It is common to experience anxiety at some point in your life. In fact, around 37% of women and 30% of men experience high levels of anxiety. However, high levels of anxiety can affect important parts of your life, such as your ability to gain employment. If you experience high anxiety during interviews and are continuously being rejected for your jobs, it may be a consideration.
Signs of Interview Anxiety
Most people will experience anxiety about a job interview, and interviewers will expect a level of nervousness, and will account for this. However, if anxiety levels are high, it can portray itself in ways that could affect the outcome. These are some signs that anxiety is affecting your interview.
Ability to concentrate
If you are unable to focus on what the interviewer is saying and struggling to decide how to respond, it may be an indication that your anxiety levels are extremely high. Although interviewers will have a degree of sympathy about interview nerves, this may come across as disinterest or lack of preparation.
Oversharing
Nervous interviewees may end up sharing too much during an interview due to anxiety. For instance, going off on a tangent about issues which are unrelated to the job or the question. As you would expect, this could be a red flag to interviewers.
Fidgeting
Constantly playing with your hair or moving on your chair are signs of anxiety which may be off-putting to someone at the other side of the desk.
The good news is that no matter how challenging your interview anxiety may be, there are ways to overcome it so that your interviews can be more fruitful.
How to Reduce Interview Anxiety
Plenty of Preparation
The more prepared you are, the easier the interview will be. Make sure you have adequate knowledge of the company and the role you are being interviewed for. Take time to practice the answers to common questions you may be asked. It is also worth asking someone to do a mock interview with you. This can also include the practical side of the interview, including eye contact and body language.
Avoid Stimulants
You should not try and overcompensate a lack of sleep by downing gallons of coffee or energy drinks. These stimulants will only make your anxiety worse. It would be much better to have green tea before an interview so that you are feeling calmer.
Slow Down
An interview is really just a conversation. It is a conversation where you are getting to know each other. It is important to be professional but also to consider this. The interviewees want you to perform well, as much as you do. Slow down, relax and the conversation will be more likely to flow.
At Inspired CVs, we not only help support you with professional CV writing services. We can also help improve your interview skills through our interview workshops and one to one sessions. To find out more, contact us today!
