Managing Interview Anxiety: A Comprehensive Guide

 Feeling confident and composed during a job interview can significantly impact your success. And almost everyone is nervous/anxious before an interview. In this blog post I will provide practical/actionable steps to help you navigate anxiety before, during, and after your interview.

Pre-Interview Preparation

1. Research the Company
   Start by immersing yourself in the company’s culture, mission, and values. Use their career page, social media accounts, and recent news to gain insights. Resources like Glassdoor and TeamBlind can provide valuable information on potential interview questions and best practices.
2. Analyze the Job Description
   Leverage tools like ChatGPT to align your experience with the job requirements. Paste the job description and your resume into ChatGPT, and ask the tool to identify overlapping themes. This will help you get a feel for where your skills most strongly align with the needs of the role. This is just to get the juices flowing and get you to think about your fit for the role. In addition, ask GPT to generate practice hypothetical and behavioral interview questions based on the job description.
3. Prepare for Common Questions
   Tackle common questions like “Tell me about yourself” or “Why this company?” by utilizing the key themes from your resume and job description. Focus on concise, one minute answers that highlight your role alignment.
4. Refine Behavioral Answers
   Identify key achievements from your resume and develop STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) examples. Start by outlining each example, then refine each section and repeat the refinement process. For added clarity, ask ChatGPT to review your examples and suggest any missed steps (this is a pro-tip and will really help, I promise).
5. Master Hypothetical Questions
   Prepare for scenario-based questions by asking ChatGPT to generate practice hypothetical questions for you. Use the CFAS (Clarify, Framework, Assumptions, Solutions) Method when preparing. Start to look for themes and develop some “go to” clarifying questions, frameworks, and assumptions. When practicing solutions, make sure you are being specific and diving into “how,” you would do it. 
6. Create a Cheat Sheet
   For video interviews, prepare a cheat sheet with:
   1. Themes for answering common questions (optional)
   2. Pre-planned clarifying questions, frameworks, and assumptions
   3. Behavioral answer titles for quick reference

7. Practice, Practice, Practice
   The best way to combat anxiety is by practicing your answers. Use tools like Practice Interviews AI interview app, record yourself, and practice with a trusted family member, friend, current/former colleague. And replicate the interview setting to build confidence.
8. Prepare Questions for the Interviewer
   Have a list of thoughtful questions ready to ask. Writing these down shows preparation and engagement while eliminating the stress of coming up with them on the spot. And focus on them! What do you love about the company, your role, your team, etc. Get them talking about themselves and they will like you more!

Day-of-Interview Logistics

1. Schedule Time Off
   If possible, take the day off work to focus entirely on your interview. This ensures you’re not distracted or rushed.
2. Outfit and Setup
   Choose your outfit in advance and ensure it’s ironed and ready. Check your interview setup for good lighting, a professional background, and reliable internet.
3. Food and Sleep
   Avoid heavy meals and excess caffeine on the day of the interview. Prioritize a good night’s sleep by avoiding late-night prep, caffeine, or alcohol the evening before.
4. Relaxation Techniques
   Spend the 30 minutes before your interview meditating or listening to calming music. And incorporate deep breathing exercises to slow down your heart rate and clear your mind.

During the Interview

1. Start with Strong Body Language
   First impressions matter. Smile, maintain good eye contact, and sit with confident posture (head up and shoulders back) to set a positive tone. Pro tip, confidence in you increases as you increase the distance between you and earlobe and shoulder, yup!
2. Listen and Clarify
   Ensure you fully understand the question before answering. Restate or reframe the question if necessary, to stay aligned with the interviewer’s expectations. 
3. Take Your Time
   If you need a moment to think, let the interviewer know you’re gathering your thoughts. Use your cheat sheet to identify the best examples or clarifying questions, frameworks, and assumptions to guide your response.
4. Adapt to Your Interviewer
   Adjust your approach to match the interviewer’s style. Whether they prefer a conversational tone or concise answers, mirroring their pace and tone can create a smoother experience.
5. Manage Physical Needs
   Plan breaks for bathroom and water between back-to-back interviews, if applicable. If needed, politely request a brief pause to use the bathroom! Sometimes interviewers are not aware you have been in back to backs!

Post-Interview

1. Reflect and Take Notes
   Immediately after the interview, jot down key points, questions asked, and areas for improvement. This reflection will help you prepare for future interviews.
2. Follow-Up Plan
   Before the interview, establish a follow-up plan with your point of contact. Confirm the feedback timeline, preferred communication method, and your intention to follow up if you haven’t heard back within a specified period.

Conclusion

Interview anxiety is common!!! And with thorough preparation, it doesn’t have to hold you back. Following these steps will help you approach interviews with confidence and composure. Remember, preparation is key, and practice makes perfect.

Good luck on your journey to interview success!