1. Preparation is your friend!
Job interviews can make anyone nevous. Being prepared can help you manage your nervousness. The two previous guides helped you prepare for the questions you might receive as well as preparing questions yourself. But you can also prepare yourself mentally:
- What calms you down?
- What do you do in other situations where you are nervous? Can you use some of the same tricks?
The Student Counselling Service has some good tips for test anxiety, which might also help you.
2. Practice, practice, practice
Practice makes perfect as the saying goes. And it might actually help you to practice the job interview. Try your presentation on a friend, have them ask you questions, so you can try actually saying your answers out loud and telling someone else your good examples. You are also welcome to book an appointment and practice the interview with us.
3. Get your body to help you!
Body language affects how others see us, but it can also change how we see ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy shows how “high-power poses” - standing in a certain pose - can affect the way you feel and increase your chance of success.
Watch the poses in the video:
4. Define the success criteria!
Your success criteria should be something you can actually control. “Getting the job” is a big criterion on which to base your success. Is that actually within your control? It's not only your performance, but also the performance and assessment of others that will determine whether you get the job or not. A succes criteria could be doing something you find difficult.
Here are some examples:
- Asking 3 questions
- Having an open body language
- Give the presentation of myself that I have prepared
- Look people in the eye when I answer their questions
5. Bring notes
Do you usually bring notes to exams to help yourself? Do the same at the interview. You will not look bad for doing this. On the contrary - you will look well-prepared.
Note down some keywords or some major points you want to make sure you get across. And note down answers to the hard questions, so you can make sure you answer them the way you rehearsed.
6. Say it out loud!
Are you still nervous? That's totally OK! Instead of trying to hide it, try telling them: "I'm really nervous because I really want this." We can all respect this and then you don't have to try to hide it.
Good luck job hunting!