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How to put the kibosh on your interview nerves

by Harriet Clark June 05, 2013
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​Interviews can be scary, no way to avoid it.  Clearly there are some über-people out there that feel no fear in front of an interviewer, but some of us experience varying degrees of nerves, from the mildly fluttering, to the all-out panic.  The most important thing you can do is to prepare thoroughly in advance – this means you won’t feel caught out on the day – take a look at Madeleine’s advice on preparing.  Even despite the preparation, people still get nervous, so I wanted to share my six secrets to squashing your interview stress:


  1. Get a good night’s sleep. This can be more valuable than any preparation so no partying till 3 am with your mates beforehand, get yourself rested and you’ll do fine.

  2. Eat a hearty breakfast.   We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day (according to mums everywhere) but it really does help you to think clearly and perform at your best, I recommend scrambled eggs.  Also try to avoid the caffeine – it makes you jittery and anxious.

  3. Think about the logistics. A sure-fire way to work yourself up is if you get lost en route to the interview and end up running to get there on time so plan your route in advance and give yourself plenty of time to arrive.

  4. Assume a ‘power stance’. Some research by Amy Cuddy suggests that assuming a power stance (try a star shape, stretching out your limbs and looking to the sky) can help release confidence-boosting chemicals in the brain.

  5. Run some cold water over your wrists.  Might sound a bit odd but it cools you down and helps you to avoid any sweaty palms for that all-important handshake.

  6. Remember that ‘the worst that can happen’ isn’t actually that bad.   Try to put the interview into context, if you don’t do very well, it’s not the end of the world – this just wasn’t the right opportunity for you. 

That’s it. You’re done, so now schedule yourself something fun to do when it’s all over and wait for the phone call telling you that you've got a job!

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