Interview Anxiety & How to Deal

· by Bobbie Todd

Bobbie Todd is an Industrial Recruiter at our Charleston Office. She is passionate about HR and helping people succeed confidently.
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An HTI Guide to Ace That Interview

You made it through the job search, you found the perfect format for your resume, you found the perfect job to apply for, you passed the phone screening with flying colors and you secured an interview! HOORAY!
After the initial joy, you start to imagine scenarios and ANXIETY sets in. What if the interviewer asks a question that you can’t come up with an answer for on the spot? Will you be able to impress all the new people you meet? What should you wear? Worst of all, what if you don’t get the job? One thing leads to another and you are FREAKING OUT!  As Charleston’s recruiter/onboarding coordinator/Interview prepper, let me offer you some tips to get you through this and get you that job!

  1. Chill out and plan:

    I know it can be hard but try to breath and do something that relaxes you.  Being calm will make it easier to form a strategy for acing this interview.

  2. Review your resume:

    Know your skills, know your dates and know why you started and left positions. You’re most likely going to receive questions on the whys. It’s important to prepare for those questions.

  3. Review the company that your interviewing for:

    Looking up a company can be very easy. Everyone has the internet these days. Go to the company’s website and study what they do and their WHY.  Being knowledgeable about the company shows your interest and shows that you’re a prepared candidate. Also, it doesn’t hurt if your passionate about their WHY.

  1. Request an Interview Prep or coaching before your interview:

    I’ve seen applicants come in practically shaking before their interview preps and leave smiling. You would be surprised at how much smoother a person speaks after just going over a few questions and being prepped. One of the most important questions to prep for is, “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” DO NOT SAY YOU HAVE NO WEAKNESSES. I always encourage my applicants to provide a weakness that could be looked at as a positive as well. For example, in industrial staffing, a lot of applicants feel that they are hands on learners, not class room learners. A lot of them think that this is a negative. I don’t view that as a weakness, I view that as someone who’s going to need hands on learning but hands on learning leads to grasping skills more quickly. It’s an answer to a weakness, but still a positive thing.

  2. Be Confident:

    Blast your favorite song on the radio on the way to the interview. Get excited. Walk into that interview smiling and REMEMBER YOU ARE NEEDED. Remember, they reviewed your resume and selected you out of probably hundreds of applicants to interview for that job. Leave that interview smiling and with your head held high.

  3. Be your own HYPE MAN:

    Put the negatives out of your mind. If this job is meant to be, it will happen! Remind yourself you have the skills they need. You went to school and got that degree or certification. You’ve worked hard to get to where you are. YOU ARE A ROCKSTAR AND YOU DESERVE THAT JOB!