Do you care to relax before a Job Interview?

“I am not sure what will happen in the interview.”
“I am not good at it.”
“This is not my cup of tea.”
“I know, I will get questions I won’t know answers.”
“I am not sure I can crack this interview.”
“It is going to be so tough.”
“How will I answer those questions? I don’t have enough experience in that area.”
“I am not sure if I am well prepared for the interview.”
And so on.
The list of counter intentions is endless, and who is responsible for it? Who should be blamed for it? You see, our mind loves overthinking, devours rolling up similar thoughts again and again, and if they are negative thoughts, the devouring is euphoric and slips it into autopilot mode. And until consciously disengaged, the thoughts are rolling up into a crude mass of something, becoming bigger and bigger with each passing minute.

But hey, hang on, let me bring some perspective here and show you how to relax your mind.
At the outset, let me tell you that it is natural to feel anxious before an interview. There is nothing wrong about it. We are human beings, and we often doubt ourselves, our preparations and our capabilities, rolling up so many negative thoughts in our minds, pushing us to the edge.

Can you control your brain? Can you direct your brain not to be nervous? Not to focus on negative thoughts? Perhaps you can, but look at the other end of the spectrum – trying to relax yourself. And that is something we can control resorting to proven ways and means. Long back I had read in a book, the title of which I could barely recall, and it goes like this – “If you are on top of your game, stress won’t come to your vicinity.”

It has stayed with me since then. I strongly believe in it. And it has a direct correlation with the subject we are discussing “How to Relax”. By ‘being on top your game means that you have sincerely invested adequate time in preparing for the interview. You got to remember that every additional hour you spend in preparing for the interview, you improve your chances to get to the other side. It is not a chance encounter, but a very structured professional conversation and therefore it requires structured preparation too.

But, relaxing before an interview is extremely important to do well. By preparing well and adopting the right attitude we can learn to control our pre-interview nerves, relax and channelize them into something positive. Here is a list of a few tips that can help calm your nerves and relax your mind and greatly assist in your readiness to face an interview:

A. Thorough Research about the Organization: Do a thorough research about the organization keeping a few areas in mind, e.g., latest awards and accolades, news about mergers and acquisitions, product launch and so on. Look up for the “About Us’ section on the website and go through it, making your notes. Makes notes on the key stakeholders, company history and its background and key financials. The more you understand about the organization and its culture, the easier it will be to articulate and explain what kind of values you could add to the role.

B. Practice Commonly Asked Questions: Make a list of commonly asked questions and frame your smart answers strategically. Practice them multiple times before the interview. It will add to your confidence while you articulate your answers during an interview. It can also leave a great impression on the interviewer about the level of consideration and keenness you have extended to the organization. These questions are readily available on the net. But I would caution you, don’t get overwhelmed, there are so many variations of similar questions. Keep a list of 20 good questions and prepare your answers and organize your thoughts. Most probably, nothing will be asked beyond these 20 questions, but you should learn about the various ways a same question can be asked e.g., what are your strengths? Can also take a flavor of – Tell us what you can do for us that others can’t?

C. Set aside sometime to Meditate: This is my favorite. Often, Meditation doesn’t rank highly on Job Preparation To Do list, and it is due to our various inhibitions. But remember, it is the trusted tool for bringing in added focus and keeping the mind relaxed. It is not a tedious or an elaborate exercise, it is just about closing your eyes and trying to focus on your breathing, while reminding oneself that what is best for you will follow. It can also eliminate distractions and can bring added clarity in articulation. It can being quietness to relentlessly overthinking mind, that in turn can de-clutter thoughts brining in a lot of clarity on the next steps.

D. Try to Change your Perspective: Interviews are often stressful, but if you start thinking about them as your opportunities to test your limits, to figure out your real character – what are you made of, how well you can handle a situation like this? It will bring a different kind of feelings inside. Further, consider interview as merely a professional conversation without worrying about the final outcome. Think about the hiring manager as someone, who would like to see you do well professionally. It will help in managing interview nervousness in a better way.

E. Normalize the Situation: Think about this interview as one of the many interviews you will get to attend in your life. Consider it as an opportunity to practice for future opportunities that would come your way. So, consider it as a learning opportunity and keep it limited to that, without too much bothering out the outcome. It may sound silly at first, but pause for a moment and ponder on this point – it will start making a lot of sense to you, once you get to an understand that life offers a lot of opportunities all the time, and a single interview cannot be the end of the world.

F. Drop the Perfectionist Attitude: No one is perfect, mistakes happen, and we all learn from it and move forward in our lives. We apply lessons to avoid similar kind of mistakes. While you may be the right person for the job, remember that you are not perfect. No one is. There is no need to be hard on oneself. At times the profile fitment plays a fulcrum in rejections without any fault of the candidate. If you can keep that in your mind, and bring more practical approach to an interview preparation, the pressure will be off.

G. Take a Stroll to Relax: Go for a walk, all by yourself. Talk to yourself, make yourself understand the nuances of taking a practical approach in an interview. Do some pep-talk. Calm yourself down. Be affirmative and positive, repeat some good words to yourself. Keep on reminding yourself that you are ready for it, no matter what, you are ready and the job will be yours. Walking is a very powerful exercise to de-clutter mind and keep thoughts simple and uncomplicated. Think about giving your best shot, and then moving on from there looking for the next challenge or preparing for the next one, being result agnostic, all the time.

Taking the time to relax can significantly reduce pre-interview jitters and boost your confidence, ultimately leading to a more successful and positive interview experience. When you relax, you allow your true abilities to shine, showcasing your skills and personality in the best light.

Relaxation is not a luxury but a necessity to excel in interviews and attain the success you deserve. So, go ahead and relax – it’s your gateway to interview success!