Interviews are definitely one of the most stressful experiences one can go through - not only when it comes to job applications, but also in general! I remember my first online interview and I was a mess! However, with practice it gets better, I promise.
One of the biggest challenges that interviewees face is remaining calm. One is not to blame for being anxious - I think probably all people are. What is essential though is not showing it. Confidence is key during interviews. You are trying to display the best version of yourself after all and your emotions should not stay in the way. Here are some tips that have helped me over the years to overcome them:
- Breathing techniques: My favorite one is the 4-7-8 breathing technique which is best used before an interview to calibrate your breathing and heart rate. You can do it during an interview as well if you have a short break, but I do not recommend doing it if you do not have enough time! This is how it is done:
- First, let your lips part. Make a whooshing sound,
exhaling completely through your mouth. - Next, close your lips, inhaling silently through your
nose as you count to four in your head. - Then, for seven seconds, hold your breath.
- Make another whooshing exhale from your mouth for eight
seconds.
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Focus on the material and imagine that you are talking to yourself: I know - it does sound a bit ridiculous, right? However, with practice, it can work. Most of us inner monologues and most of us externalise it when we are practising ideas for an interview. It is not so hard when we do it this way, so why don’t we try to do the same when we are speaking with someone else? Do not space out and lose eye contact though- that makes it a bit awkward.
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Enter the "flow state": Remember that time in school when you were playing basketball and you could not stop scoring during a specific game? That is called the flow state. While it may be difficult to induce yourself to enter the flow state, it is not impossible with practice. It basically means that you are focusing all of your attention on the task rather than your emotions. This article may help you achieve it: Flow state: Definition, examples, and how to achieve it (medicalnewstoday.com)
