Mar 2, 2016
Nervousness is a major concern for a lot of people before interviews, especially those with little presenting or public speaking experience. Below we list our top 4 tips for overcoming this nervousness before an interview.
1) Take on constructive feedback
If you always want to be a nervous wreck and never actually find out how you come across in interviews, then a sure fire way is to never take constructive feedback on board. Both your recruiter and family and friends are the best people to ask about this. No one knows you better than the closest people in your life so why not ask them what your weaknesses may be so you can work on them and build your confidence. From a recruiter’s perspective, it is our job to ensure you get the role as it benefits all parties. If you meet a recruiter then they will be able to provide constructive feedback on how you presented in that interview, accept that feedback, don’t get your back up and get shirty as that is the exact attitude that helps you fail.
2) Practice, practice, practice
Do you think Tiger Woods was nervous when he stepped onto the tee at his first Master’s tournament? Of course, he was!! But the hours of practice he had put in gave him the ability to channel those nerves into positive energy. Practice means you can walk into an interview knowing you are prepared and knowing that no matter what, you have given 100% effort.
3) Preparation
This is a similar situation to the above. Obviously, you will feel nervous if you haven’t done your research on the company, interviewers, role, etc. To give yourself that confidence boost, spend more time studying then you will be prepared for the interviewer. In-depth research, not just a quick look at the company website. Look at the backgrounds of the interviewers, articles that include the company, think about how your experience relates to the job. All of this will mean that you will be able to walk into the interview with the knowledge you are prepared and will be able to wow them with your knowledge.
4) Self-Belief
Obviously, something that is tough to get if you have a nervous disposition, however, go into the interview with this thought: there is a reason why the manager has asked to interview you meaning they rate your skill set as written on your CV. This is a big boost, use this to build your confidence. It is also likely that you have done a lot of the tasks required for the job description, so all you have to do is talk about things you already know in a clear and concise manner.
