Do Interviews Make You Nervous?
Here’s What to Do
By Catapult Leaders
Did you know that 93% of candidates are nervous before an interview?
We read an article recently about how to handle nerves in an interview.
When asked how candidates should handle the nervousness they feel before an interview, the recruiting executive featured in the article said that candidates should calm themselves down by telling the interviewer that they are nervous.
Don’t make us laugh.
We disagree with this advice.
One of the things that you are being judged on when you interview is how you handle pressure.
Depending on the role that you are interviewing for, interviewers are likely wondering:
- Can you keep your cool in a tense situation? (Pro Tip: A not-so-secret secret is that business – with its focus on profits and losses – can sometimes be a bit tense!)
- What would you do if an irate customer were yelling at you?
- Are you able to think quickly on your feet and handle a difficult situation professionally and with aplomb?
- How would you handle a sales pitch to a tough client?
Being able to handle occasional pressure is key to being successful in many jobs – from a customer service representative to a CEO.
As such, here’s the Catapult Leaders Way:
How to handle pre-interview jitters like a champ
When candidates ask Catapult Leaders how to handle pre-interview jitters, we tell them these 4 things:
-
Believe in yourself. The outstanding companies we work with wouldn’t be interested in interviewing the candidate if they didn’t already see a very strong fit between the candidate’s accomplishments and the exciting role they are trying to fill. You’ve got this! Believe!
-
Do your homework. The candidate should know everything publicly available about the company and the people who will be interviewing him/her. This information is readily available on the company’s website, the internet, and on LinkedIn. We know from our work with thousands of job candidates that the best interviewees (that’s you) have done the most homework. Plus – you should be highly motivated to do your homework since you’re considering dedicating a large amount of your professional life to the company. And, since you’ll be paid quite a bit of money if you nail the interview. (PS – Catapult Leaders’ interview prep is the best in the business. You’ll see if we work together. It’s also FREE to you.)
-
Practice until you can’t get it wrong. The candidate should rehearse the interview, answering the most commonly asked questions. The more comfortable the candidate is with her/his answers to these questions, the more comfortable s/he will be in the actual interview. Once the candidate has mastered his/her answers to commonly asked interview questions, s/he will be confident in her ability to answer unexpected questions on the fly. I’ll repeat: Practice Until You Can’t Get It Wrong!
-
Relax and enjoy the experience. At the end of the day, the interview is a conversation. Be confident. Be engaging. Ask questions. Show your personality. Enjoy the journey!
Our advice is not theoretical. We know it will work for you just as it has worked for the many job candidates Catapult Leaders has worked with over the years.
Now – Go. Get. Yours!
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Click Here to get your free subscription to Talented the Newsletter from Catapult Leaders that’s all about getting your dream job, keeping your great job, interviewing like a pro, writing great resumes, dealing with workplace stress, getting promoted, negotiating for more money, thriving while being “the only” or “one of the few” like you in your workplace, managing bosses, knowing when it’s time to move to a better job…and more!
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
