You’ve prepared for weeks, gone through dozens of practice interviews, and have finally landed a job interview for your dream job in your target company.
You enter the hiring manager’s office feeling confident, sit down and make small talk. It’s going well!
But as soon as the hiring manager asks the first question, your mind goes blank; panic sets in, and you struggle to form a coherent answer.
Freezing during an interview is a familiar story for many job applicants. Job interviews can be nerve-wracking experiences. The pressure of presenting ourselves as the perfect candidate often leads to stress and anxiety.
However, there are practical and effective strategies anyone can learn to calm their mind, manage their stress and anxiety levels, and ultimately improve their chances of success.
Let’s take a look at how you can manage your stress and anxiety to help you overcome academic stress in job interviews.
Read on for some tips on how you can put your best foot forward and go over some effective preparation and mindset techniques.
Preparation Techniques
Academic stress can be anything that triggers tension, called stressors, that can negatively impact a person's academic growth. While academic stress is a well-known risk factor for students' depression, the condition is not limited to students or people in the academe.
Sometimes, job applicants experience academic stress during job interviews, especially for high-level positions. In this highly competitive world, academic stress is quite common.
Adequate preparation is crucial to overcoming academic stress in job interviews. By preparing strategically, you can increase your confidence and reduce stress and anxiety.
Here are some practical preparation techniques to help you get started:
1. Research the institution and position.
Did you know that an alarming 47% of job recruiters would reject a candidate with little to no knowledge about the company they’re applying for?
Researching the institution you’re applying to and the position you’re interviewing for can help you tailor your responses to align with the organization’s expectations.
Understanding the institution’s mission, values, goals, job description, and requirements conveys that you’re genuinely interested in the position.
2. Practice responses to common questions.
Anticipate the questions you will likely be asked in the interview and practice your responses. If you come to the interview prepared, you’ll feel confident, and it will show. You’ll be able to answer any questions the hiring manager will throw at you.
Common job interview questions generally include “Why are you interested in this position?”, “What separates you from other candidates?” and “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”
3. Prepare to give examples.
Thinking of specific examples that showcase your skills and achievements may help you provide concrete evidence of your abilities and demonstrate how you’ve utilized them.
Citing examples can give the hiring manager a better understanding of your potential and may increase your chances of being viewed as a strong candidate for the position.
Preparing examples from your educational achievements and past work experiences allows you to connect with the hiring manager. Sharing similar experiences may increase your favorability and give you an edge over other candidates.
4. Rehearse your elevator pitch.
A person’s average attention span is 8 seconds. In other words, first impressions count! Get the hiring manager's attention, and don’t let it go.
Preparing a brief and compelling introduction that summarizes your skills, experience, and qualifications will allow you to dictate the pace for the rest of the interview.
5. Dress appropriately.
The clothes you wear can influence how you perceive yourself. However, how you dress can also significantly impact how others perceive you.
Dressing appropriately and professionally for the position and institution you’re applying to may help project a polished and professional image, making you stand out from other qualified applicants.
Mind Management Techniques to Take Charge of Your Mindset
Having the right mindset when you step into the interview room may help you project confidence and perform at your best. Here are some mind management techniques to help you overcome academic stress during job interviews:
1. Practice mindfulness.
Before your job interview, take some time to practice mindfulness. Calm your mind and focus on your breathing.
According to a Psychiatric Clinics of North America study, mindfulness techniques like intentional or conscious breathing may help modulate stress levels and other mental health problems like anxiety.
2. Think positive.
Negative self-talk and self-perception can be a significant source of stress and anxiety. And the more pressure you feel, the higher your stress level gets.
Instead of dwelling on negative thoughts and your weaknesses, try to reframe your mind in a more positive light. For example, focus on what you excel at or the experiences that make you a desirable candidate.
3. Visualize success.
Imagery is a potent tool. Visualizing yourself achieving success can “program” the body to perform optimally, resulting in more confidence and less anxiety.
Visualize yourself succeeding in the job interview and imagine how it would feel to be chosen among the many qualified candidates. Doesn’t it feel good?
4. Be authentic.
While you want to put your best foot forward and stand out, pretending to be someone you’re not can be exhausting and stressful.
Instead, focus on being true to yourself, on being authentic. People like the hiring manager will be more inclined to connect with you when you’re real.
The Value of Non-verbal Communication and Body Language
Yes, your verbal communication skills will help you during job interviews. However, non-verbal communication and body language also play a significant role.
Research suggests that up to 93% of communication is non-verbal and that these non-verbal cues convey much information about a person.
To ensure you make a positive impression in a job interview, you must pay attention to your non-verbal communication and body language. Here are some tips to consider:
1. Maintain eye contact.
Maintaining eye contact shows that you are engaged and interested in the conversation and will make the other person want to participate.
Avoiding eye contact may have the opposite effect and make you seem uninterested, dishonest, or nervous.
2. Sit up straight.
Sitting up straight conveys confidence and professionalism. On the other hand, slouching and fidgeting in a stressful situation like a job interview can make you feel more stressed.
3. Use appropriate gestures.
Speech and body language work closely together. Using gestures can help you communicate your points more effectively and convey enthusiasm. Conversely, the overuse of gestures or inappropriate gestures is generally distracting and takes away from your message.
Casey Bloom.