Candidates usually fear interviews and the various processes associated with it. Most of us get very conscious and nervous when we have to appear for a personal interview.
These emotions along with the underlying fear completely hamper your body language.
They make you sweat and straighten your curls while you are appearing for an interview. There may be many things that cause fear during interviews.
Here are some fantastic tips to overcome fear of interviews phobia.
Identify the Reasons for Fear of Interviews:
The fears need to be dealt early so that these gestures do not become a habit. For this, it is essential that you understand what exactly causes the fear of job interviews
1. Lack of preparation:
If you go for an interview without being completely prepared, you are bound to have fears. It is the fear of being asked questions for which you are not prepared.
This uncertainty usually nags the minds of individuals and prevents them from concentrating on what they know.
It also develops gestures and body language that have a negative impact on the minds of the interviewers.
2. Fear of not getting the job:
Many job seekers look for a good and well paying job because they have to support their family. The burden of that responsibility makes them need the job desperately. They always keep wondering what will happen if they don’t get the job.
The constant worry at the back of the mind causes fear and this affects their interview adversely. They feel desperate and get annoyed or worried if they fail to get a job. The worry reframes itself into underlying fear of not getting the job.
3. Fear of facing an interviewer:
There are many individuals who fear to face someone eye to eye. When they have to confront an interviewer face to face, they shy away and avoid situations like this.
Even shy and introvert individuals have to go through the ordeal of facing a job interview and they cannot escape it.
The fear of facing an interviewer reveals itself through lack of eye contact and excessive nervousness. Such individuals lose out on prominent opportunities because of their shyness.
4. Lack of confidence in oneself:
An individual’s life, childhood and upbringing are responsible for his self esteem and confidence in himself.
Individuals who are brought up in a strict and conservative environment usually lack confidence in oneself.
Lack of confidence is visible in an individual when he grows up. He may have drooping shoulders and lack of eye contact with individuals if he is not confident. Lack of confidence may affect an individual’s career in a very big way.
5. History of the previous jobs:
Very few people are blessed with stable careers in the present generation. Individuals frequently change jobs and you never get to see people stay in the same job for 20-30 years.
In such a scenario, individuals who lose their jobs due to lack of performance also lose their confidence in themselves.
The insecurities of a volatile job life makes him scared and nervous. This fear gets visible during the future interviews. It prevents him from making a good impression during interviews.
Eliminate or Get Over the Causes of Fear in Interviews:
Once you eliminate the causes of fear in an interview, you are sure to bag the job easily. Here are some suggestions that will help you eliminate the fear from its root.
1. Go fully prepared:
You need to know what you know when you are heading for an interview. The best approach would be to thoroughly prepare for the interview so that you know answers to all the questions posed to you. This approach is sure to add confidence in you.
The interviewers are people with years of experience in the field. Even if you prepare thoroughly for the interview, you may still be posed with a strange question to which you do not have an answer.
In such circumstances, you must be able to boldly accept that you do not know the answer to the particular question. A confident no implies that you are sure of what you know and what you don’t.
2. This is not the last job opportunity:
Do not foster the fear of not getting this particular job. The job you are applying for may be good but not the only job. There are multiple job opportunities you come across each day. You need to understand that this is just one of the many jobs.
You should not give the job more significance than it deserves. This is the only way to eliminate the fear of not getting the job.
3. Meet the interviewer eye in eye:
If you really wish to make a good impression, you must meet the interviewer eye in eye. If you have fear of facing people or are slightly shy, you need to practice in front of the mirror regularly. You may even act out the whole scene in front of your friends and loved ones.
Continuous practice eliminates the fear and helps you meet the interviewer eye in eye without any hesitation.
The benefit of rehearsing the whole scene many times is that you do not feel like it is a big thing when you appear for the actual interview.
4. Pride over your successes:
Success and failure are part of life. It is quite possible that you have been fired from the previous job and this makes you lose confidence.
At this point, you need to gather your strength by recalling all the past occasions when you succeeded in your career. You should pride over the past moments of victory.
Identify your strengths and plus points. You should approach the interviewer with your head held high. A few failures should not break you. You should still be strong enough to explore new opportunities and accept new challenges.
5. Stay motivated:
People around you should not affect the way you think. You need to stay cheerful and motivated when you head for a job interview.
You must lend a deaf ear to the demotivating speeches of near and dear ones because these aren’t helping you in any way.
Your focus should remain performing well in the interview. If motivational speeches help you, listen to them. You may even read some nice books by great men that will perk you up a bit.
These are just ways to eliminate the basic fear that hampers confidence in many individuals. There are some measures you need to take to build your confidence further. These steps will help you eliminate your hesitation completely. Check them out:
6. Dress perfectly:
If you look good, half the impression is already made in the interview. You need to make sure that you dress perfectly and groom yourself well so that you cast an impression on the interviewer at the very first glance.
Select a formal attire of a subtle shade that suits the interview. Make sure your nails are cut, your hair is well combed and your shoes are perfectly polished.
Use a mouth freshener before entering the interview room. Carry a deodorant along if your armpits stink. You may also carry a packet of tissues along with you.
7. Eat properly:
Do not skip meals just before the interview. It may cause you to burp during the interview and this can cause a bad impression.
Skipping meals may also cause a headache or stomach ache during the interview and you will not be able to perform your best with these problems.
8. Sleep well:
Every adult individual requires 6-8 hours of proper sleep. This is vital if you want your mind to perform properly.
Lack of sleep causes anxiety and tension and this may affect your performance at the interview. Lack of sleep also leads to fatigue and tiredness. It is best if you sleep early and have a proper sleep the day before you go for the interview.
9. Schedule the plan for the day beforehand:
You need to plan at least a day in advance the activities for the day of the interview. Plan the various activities of the day like:
- When you will wake up?
- How you will travel to the location?
- What all you will carry along with you?
Make sure you have a copy of the documents you need to carry. Take a printout of the resume beforehand. If the location is far away and you need to travel by crowded buses and trains, it would be wise to carry an extra pair of clothes.
You need to look fresh when you go for an interview. Make sure you wear a watch so that you can keep track of time. You must avoid having junk food on the way as it has a very bad impact on the digestive health.
If you reach on time and do everything right, there is really no reason to fear and the interview will be a cakewalk for you.
