Fear and Stress: Job Interviews
Job interviews are usually a big source of stress for many people. Even job interview veterans usually find it hard to be relaxed and confident, and many newcomers are basically petrified by the whole experience.
The truth is, that it's not hard to figure out why so many people fear these type of appointments. You are going to meet new people and are about to sell yourself and your personal and business skills. Meeting new people and trying to make a sales presentation is not, however, the thing that stings the most for a lot of people.
Psychologically we associate success or failure at selling ourselves as a product with our success or failure as a person. Every time we go on to a job interview, there is much more at stake than our current economic situation and the possibility to land a job that will support us in the years to come (and that alone is a mayor cause of stress) but also the constant feeling of being put on the line, being judged and being helpless to the judgment.
My Story
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I had to run the gamut of different job interviews a year ago when I switched jobs. I had been working for 5 years as the resident manager on an English Course New York City. That job helped me develop my manager skills and on the time I spent there I managed to make numerous improvements to the way the institution worked and learned several valuable lessons on business, management and dealing with difficult co-workers. Regrettably, the owners ended up deciding the investment wasn't paying like they wanted so I found myself looking for a job again. Lucky for me, there was an opening on a very prestigious French Course New York based for a position similar to the one I had been carrying out before. Even with all my experience and excellent record, I was scared to death. I had not had an interview for a long time and I couldn't get over feelings of worry and self doubt. What I later realized, is that these feelings were the byproduct of ideas and beliefs that I held onto: ideas of being unqualified for the job, of being too rusty for the interview, too little charismatic and so on. I believed that I couldn't do it. The interesting things about ideas and beliefs, is that they come from your imagination. I had an idea that something was true and I had the feelings that I unconsciously linked to that truth. The best about this is that we can choose the ideas that become our truth based on what's best for us to feel and how is best for us to act. The question then became: What would I need to believe to be successful at this job interview AND to have a great time at it as well? Make the choice of a new set of beliefs and your body and mind will coordinate for your success. |
Even if your self advocacy is through the roof, you can benefit even more from properly preparing for your interview. Here is a checklist with things to keep in mind:
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