Are you stressing out about an upcoming job interview? If so, take at least some consolation in the fact that you’re not alone. It’s almost human nature to dislike that necessary process employers use to vet prospective employees. The good news is that there are concrete ways to minimize the fear factor before heading into the interview room. It’s a worthy goal because sharp-eyed HR staff can spot a nervous candidate a mile away.
What clues to they look for? Sweaty palms, shaky hands, choppy speech, uncomfortable body language, poor eye contact, and much more. In fact, you can eliminate all those negatives in a number of ways, none of which requires a major effort on your part. If there’s a job interview on your calendar, consider the following techniques that can maximize your performance and the chances that you’ll get the job.
Prepare
Spend at least an hour, preferably longer, in preparation for a sit-down meeting with a prospective employer. Find out the basics about the company, learn about the market in which they sell their goods and services, think about what your role would be as a new hire, and make a list of two or three points to mention to show off the fact that you prepped for the meeting. Employers routinely note whether a candidate was or was not sufficiently prepared for the talk, and they can easily spot an unprepared interviewee.
So, do your homework and be ready to discuss the company and its needs, rather than just your own desire to get the job. The practice of preparation can assist you once you land the job as well. Using Sunday to prep for the week is a common strategy for balancing professional and personal life, so the earlier you learn to incorporate this habit into your routine the better.
Banish Jittery Nerves
Nervous tension, no matter how temporary, can literally destroy your chances for acing an interview. HR pros look for signs of nervousness and often interpret excessive jitters as being unprepared. If you visit with a medical team and find out about how to use prescription propranolol for anxiety, you’ll never have to deal with the pitfalls of nerves during a job search. What’s the first step for banishing jittery nerves? Do an online visit with a medical professional and learn how beta blockers can eliminate obvious signs of raw nervousness, like shaky hands, a pulse rate that’s out of control, dry mouth (and trouble speaking), and more. When you work with trusted experts and leverage the power of safe, effective medicine, your job search will go much better.
Ask Questions And Take Notes
Have at least three memorized questions for the interviewer and do your best to come up with genuine points you want more information about. HR folks love to field questions about their companies, so asking a few is a great way to move the session forward to your advantage. Likewise, take notes during the meeting so you won’t miss relevant information. Note taking gives you something to do with your hands and demonstrates your active interest in landing the position.
Make Eye Contact
When speaking with the company representative during the interview, make direct eye contact, but be careful not to stare for too long. When the time is right, look at your notes for a second and then reconnect with the person’s eyes. This is especially important to do while they are speaking to you, rather than you to them.
*collaborative post