Beating nerves at graduate job interviews

Well so far I’m not exactly helping, but fear not, if you do suffer from nerves at graduate job interviews, and those that do can do so really badly, the explanation for nerves is perfectly rational, and also, so are the cures.

Speak to a psychologist and they will tell you that the root cause of all stress is uncertainty. We are indeed ‘creatures of habit’. The flipside of this is that we are naturally less comfortable with unpredictability and uncertainty. There are some paradoxical examples of where we enjoy the latter, a fair ground ride and extreme sports elicit certain extreme feelings and emotions which represent uncertainty, although in theses scenarios in the background is the ultimate feeling that safety really is a certainty.

With this in mind, it’s easy to see why graduate job interviews are so stressful. I will soon approach 40, and can confirm that job choices along the way are indeed life defining moments (sorry not helping again). They determine who you meet in life, maybe your partner, they determine how much you earn, what your day to life is like, where you’ll end up living, the list goes on. In addition, you’ve only just graduated, you’ve not done any interviews before, the whole process is completely new. The uncertainty just piles up and eats away at you.

The effects of nerves are numerous and can be devastating. Here’s some of the most common.

Talking faster, stumbling over words

Going red around the face and neck (see this a lot at interviews, blood pressure soars)

Increased perspiration, sometimes sweat dripping from face.

Memory failure…complete blanks on familiar subjects.

Stuttering

Talking quietly or mumbling

Clumsy, dropping things and fumbling through files.

There are many more. There are some simple and logical steps to reduce nerves. The first logical way to do this is to remove as many uncertainties regarding your job interview as possible.

Travel to the the graduate job interview venue in advance and time it

. On the day, add at least 30% to your journey time for safety. Travelling to a new venue where you’re uncertain of where you are going can really add to your nerves. In addition, dealing with the thought of arriving late if your journey goes badly can really finish your nerves off so allow lots of extra time.

Research your company thoroughly

. This applies to everything, know your potential employers business inside out, what they sell, how much they sell (there turnover), their profit, how many staff they have, what’s their mission statement. This is not difficult to do with the internet and will really boost your confidence.

Research your interviewer

. This can be done through calling up a present employee for innocent purposes to ask what the company and job is like, ask questions about the business generally. Once you have built up some rapport, ask about the boss, is he formal or informal, more extrovert or introvert etc. The more you know what to expect, the uncertainty decreases. You may even be able to ask about their interview for an inside insight on what to expect. Your recruitment consultant should also be able to help here.

Exercise before  a graduate job interview

. In my opinion this is the most powerful nerve buster. Your body contains natural drugs called endorphins which are released on mass following exercise. If you are the active sort, you will be familiar with that overpowering feeling of relaxation after a work out and a shower, this is your endorphins flowing around your body. People who talk about being addicted to exercise, this is what they are addicted to. If you really suffer from nerves at job interviews, this is the cure of cures. It’s virtually impossible to feel uptight after a ‘full on’ work out. Many interviews are at hotels, if they have a gym and pool, it will cost around £5 for a day membership. Get there a couple of hours early and try it, you’ll like the results.

Muisc.

If you’re not the active sort, maybe this one is for you. Music can have some powerful associations. Most of us will have tunes which remind us of a particular time, an occasion. On the same token, we each will have tunes which make us feel up beat and happy, and perhaps others which make us feel sad. Try and identify a handful of tracks which make you feel upbeat, happy and relaxed and mix up a CD to play in the car, or a play list for the MP3 on the way to your interview. In many cases, music can induce a deep relaxation to combat nerves.

Job hunt like a pro!

Don’t just line a one graduate job interview, apply to several simultaneously, get several plates spinning at once. Once you have several on the go, you are increasing the certainty of getting something somewhere, which reduces the uncertainty of not doing so and so can reduce nerves at any one interview.

Despite my comments at the beginning, opportunities in life really are in abundance, no one job interview is really worth getting too stressed over. But if you are suffering from nerves at graduate job interviews, try some of my nerve busters.

Good luck.