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How to Cope with Job Interview Anxiety
If you are an adult in the 21st century and not living an indigenous life in an unmapped jungle in some remote corner of the world, there is a lot to be anxious about. Some are trivial -flying, exams, relationship issues- while others are extremely serious – existential dread, bills, toxic people in online games- and none should make you feel bad about yourself, but if you are about to be interviewed for your dream job and not feeling even a sprinkle of anxiety, it is quite likely that something is wrong with you. Now, having established that nothing is wrong with experiencing job interview anxiety, let’s talk about the correct way of approaching this feeling, as well as the things you can do to keep it at healthy levels.
How Do We View Stress?
“Stress isn’t always harmful… Once you appreciate that going through stress makes you better at it, it can be easier to face each new challenge.”
These are the words of Kelly McGonigal, a lecturer at Stanford and program developer for the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education. Basically, the way we think about stress directly affects our reaction to it, which means viewing it as harmful might lead us to find coping mechanisms that are actually more harmful than stress- procrastinating, imagining worst-case scenarios, or turning to certain substances to name a few. This is why McGonigal thinks embracing stress is actually more important than reducing it, as it will encourage us to find better -and more productive- ways of dealing with it. So, as your first step, stop seeing stress as some kind of horrific entity, and instead try to accept it as a normal human condition- which it is.
Remember: You’re Not the Only One
Yes, it sounds a bit like the opening line to a cheap self-help book, nonetheless, it’s true- you are not alone. We sometimes tend to forget it, but everyone experiences stress for a variety of reasons, and your fellow candidates are certainly experiencing it for the very same reasons you do. That, by the way, means the people who will be interviewing you are no strangers to it either. For them, it’s nothing new, and perfectly understandable.
Write Down Your Negative Thoughts
If you have ever tried it, you probably know that writing down your thoughts in detail and thinking them over is one hell of a self-therapy. (If you have never tried it, now would be a good time to start!) As we have previously stated, it is normal to have anxiety and negative thoughts. The important thing is to be able to approach them with reason and clarity. This is where writing comes in. Write down every negative thing that goes through your mind about the job interview. Be very specific. Then, going over them, try to view them objectively, and ask yourself if they really make sense or not- you’ll find out some of them do, while others do not. And if they do, think about what can or cannot be done about them. This exercise will help you put a much-needed distance between yourself and the negative thoughts, helping you see what really needs attention.
Give Mindfulness a Chance
Mindfulness can be described as being aware of yourself and your surroundings; to be present at the moment, fully engaged with whatever it is you are doing. There are a lot of ways to practice mindfulness, most of which can help you with your anxiety.
Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t, and what works for some obviously might not work for others, which means you will need to do some discovering here, and that should be a joy in itself! You can try meditation (there is a reason people have been doing it for thousands of years!), take a brief walk, or maybe set aside electronics for a while and just focus on yourself. Find what feels good for you and do it more often.
Consider Getting Help from a Professional
If you feel it’s getting more and more difficult to handle stress, please consider consulting a professional. We know that in this day and age job interviews are not the only source of anxiety for young people, and things might easily get out of hand under certain circumstances. This blog post might help you in some way -we hope it will- but it certainly is not the same thing as getting professional help.
You can find a therapist that will go over this with you. We also offer professional mental counseling and stress management services. If you’d like to learn more, you can visit this page.
More Prepared You Are, Less Anxious You Will Be (Use Stress as a Booster!)
It is well established that preparation increases confidence. In other words, you can use your stress as fuel, and overcome it by preparing yourself for everything they might throw at you during the interview- cover more space, and there is less in the dark. Just close your eyes and picture yourself stepping into that room, walking straight with confidence, feeling so ready that nothing can really surprise you… Feels good, right? It is not that easy, but certainly achievable, given that you work hard enough and prepare yourself for the interview the best way possible.
Closing Notes:
In closing, here is a brief list of reminders to keep in mind, especially as the interview day approaches:
- Try not to consume too much coffee before the interview, and be careful with what you eat- no heavy meals!
- Don’t force yourself to calm down- doing this will usually take you in the opposite direction!
- Don’t get lost in your thoughts. This is what anxiety does to people- it makes them withdraw. Focus on your surroundings instead, be aware of what’s going on around you.
- Talk! Talk to your friends, with the people around you, with the other candidates… Even a meaningless chit-chat will make you feel better.
Latest Posts
How to Cope with Job Interview Anxiety
If you are an adult in the 21st century and not living an indigenous life in an unmapped jungle in...
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Latest Posts
All You Need to Know About Being a Flight Attendant
It is a bit of a shame that the first definition Cambridge Dictionary gives you for flight attendant is “someone...
How to Cope with Job Interview Anxiety
If you are an adult in the 21st century and not living an indigenous life in an unmapped jungle in...