Employment Interview Jitters Part 1 – 10 Interview Tips

Your resume and application were excellent and you get called for an interview. Suddenly, you are hit with a severe case of interview jitters, that panicky feeling that is hard to define, but is there nonetheless.

Here are 10 tips to help you get over those feelings ahead of the interview.

1) Dress nearly new. We don't mean go and buy really expensive clothes, but do wear something you are comfortable in and is appropriate for the interview. 

2) Have a dress rehearsal. A day or two before the interview, dress up and go to the location at the same time as the meeting will be. If necessary, do it a few times until the trip seems routine to you.

3) Read your résumé to someone. Ask a friend to hear you read your résumé and ask questions about it. Their questions may not be what the interviewer will ask, but it gives you practice of talking about your career choices.

4) Why do you want this job? It may be obvious to you why, but have you ever said it in words? Writing or talking to someone about why you want the job will allow your thoughts to be clear.

5) List your top 10 strengths. What are you good at? You may be asked this directly in the interview, but even if not, writing this list will allow your subconscious to pick up on it as you talk. If you feel like doing more than 10, by all means do so.

6) List 3 weaknesses. Again, you may or may not be asked. Keep in mind that weaknesses are areas for improvement and growth.  And we all have them and we all are a work in progress.  Don’t over play them, speak to them in the interview as tools for growth and move forward. 

7) Give yourself time. The dress rehearsal will have helped you know how long it should take to get there, but on the day of the interview add extra time as a contingency. Sitting in the car or taking a walk for 10 minutes is better than arriving flustered just on time.

8) Remember, they are not the enemy. They want to employ someone, LIKE YOU. They want you to show them why they should employ you. The questions are your opportunity to shine. 

9) Practice listening. One of the most annoying things for an interviewer is that the candidate that answers a different question than the one that is asked. So practice active listening by asking a friend to read to you and then responding with what you heard from the words.

10) Live the experience. Whether they are smart enough to offer you the job or not, the interview experience is valuable, so look forward to learning what works and what does not.

To learn more about our Career Services contact us today, we'd love to help you turn your interview jitters into a satisfying career.