How to Combat Interview Anxiety

“Good news! I am excited to inform you that you have been selected to move to the next round of interviews for the ___ role. Congratulations!”

There are few emotional rollercoasters as extreme as the exhilaration of getting an interview request versus the intense nervousness that can accompany the interview itself. If you experience interview anxiety, you are not alone. Research has shown that 93% of Americans have experienced interview-related anxiety. This anxiety can be especially prevalent in students and entry-level job seekers.

The reality is that it’s almost impossible to rid yourself of interview nerves completely. In fact, it’s completely normal to have some level of nervousness associated with an interview. It means that you care about the outcome and about making a good impression. While some level of nerves can be healthy, you never want to let your nerves take over completely. Easier said than done, right? The unfortunate reality is that you can lose out on job opportunities because of nerves. I’ve interviewed candidates who have become so flustered and nervous during interviews that, unfortunately, it becomes impossible to get anything of substance out of them. Others may panic and shut down, making it hard to continue a conversation. I’ve heard similar stories from hiring managers.

While unfortunately there is no magic pill that can completely erase your interview nerves (yet!), there do exist a number of preparation tips and tricks to help you feel more comfortable. Here is a list of what has worked for me in my own experience:

1. Prepare, prepare, prepare!

I stand by preparation being the best way possible to combat nerves. It may sound self-explanatory, but the more time you spend reading up on the company, understanding your interviewers’ backgrounds, and fully fleshing out your answer to “why this company?” the more confidence you gain. Then, when it comes time to appear before your interviewer and answer their questions, you have a game plan ready to go. My personal tip is to spend some time writing drafts to a few commonplace interview questions (even if it’s just bullets) so that the answers are fully ingrained in your mind. As a side note, if you’re going to be completing a technical interview, ask your recruiter what format…