What Interview Nerves?
12 Oct 2017, Posted by in Career Development, Job Interview
Your opportunity has finally arrived. The chance to impress is here and you’ve been gunning for this moment ever since you can remember. Your prospective employer now wants to meet with you but there’s that elephant in the room.
As hard to believe as this might seem, you are not the only person who gets that huge and paralyzing knot in your stomach. Even seasoned professionals who have interviewed for pivotal roles throughout their career get an attack of the dreaded interview nerves.
Imagine channeling this nervous energy into spending time preparing for the interview itself and not feeling anxious or scared to death.
Remember…. the interview is not just about YOU!
While the meeting is your chance to impress and leave a mark with your prospective employer, it’s also an opportunity for you to see whether this is a company or manager you would like to work for. There is a significant amount of pressure and expectation on the hiring manager or interview panel to eventually make the right choice. If they don’t, then it’s on them….
This is now a moment for both parties to determine if there is a mutual amount of common ground between what you as the candidate is looking for and what the company is seeking to secure. Remember, every other candidate is also feeling nervous and almost always because they see the interview as one-way traffic. You need to realize that it’s always a two-way streak.
Do you know your why? What about your SWOT?
While there has been much discussion and international recognition in business circles about a company’s ‘why’, very little thought is given to a person’s ‘why’. You need to know that in the majority of interview situations, you will be asked about what makes you tick? Why is it that you do what you?
What about your SWOT? Do you know what your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats are? If not then you should and maybe even start with this first, then move on to your ‘why’. Working your way through these key areas will give you the kick in confidence you so desperately seek when preparing for an interview. After all, who else knows you better, other than your mum.
Preparing for the Unknown
While you feel that you meet the essential criteria which the prospective employer has indicated are crucial in securing the position, there are always ‘other’ expectations which they are also focusing on. In addition to this, you don’t know who you’re competing with for the top prize. What hidden or undisclosed issues are also driving the interview process or their motivation for a successful outcome? These are items which you can turn to your advantage and which can very quickly become an asset for you. So, do your research on the company, its products and/or services, its competitors and the market it operates in. For example, what industry specific opportunities are there? and what threats await the company and/or the industry?
Doing the necessary ground work before you go in for your interview will be your key to a successful outcome and remember, experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want. Learn from every interview experience regardless of outcome and gain the confidence to believe in yourself but don’t forget, you’re only human and tomorrow’s another day.