Meet the interview team - terrified of interviews by Angela Couch - Career Coach Auckland

What can you do if you are terrified of interviews?

Plenty of people looking for a new career are terrified of interviews to the point where they are sweating, can’t sit still and their mind just goes blank.

How to get through this?

There are four main reasons that people find themselves terrified of interviews:

  1. I don’t like talking about myself I feel awkward and just clam up.
  2. There is so much pressure to do well in the interview as there is a potential job offer on the line the more badly I want the job the more nervous I get.
  3. I’m all dressed up for the interview to look the part but don’t feel comfortable in what I am wearing
  4. I am a leader I am used to being the one asking questions and directing the meeting, being in an interview and not knowing the agenda or what will be asked next terrifies me.

So, what can you do about it?

I don’t like talking about myself I feel awkward and just clam up.

This is a very common thing, people often find it difficult to talk about themselves.

Talking objectively about your own successes and failures in front of people you know are going to be evaluating what you say can be a daunting experience.

One of the ways to navigate this situation is to be prepared. Prepare your stories, know what you want to talk about.

Be clear about what you want the interviewer to know about you before you even start the meeting.

There is so much pressure to do well in the interview as there is a potential job offer on the line. The more badly I want the job, the more nervous I get.

Making a good impression at an interview is crucial.

You know you’ve got a limited amount of time to present the best version of who you are because what’s riding on it is a potential job offer.

Thats a lot of pressure! the best way to reduce that pressure and anxiety is again to prepare your stories before you even start the meeting.

A career coach can help you get clear about the stories you want to tell in an interview.

They can also help you prepare and practice so you are able to get your story across in such a way, so the employer understands what happened, what you did and what the outcome / results were in any given situation.

I’m all dressed up for the interview to look the part but don’t feel comfortable in what I am wearing.

Some people get nervous because they feel they’re not well enough presented, and they don’t have the right outfit.

Something as simple as making sure you get the right outfit can make a big difference to the first impression you make.

Make sure you wear something that you feel comfortable in.

It is surprising what people will squeeze themselves into thinking it’s what they must wear at an interview.

If you’re looking uncomfortable because your pants are too tight, well that’s not going to do you any favours.

As a leader, I am used to being the one asking questions and directing the meeting. Being in an interview and not knowing the agenda or what will be asked next terrifies me.

Not knowing how this meeting is going to go can be terrifying for many.

When you feel like you’re not in charge of the meeting or you’re not in control of what questions will be asked of you, it can feel very disconcerting especially in an interview where the topic of conversation is about you, your successes, and failures as well as your future potential.

Working with a career coach can help you understand the intentions behind an interview regardless of the questions asked.

So you can reach a point where it doesn’t matter who leads the meeting, it doesn’t matter what they ask of you.  

When you have a story prepared, it doesn’t matter how they present themselves, because you’re confident in knowing what you want them to hear.

That gives you back a sense of control within the meeting.

It’s really about having control of how you show up regardless of what the other people in the interview have to say or ask of you.

There are other reasons people get nervous and are terrified of interviews. But working with a career coach can really help you figure out what is it that makes you nervous and what can you do about it to help reduce that fear and anxiety.

Need help with preparing for interviews?

Call Angela Couch (Career Coach Auckland) on 0226467818 or email angela@careerinspiration.nz to discuss your next career move.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *