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Dealing With Interview Anxiety

TIPS

  • Treat your interview like a final exam. If you prepare well, the test will be easy.
  1. Study an interview book or interview strategies on the Web.
  2. Research the company and the career field well.
  3. Write out answers to possible questions.
  4. Students should attend an interview workshop at the Career Center.
  • Practice makes progress. The more you interview (including a practice interview at the Career Center), the more comfortable and polished you will become.
  • Remember that everybody experiences some level of interview jitters. You are not alone.
  • And keep in mind that the interviewer does not hold all the cards and that you are evaluating the job and the company, as well. You will not truly know if you want the job, or if you want to work for a particular organization, until you have had at least one interview and have had a chance to evaluate the pluses and minuses of this opportunity. Remember that the interview is an opportunity for you to ask questions and to find out if the "fit" is right for your skills and interests, your personality and your long-term goals.

 EASING YOUR INTERVIEW ANGST

If you have gotten as far as an interview, the company already believes that you probably have the skills to succeed in the job. Though they will probe for strengths and weaknesses, more often than not they want you to succeed in the interview, and they're giving you the opportunity to demonstrate that you will be an able, conscientious and motivated employee. While the company has much to lose by making a poor decision, you have everything to gain and almost nothing to lose during the interview process.

REMEMBER

  • Solid preparation for each interview will ease some of your jitters.
  • While you must focus your attention on what you have to offer the company, you are meanwhile evaluating the company to determine the right "fit" with your skills, your personality and your short- and long-term goals. You do hold some of the power in this process.

RESOURCES

Sweaty Palms: The Neglected Art of Being Interviewed available at the Career Resource Library.