Trying not to say the wrong thing, trying not to over analyse the questions, trying not to ramble and then suddenly thinking of the perfect thing to say three days later. Job interviews; for the majority of the population they are the anxiety inducing meetings we have to go through if we want to be employed.
It can be a somewhat overwhelming process. However, with the right advice, you can tackle anything.
Location
It goes without saying but knowing where you are going for your interview prior to the meeting can help a lot. Giving yourself extra time to find where you need to be is a great idea, even having trial runs if you need to, in order to familiarise yourself with where you need to be on the day. Whether you are meeting in a coffee shop in Madrid, a local coworking space in London or a company headquarters in Tokyo, anticipating the environment will help you get started on the right footing.
An Interview Book
We all know that preparation is key for any interview, but having your own little notebook can be really helpful. It doesn’t have to be pages and pages of research and facts, and definitely don’t sit reading from it during the interview, but having a familiar item in front of you (not your phone) can be very calming. Having your own notebook also enables you to be able to take notes of anything you might want to refer back to during the interview, or questions to ask at the end, which are always a great idea.
Anticipate the Questions
There is no such thing as a stupid question, but how things are asked can sometimes cause unecessary stumbles. One popular question that often makes people panic is ‘What are your strengths and weaknesses?” As this is so often asked, try having some go to points for both sides so you are ready without hesitation.
Keep it Short
Losing the filler words such as ‘erm’ and ‘like’ can help your discourse in sounding intelligent. Whilst they can’t be completely avoided all the time, it is often better to take a moment of silence in your hesitation, rather than fill it with a jarring filler. As this helps you to sound more confident, don’t overcompensate by feeling as though you need to speak for five minutes on a question that you could answer in just a few sentences.
Laila Azzahra is a professional writer and blogger that loves to write about technology, business, entertainment, science, and health.