Five tips to calm job interview nerves

It's completely normal to feel anxious before and during a job interview. The trick is to work with these feelings to stop them from setting you back. If you can master your interview anxiety, the task of finding a job will be much less stressful. Here are a few tips to help you feel confident and quell any interview nerves you may have:

1. Visualise a positive outcome

Proper preparation and research prior to an interview is key to job interview success. Part of your preparation can be the practise of visualisation. To do this, spend some time picturing what the interview would be like if it was a complete success from start to finish. What will it look and feel like if you can answer questions smoothly and thoroughly, get on well with your interviewer and walk out feeling like you performed well? Practise this trick in the days leading up to your meeting and you may feel those interview nerves diminishing on the big day.

If you go into job interview dreading it and expecting the worst, you could very well be setting yourself up to fail.

2. Have well-planned responses

It's proven that you are less likely to suffer from intense interview nerves if you have practised your responses to common interview questions again and again. Be well practised but not to the point of sounding rehearsed and wooden. Know the basic points you want to make, but aim to convey them in a conversational way.

3. Get there early

Nothing is going to maximise job interview nerves and anxiety more than being rushed or running late for an interview. It doesn't look good on a professional level to your interviewers, but it also is stressful for you. Before your interview, make sure you know how to get to your interview, the names of the person (or people) interviewing you and what time you have to leave home to arrive at least 15 minutes early. Arriving early will give you time to run through your preparation one last time, but it also shows prospective employers that you can time manage accordingly.

Alternatively, if you see the interview as the first step into your future career, you will be more likely to shine.

4. Stay positive

If you go into job interview dreading it and expecting the worst, you could very well be setting yourself up to fail. Alternatively, if you see the interview as the first step into your future career, you will be more likely to shine. Don’t think of the interview as the be-all, end-all of your career plans – there will be other job openings in the future if it doesn’t work out and not everything rests on the interview you have coming up.

5. Rest well, eat well