How to stop worrying before an interview and pass it successfully?

How to calm down your anxiety and turn on your mind?

Questions like these haunt most people.

For many, an interview is one of the most psychologically difficult moments. It is extremely difficult for people to cope with their anxiety and fear, which neutralize the ability to think soberly.

The state before and during a job interview becomes like torture. As a result, emotions take over, and the applicant is left with nothing.

In this article we will find out how to stop worrying before an interview and pass it successfully.

Have you ever wondered what causes these experiences?

Why do events such as an interview, exam, or public presentation make you feel nervous and anxious?

Let's figure it out.

Reasons for anxiety before an interview

Excitement and anxiety are, first of all, the desire to be on top, to definitely like it and get a positive result. An insecure person often has a fear of rejection.

He craves approval, and without receiving it, he falls into worries and criticism of himself. If something does not go as planned, he experiences a sharp drop in self-esteem.

Mixed in with this is the fear of looking stupid or appearing incompetent. Which adds even more self-doubt.

In addition, it happens that an applicant for a new position is afraid of not being able to cope with new responsibilities. Or he is afraid of the changes that will follow in his life in connection with taking a new job.

All this together becomes a source of nervousness and anxiety before the interview. And of course, it does not at all contribute to success.

Ways to cope with anxiety and fear

Let's start with the most important thing - let's reduce the significance of a successful result. In order for this to happen, you need to accept all options for the development of events, including the unsuccessful one.

Even if failure seems completely unacceptable, this is also a result. Life doesn't end after it.

It is important to force yourself to perceive the interview as a game that can be won or lost equally.

Then you will be able to relate to it much easier and not get hung up on how everything will go.

To feel more confident, it is advisable to study sample questions that HR representatives usually ask. Read them on the Internet and try to rehearse your answers.

This way you can be on the safe side and not be taken by surprise.

Rehearsing the upcoming interview has a stronger effect. To do this, invite someone close to you and play out the upcoming event together in order to rehearse your behavior, and at the same time, answers to questions.

You will see that the emotional intensity will subside a little, and it will immediately become easier.

Our fear protects us from stress, so it is better to accept it and try to negotiate with it. Explain to yourself that fear is a self-preservation instinct that tries to protect you from a threat.

But an interview is not a threat at all, but just a necessary procedure before hiring and there is nothing fatal there.

Mentally explain this to your fear, thank it for taking care of you and let it go.

Another way to relieve emotional stress before an interview is to distract yourself. Do something enjoyable - go to a party, play football or do something enjoyable for yourself.

Do something that is guaranteed to distract you from anxious thoughts and negative scenarios.

But it’s still not worth going too far and going to great lengths. Otherwise, the consequences may negatively affect the upcoming interview.

Secrets of a successful interview

First of all, this is the ability to give the impression of a confident person who really has something to offer his future employer.

It is important to appear calm during an interview. A straight back, an open gaze, a relaxed posture are the first signs of self-confidence.

It is quite difficult for a person who is worried to live up to such an image. But with some effort, it won’t be difficult to learn.

Try to take on the role of someone who is the standard of confidence for you. Perhaps this is a film actor, a politician, or just a successful person you know.

Being forewarned means you are in control of the situation. first of all it is necessary collect as much information as possible about the company where it will take place. Of course, the interviewer should tell you about the scope of activity and immediate responsibilities, but not everyone will be confident in their own abilities when entering an unknown river. It is important to know how long the interview will take, about this

Also need try to anticipate a list of questions in advance, which the interviewer will ask. Usually the interview is of a standard nature, so it can be easily found on the Internet. So, armed with a list, you can ask a loved one to be in the place of the leader.

At the same time, it is important to put all jokes aside. If the interviewee’s anxiety already makes itself felt at this stage, you need to repeat the interview again and again. It's like preparing for an exam: if you know the ticket well, you'll pass with flying colors!

It will be useful to get to know the staff if you can find this information on the Internet. The feeling that all people already know each other will help relieve tension and, if the outcome of the interview is favorable, help you quickly integrate into the new team.

Everything that is used by the body

How not to be afraid of a job interview? In order to be fully involved in the dialogue during a conversation and not think about abstract topics, you need to give up some food and medications a day before.

Foods that can cause discomfort are excluded from the diet. Too sweet, legumes and flour and laxative foods can cause bloating, which is not good for the interviewee. Alcohol, for example a glass of wine, although it will help you relax in the evening before the interview, drinking too much can have an adverse effect on the morning, and during the interview they will try to quickly say goodbye to you, promising to call you.

Refusing to eat is also not a solution. Without having breakfast, when meeting with a potential boss, he will most likely be able to hear not only the words of a successful and promising person, but also a serenade coming from a hungry belly.

In order not to trigger the nervous system, It is better to avoid drinking coffee and strong black tea, chocolate and a lot of sweets.

How to cope with anxiety before an interview? You should not take antidepressants - they can make you drowsy and disoriented, and the interview may seem like a chore.

So you have to avoid anything too spicy, salty or hot, giving preference to natural and easy to digest products.

Body language will say everything for you

It's important to study control your body. Waving your arms, restlessness and excessive activity can only scare off 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”.

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.

Music must flow from the lips

To overcome interview fears, it needs to be loud and clear. Sounds that are literally forced and intermittently pushed into freedom will not be appreciated, nor will a small voice. For relaxation and general calm, it is better to do breathing exercises.

Need it slow in five seconds, fill your lungs with air, hold it in and also exhale slowly. Do this exercise several times. At the same time, the body will be saturated with oxygen, breathing will be regulated, which will have a beneficial effect on speech.

It is worth paying close attention to what exactly will be said during the interview. You shouldn’t come up with complexly composed sentences - under stress, you can get confused in them.

So, now you know how to stop worrying before an interview and how to not be afraid of an interview. To do this you need to do the following:

1. Study the company, its field of activity, and, if possible, its personnel.
2. Pass the demo version of the interview, involve a loved one in this process who can point out mistakes.
3. Do not eat foods that may cause discomfort.
4. Work on your gestures.
5. Practice your speech.

The above tips will help you cope with yourself and successfully pass the interview.

How to overcome fear of an interview and prepare in general for an interview, watch the video:

What to do on the eve of a meeting with a potential employer? How to relieve stress? And is it even worth thinking about the upcoming test?

I have an interview tomorrow. Second in my life. Nerves are tense like strings on a guitar. The mood is minor. I quickly walk around the room, trip over furniture, swear, and move on. From the outside, I probably look like a trained animal running around the circus arena. For a circus dog.

I am not at all confident in my abilities and results. I read on some website that for every twenty unsuccessful interviews there is one successful one. Calmed down...

By one o'clock in the morning I understand that it is time to go to bed. I fall asleep at three with the thought that my fate will be decided during the day, and life will never be the same.

A familiar situation, isn't it?

We know that advice from practicing psychologists will definitely help all of us who are worried.

Yuriy Levchenko, candidate of psychological sciences: “The world will not turn over”

Don't think about results

What will be will be. This is the most important thing, because otherwise you will come up with something bad. You can't think of anything good. Therefore, it is better not to think about the results at all.

Enter a trance state

It is important to enter a trance state before the interview. Trance is an auto-training state when a person concentrates on some external signal: a light bulb, a sound, the sound of the wind. In this state, his brain produces alpha and delta rhythms. Have you seen a person, for example, smoking? He is also in a trance state if he is not chatting with anyone. Or, for example, a boy is driving a car, his mother calls, but he doesn’t hear her. Also a state of trance - a state of calm.

How to cause this condition? Try to remember something pleasant. Or about ice cream, or about swimming in the sea, I usually talk about women. What's nice for whom: for some it's a priest, for others it's a priest's daughter. In a trance state, your entire hormonal balance returns to normal.

You need to stay in this state for fifteen to twenty minutes. You may even doze off a little. Stirlitz dozed in his car for fifteen minutes and woke up. He was in a trance state. I calmed down.

Release serotonin

He fell, did push-ups, danced, jumped, did squats. During physical activity, in addition to the hormones that put us in a state of rage and anxiety, serotonin is also released - this is the hormone of joy. Stand in front of the mirror and dance, make faces, imitate animals, political figures, artists, anyone. Both facial expressions and movements will put you in an artistic state, which will be useful to you during the interview.

Don’t listen to any advice: breathing in a square, in a triangle, through the ear. It's simple: long breath. Take a deep breath, hold for 2-3 seconds and exhale 2 times longer than the inhalation. What's happening? Carbon dioxide accumulates in your blood. It goes to the pituitary gland. And endorphin is released from the pituitary gland. This endorphin is a drug. It even numbs you and gives you some euphoria. You will feel a little dizzy. Breathe like this seven to ten times. No more. After that, sit and drink tea and coffee in the kitchen. Do not drive for 20-30 minutes.

That's all. And then tell yourself: I do as I know, let it be what will be. The world will not turn upside down.

From a psychological point of view, our anxieties and worries associated with an interview are an evaluative dependence; we attach great importance to the result. And since the outcome of the interview is not something that is entirely up to us, uncertainty arises. Hence the worries, tension, stress.

You can deal with this in different ways. It is useful to master some methods of muscle relaxation and relaxation in advance. And you don’t need a specialist, there is enough information on the Internet.

The body can be either in a state of relaxation or in a state of tension and stress, but not at the same time. And if you know the appropriate techniques and can relax, then you will calm down on an emotional level. It is a fact. The problem is that you need to learn these techniques in advance.

But the most important thing is to form a certain attitude towards the interview. Do not give it excessive significance or dramatization. This is not a matter of life and death. The light did not fall like a wedge on this particular company and this job. But it is precisely these attitudes that unconsciously arise in people who are afraid to undergo an interview, are very worried and, as a result, fail.

Treat such things more lightly, try to mobilize, say: I will do everything that is necessary, and the rest will be as it goes. Remind yourself: I have strengths, I have something to say, but whether the employer and I are a good fit for each other or not will be seen. We must always remember that this is not the last opportunity and, perhaps, not the best, no one knows. Each such attempt should be considered as an experience that will teach you something. Each interview must then be analyzed and benefited from.

Treat the interview as a communication training, an opportunity to establish contact with new people, and a personality study. People who intuitively grasp these things tend to do well in interviews.

Relaxation techniques

Some relaxation methods have already been mentioned above. The first of them is associated with visualization, when you imagine pictures that are pleasant for you, the second with proper breathing, and the third with physical activity.

Art can also help you relax. Listen to your favorite music or play it yourself on some musical instrument, sing or dance. Watch a movie, read a book, or look at your favorite painting again. Everything that is pleasant and interesting for you will be useful for your psyche.

Have a laugh. Laughter is a wonderful thing. It can be useful not only in a comfortable situation for a person, but also in a stressful one. He is capable of saving lives, and he is even more capable of helping to cope with emotions.

Relax and unwind

It turns out that the main advice from experts for dealing with stress before an interview is to relax and have fun.

If you feel that your fear is so strong that it eats up your energy, positive emotions and enthusiasm, then just leave these thoughts and do something pleasant: go for a walk with friends, to the cinema, rollerblading or cycling, walk in the park . You will come to the interview not gloomy, but joyful and calm - and your chances of getting a job will increase several times.

Based on materials from Arguments and Facts

FinExecutive Russia website 2019-12-23

How to overcome fear and anxiety before an interview?

Each of us has experienced anxiety before and during an interview. Sweaty palms, uncertain speech, trembling hands and “everything has flown out of my head” - isn’t this about us? The most offensive thing is that the more desirable the vacancy, the more fears, the sadder the result. What to do? Here are some tips from FinExecutive to help you calm your nerves and land your dream job.