Strategies for Overcoming Interview Nerves
By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
In this video, I’m going to discuss a number of strategies for overcoming interview nerves.
[00:00] Introduction
[01:11] Practice
[02:34] Be prepared
[03:26] Focus on NOW!
[04:22] Reframe your thinking
[04:46] Arrive a few minutes early
[05:18] Dress well
[05:53] Summary
[06:33] Outro
I Was Nervous on an Interview and Froze. Do You Think I Could Get Another Chance?
This video is entitled Strategies for Overcoming Interview Nerves. I’m Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter. I started to be called the Big Game Hunter when I still did recruiting. I hunted down leaders and staff organizations successfully, I did it for a long time. Now, I provide no BS career advice to people over the lifecycle of your career, which here relates to job search. It can also involve hiring more effectively, managing and leading better. Like I said, everything related to a career, so that this way, you move up, you get better results, you have an ally in your corner that you can talk to who will help you grow.
Now, I know from my experience in recruiting, how often people get nervous in advance of an interview. And I do believe with the right preparation and mindset, you can feel confident and perform world-class. So I’m going to cover a number of different things in this video to help you do that.
And the first one I want to remind you of is to practice. Every great athlete in the world practices, right? Every great entertainer rehearses. But Job Hunters tend to go on interviews, and the first time the words ever come out of their mouth are at the interview, and then you wonder why you didn’t perform well. So the more you practice, the more you rehearse, the more comfortable and confident you’re going to feel during the actual interview. Start by asking yourself, if you are them trying to interview you to figure out whether you are competent to do this job, what might you will be asked in order for them to figure that out? Also research the common interview questions and practice your answers. You know, you’re going to be asked, ‘Tell me about yourself’ or ‘walk me through your background?’ And you might as well have an answer rehearsed in advance that lasts about a minute, no more than a minute and a half, to this question so that in this way, you feel comfortable delivering your lines just like an actor does.
Unlike an actor, I’m not asking you to behave. I’m asking you to deliver yourself, present yourself in a way where they get you, where you feel comfortable with the material and you’re able to speak about your qualifications and experiences in a clear concise way.
And number two leads to be prepared. Make sure you thoroughly prepare for the interview. Research the firm & the position beforehand. I have other videos that cover those points. So you might as well go to some of my stuff at JobSearchTV.com and look for a playlist related to preparation. You’ll find a lot of great content there. And thus, you want to also you can speak your answers to questions and research the person you’re going to be meeting with and what their background is. Also bring a copy or two of your resume just in case they haven’t had a chance to print it out. It’s just a convenience. You don’t have to offer it up to them. But it’s something you carry with you just in case.
Is There An Easy Way to Get Beyond Pre-Interview Nervousness?
The third and this starts to become harder is to try to stay in the moment, your history, your past, your worries are irrelevant here. Focus on now. Focus on delivering your lines well. Take deep breaths and try to stay calm. Because it’s not just what you say that matters. It’s how you say it, how you deliver your lines that gives them the sense as to whether or not they believe in you, whether they can trust you, because they sense your confidence. So I’ll just simply say, imagine yourself at the end of an interview and you’ve delivered beautifully. Focus on the positive outcome. Try to project confidence and optimism. Put a big smile on your face when you meet people.
Next, if you still have any case of stinking thinking, try to reframe your thoughts and instead of thinking of “Oh,” the worst negative outcomes, “oh terrible,” focus on the potential positive outcomes. You’re prepared. You have the skills and qualifications. All you want to do is deliver your lines.
Next, arrived a few minutes early. Now this could be true if you were going to be interviewed on camera or in person in person. It gives you time to find the building, to park if that’s the way you’re going. If you’re going by subway, avoid delays because sometimes there are. People do get lost from time to time. It’s going to help you be on time because you don’t like being kept waiting. And certainly they don’t like being kept waiting either.
Last point I want to make is about dressing well. Now on camera that’s really about from here up. But in person, it’s your full wardrobe. And it’s about dressing well, for that firm and its culture. Dressing in a suit for a creative job may not be the way to go. Probably isn’t. But dress professionally for that organization. And that you look well, your stuff fits you well, it’s going to help you present as being polished and effective.
Let me just sum up by saying, being a little nervous is natural. And these strategies are going to help you. Remember, you know, it’s not just what you say that matters. It’s how you carry yourself. And with preparation, positive visualization, arriving on time, meaning a few minutes early, you’re going to be able to get through this interview well and make a great impression. Even if they don’t hire you, you always want to be creating a great impression. And this is going to help you going forward for other interviews too.
I hope you found this helpful. I’m Jeff Altman. Visit my website, TheBigGameHunter.us. There, if you have questions for me, you can ask by going in the Schedule button which I think there was a blue button that says schedule, scheduled Trusted Advisor Services, book a half hour with me, I’d be happy to help you.
If you want me to help you longer term, look at my coaching work. It’s paid coaching, of course, and schedule time for a coaching session with me. I’d love to help you. And I’ll also say at the website, there’s a ton in the blog that can help you. Plus you can schedule time . . . well, my courses, books and guides, a lot of the courses relate to interviewing, and the one I’ll mention to you is The Ultimate Job Interview Framework. It is very very good.
Lastly, connect with me on Linkedin at linkedin.com/in/TheBigGameHunter. Have a terrific day and most importantly, be great!
Words to Lose and Words to Use
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter is a coach who worked as a recruiter for what seems like one hundred years. He is hired to provide No BS Career Advice globally. That can involve job search, hiring staff, management, leadership, career transition and advice about resolving workplace issues. Schedule a discovery call at my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us
He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with over 2500 episodes.
Website: www.TheBigGameHunter.us (schedule a paid coaching session, a free discovery call or ask questions using my Trusted Adviser Services)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/TheBigGameHunter
Courses: www.TheBigGameHunter.us/courses
Main YouTube: www.JobSearchTV.com
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#jobsearchtv #interview #nervous
