14 Tips For Staying Calm During A Job Interview

You’re in the hot seat. Your palms are sweaty; voice is shaky; face is flushed; and mouth is dry. Maybe you’re bouncing your knees and talking too fast. Perhaps your heart is racing or your stomach is turning.

You’re nervous.

Why does this happen to so many job candidates?

“When we perceive that we are in a high stakes situation, the brain doesn’t distinguish the high stakes of a job interview–where it would help to be calm, cool and collected–from the high stakes of being under threat from attack (say, from a tiger),” says Dr. Tamar Chansky, author of Freeing Yourself from Anxiety. “The body responds the same way–gearing up to run or fight for our lives. We experience a myriad of highly inconvenient and uncomfortable reactions which would make complete sense if there really were a tiger there.”

Andy Teach, author of From Graduation to Corporation, and host of the YouTube channel FromGradToCorp, adds: “I think that nervousness prior to a job interview is caused mostly by the fact that there’s so much at stake. Getting a job, especially one you really want, can certainly impact your self-worth and general happiness. It enables you to pay your bills, save money, have health insurance, and do something every day that you look forward to doing. It makes you feel like you are contributing to the greater good of the company; that you are a part of something bigger than yourself.” Not getting the job could put you in a weak financial position, lower your self-worth, and, in some cases, put you in a make-or-break situation. This all creates a lot of stress and pressure on the job candidate, which results in nervousness, he says.

 “In most cases, it may be the first time that the interviewer has met you and they will be making some initial judgments or first impressions,” says Nichole Lefelhoc, associate director of career development and internships at Mansfield University. “We want them to be good, of course, which makes us nervous. There could be some outlying issues that make us even more nervous; for example, being unemployed or having little experience with interviews.”

Lack of preparation is another common culprit.

Ashley Strausser, associate director of the Center for Career and Professional Development at Otterbein University, says: “The more time you spend preparing, the more confident you’ll be. Those who have done their research and can articulate how their skills and qualifications align with the position will be prepared, even when they’re asked the tough questions.”

Also, feeling rushed when getting to the site by getting lost, not finding parking easily, or not allowing enough time to arrive, can all increase nervousness, says Kim Heitzenrater, director of career and leadership development at Sewanee: The University of the South.

This kind of anxiety can make it difficult to think clearly, Chansky says. “Our focus is on hiding our anxiety and so our attention is divided.”

“People can be on two spectrums when they’re nervous,” Lefelhoc says. “For some people their thoughts will move faster and they feel as though they need to jump right into an answer without thinking it through. For others, their thoughts go completely blank and they can’t think of an answer at all. You could be a perfect fit for a position, but if your nerves are getting the best of you, then you’re not showcasing yourself to the best of your ability.”

Another consequence of nervousness: You won’t come off as a confident contender. “Employers want to hire the best and the brightest,” Strausser adds. “Know yourself, reflect on your experiences and be able to articulate how you’ve developed the skills and abilities they seek.”

Worst of all, nervousness could prevent you from getting the job.

“I once had a job candidate who was extremely nervous, more than all the other candidates,” Teach says. “He shook my hand with an very sweaty palm, told me more than once during the interview that he was nervous, and his voice would crack at times due to his nervousness. As a hiring manager, I just couldn’t seriously consider him for the job. Being nervous during a job interview is one thing but when you are so nervous that you can’t function properly, then you’ve just ruined your chances of getting the job. I felt that if he were that nervous during the interview, what would happen if he were to step into this very high-stress level job? Based on my observations during the interview, which is all I had to go by, I had to assume that he may have cracked under the pressure of the job. Needless, to say, he did not get the position.”