The Top 5 Ways to Stop Interview Nerves

An interview can be an intimidating experience. Partly because often you want the job very badly and thus you feel like you are going to walk away just a little bit of a failure if you don't get it, and partly because you are putting yourself on display and will have to answer questions that you will have fired at you.

Let's look at the ways in which we can get a handle on those interview nerves and stop them in their tracks.

* Preparation is a key element. Do as much research on the company as you can before you arrive. Look them up on the internet and understand what they do, their position in the market and who their competitors are. This works at whatever level you are seeking a position and for whatever role. If you are looking at working behind a counter, understand that shop's place in the market or if you want to be a top legal assistant, again look at the firm and what its ethos is.
* Although you cannot prepare for every question that will be asked of you at interview, you can do some groundwork and at least have some likely answers ready. Key areas will be what you feel you can bring to the role, how you think your previous experience relates to what they are looking for, your strengths and of course those darned weaknesses. When you are preparing your answers try to think particularly of the role for which you are being interviewed. You know what was outlined in the job vacancy, have a think about what skills and experience you have that could demonstrate how well you could do this new role. When asked about your weaknesses, try and suggest something that maybe at one time was a weakness, but which have now overcome and how you did it. Alternatively put something forward that could have both a negative and a positive spin. For example, 'one of my weaknesses is that I tend to take on too much however, I have learned to handle this through prioritization and where applicable delegation.
* On a practical level always find out the location of the interview in advance and make sure you have your route well mapped out, and that you know where the nearest parking or public transport is located. If possible visit the location a couple of days beforehand so that you know the route. On the day itself, leave in plenty of time and make sure you are not late. Even if it means getting there an hour before and sitting in a cafe round the corner for 50 minutes, do that. Not only is lateness a huge negative mark against you at interview but you don't want to be all stressed and hot and bothered when you arrive. You want to walk in calm and collected, you may have butterflies, but the world would not know it, as far as they are concerned you are in control.
* Dress and body language: Make sure that you are dressed smartly and appropriately for any interview. The company itself may have a dress-down policy but at interview stage you want to err on the side of caution and show yourself at your best. That said, make sure that the clothes you are wearing fit well and that you are comfortable in them. There is nothing worse that a too tight collar or a skirt that twists around constantly, to make you feel uncomfortable. When you first shake hands with the interviewer, do so with a firm grasp and throughout the interview keep eye contact and try not to fiddle with your hair, jewelry or clothing. Also nerves can get the better of our speech and we can either start muttering very quietly or talking at breakneck speed at the top of our voices. If you know that this is sometimes an issue for you, keep taking deep breaths and focus on the speed and volume at which you are talking. All of this seems a lot to be thinking about but after a couple of interviews it will seem like second nature.
* Lastly, the key thing to remember is that whilst you are being interviewed for a role, you are also interviewing the company to see if it is right for you. Now I know this might seem an impossible dream when you are really desperate for a job, but coming from this standpoint does give you a mindset of greater confidence. Thus, you also need to ask pertinent questions of the interviewer about the company. For example, ask about its direction, its levels of success, why the role became vacant and about other members of your prospective team. If you approach the interview in this way you take back just a little feeling of control for yourself and can approach the interview as a two way dialogue.

With these points in mind you should be a lot calmer as you approach the interview process. Even if you are not successful the first few times, you are gaining experience and confidence at every step, and remember you are not just looking for a job where you are right for the company, but where the company is also right for you.
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