufficient preparation. Remember, even at school it was not so exciting to go to the hated chemistry when the homework was done perfectly.
Do your homework before the interview: find out all the possible information about the company, prepare a business attire and think through the answers to questions in advance. And don’t put off preparing for an interview until the morning of the interview - set aside at least one leisurely evening for homework.
How to behave during a business meeting
Having figured out how to stop worrying before an interview, it is equally important to remain calm and collected during the meeting itself with representatives of a potential employer. There are several ways to overcome interview anxiety.
Recommendations will help you cope with interview anxiety.
- Time yourself to arrive at the meeting location early. Rushing and being late will cause anxiety. It is better to arrive 15-20 minutes before the appointed time. Be sure to bring water, a scarf or napkins with you.
- While waiting, examine the office environment. If possible, you can talk to the receptionist. Such actions will allow you to be distracted while you wait.
- When meeting the recruiter, be friendly and positive. Smile. This will relieve tension.
- During a conversation, it is important to monitor your breathing. Inhale and exhale before speaking.
- Speak clearly and take your time. If you feel nervousness coming on, pause and breathe.
- Shoulders, back and arms should be relaxed. Stay straight, don't "spread" on the chair.
- Do not twist objects in your hands. Often, a pen, ring, or other object that catches the eye is used to calm the person.
A lot during an interview depends on the experience of the recruiter. If you are worried, a specialist will quickly recognize this and take measures to defuse the situation. We are all human, recruiters are also worried and will treat your experiences with understanding. Excitement is a sign of the importance of the event, and this should also be taken into account when assessing a future employee.
Practice answers to common questions
A list of classic interview questions can be found in advance; all that remains is to prepare answers to them. Even if at the interview itself you don’t remember the prepared text word for word, you will have a rough plan of the answer in your head. And feeling prepared for the interview will help reduce anxiety.
Pay special attention to preparing answers to tricky questions: why are you leaving your previous job, what are your weaknesses, why the company should choose you, etc. One of the difficult questions will definitely be asked at the interview - be prepared. And if you think that you will be asked a brainteaser question during an interview, be sure to prepare for that too.
Is refusal scary?
This is the main point. By saying “I'm afraid of an interview,” a person means that he is afraid of being rejected. And the more self-sufficient he is, the easier it will be for him to endure this moment. Conversely, low self-esteem and painful pride make any refusal too painful. It’s no wonder that the applicant will do everything to avoid hearing it again.
You need to understand well that the competition is being held to fill a vacant position. To do this, the recruiter has to talk to dozens of different people. And he says the word no to each of them, except one lucky one. If you were refused, then rest assured that in addition to you, several other people heard the same answer. There's nothing wrong with this, it's just another step towards the moment when you take the desired position.
Analysis
After a failed interview, feelings of inferiority will persist for some time, even with good preparation. Candidates complain of a feeling of internal discomfort and indignation. Allow yourself to experience all these feelings, but then try to scroll through the interview almost frame by frame: how you entered, how you sat down, how you behaved and where you started the conversation.
It is quite possible that in the course of such work you yourself will find the reason for the refusal, and also have fun at how funny you looked. That is, it is advisable to learn a lesson from what you saw and heard. This will help a lot next time. Of course, you can say that the company simply does not deserve an employee like you. But this approach can hardly be called rational.
Restoring self-esteem
One of the effective techniques is to attend the next interview immediately. After a fall, performers in a circus are immediately sent back under the big top until they realize what happened. So here, you need to avoid a situation where you say: “I'm afraid of an interview. What to do?" Go to a lesser-known company whose managers are more loyal. Do this even if the position is not very interesting to you. This will provide an opportunity to emphasize your competence, as well as restore internal balance. That is, after listening to the manager, calmly explain why you decided to refuse this offer. Remember that not only are you chosen, but you also have the right to choose.
Why do we worry
Man is not only biology. It is consciousness and emotions that distinguish us from the animal world. The famous neurophysiologist and academician P. V. Simonov in the early 70s said that emotions directly depend on our understanding of what we want and how much we can predict the likelihood of achieving what we want.
Modern psychology explains that anxiety is based on two root fears:
- To be eaten. The most ancient type of fear that helped primitive people escape from predators. Of course, modern man has long ceased to face such danger, but the fear of the unknown remains. When faced with something that we cannot influence or control, we experience anxiety.
- To be disgraced. This fear comes from childhood. If a child did not have enough praise, he felt wrong, unloved, then as an adult he will evaluate himself exclusively from the position of someone else’s opinion. Praised and applauded? So I'm good.
From a scientific point of view, fear is associated with an increase in norepinephrine levels in the body and a deficiency of serotonin. Different areas of the frontal lobes increase or decrease the danger signal. Everyone can feel a certain degree of nervousness, but some quickly return to normal, transforming their excitement into action, while others become numb and cannot put two words together.
One way or another, everyone can cope with such a condition. Below we will look at simple methods for dealing with anxiety and worry.
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