What to do on the eve of a meeting with a potential employer? How to relieve stress? And is it worth even thinking about the upcoming test?
I have an interview tomorrow. Second in my life. Nerves taut like guitar strings. Minor mood. I quickly walk around the room, stumbling over furniture, cursing, moving on. From the side, I probably look like a trained animal running around the circus arena. For a circus dog.
I am not at all confident in my abilities and results. I read on some site that for twenty unsuccessful interviews, there is one successful one. Reassured...
By one o'clock in the morning I understand that it would be time to go to bed. I fall asleep at three with the thought that my fate will be decided in the afternoon, and life will never be the same.
Familiar situation, right?
We know that all of us who are worried will definitely help - advice from practicing psychologists.
Yuri Levchenko, candidate of psychological sciences: "The world will not turn over"
Don't think about results
What will be will be. This is the most important thing, because otherwise you will come up with something bad. Don't think of anything good. Therefore, it is better not to think about the results at all.
Enter a trance state
Before the interview, it is important to enter a trance state. Trance is an auto-training state when a person concentrates on some external signal: on a light bulb, on sound, on wind noise. In this state, his brain produces alpha and delta rhythms. Have you seen how a person, for example, smokes? He, too, is in a state of trance if he is not talking to anyone. Or, for example, a boy drives a car, his mother calls, but he does not hear her. The same state of trance is a state of calm.
How to cause this state? Try to remember something pleasant. Or about ice cream, or about how they swam in the sea, I usually talk about women. What is pleasant for someone: for whom the priest, for whom - the priest's daughter. In a state of trance, your entire hormonal background returns to normal.
In this state, you need to stay for fifteen to twenty minutes. You may even doze off a little. Stirlitz dozed for fifteen minutes in his car - and woke up. He was in a state of trance. Calmed down.
Release serotonin
He fell, did push-ups, danced, jumped, squatted. During physical activity, in addition to hormones that lead us into a state of rage and anxiety, serotonin is also released - this is the hormone of joy. Stand in front of a mirror and dance, make faces, portray animals, politicians, artists, anyone. Both facial expressions and movements will bring you into an artistic state that will come in handy during the interview.
Do not listen to any advice: breathing in a square, in a triangle, through the ear. It's simple: long breath. Take a deep breath, hold for 2-3 seconds and exhale 2 times longer than the inhale. What's happening? You have carbon dioxide in your blood. It goes to the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland releases endorphins. This endorphin is a drug. It even anesthetizes you, gives you a certain euphoria. You will get a little dizzy. Breathe like this seven or ten times. No more. After that, sit down, drink tea and coffee in the kitchen. Do not drive for 20-30 minutes.
That's all. And then tell yourself: I do what I know, let it be what will be. The world will not turn upside down.
From a psychological point of view, our anxieties and worries associated with an interview are an evaluative dependence, we attach great importance to the result. And since the result of the interview is not something that is entirely up to us, uncertainty arises. Hence the anxiety, tension, stress.
You can deal with this in different ways. It is useful to master in advance some ways of relaxing muscles, relaxation. And you don’t need a specialist, there is enough information on the Internet.
The body can be either in a state of relaxation, or in a state of tension and stress, but not both. And if you have the appropriate techniques and can relax, then you will calm down on an emotional level. It is a fact. The problem is that you need to learn these techniques in advance.
But the most important thing is to form a certain attitude towards the interview. Do not give it excessive significance, dramatization. It's not a matter of life and death. The light of the wedge did not converge precisely on this company and this work. But it is precisely such attitudes that unconsciously arise in people who are afraid to undergo an interview, are very worried and, as a result, fail.
Take such things lighter, try to mobilize, say: I will do everything that is necessary, and the rest - as it goes. Remind yourself: I have strengths, I have something to say, and we will approach each other with the employer or not, it will be seen. You should always remember that this is not the last opportunity and maybe not the best, no one knows. Each such attempt must be regarded as an experience that will teach something. Each interview must then be analyzed and benefited.
Treat the interview as a communication training, an opportunity to establish contact with new people, an exploration of personality. People who intuitively grasp these things tend to succeed in interviews.
Relaxation Techniques
Some relaxation methods have already been mentioned above. The first of them is related to visualization, when you imagine pictures that are pleasant for you, the second - with proper breathing, the third - with physical activity.
Art can also help you relax. Listen to your favorite music or play it yourself on some musical instrument, sing or dance. Watch a movie, read a book, or look at your favorite painting again. Everything that is pleasant and interesting for you will be useful for your psyche.
Laugh. Laughter is a wonderful thing. It can be useful not only in a comfortable situation for a person, but also in a stressful one. He is able to save a life, and even more so to help him cope with experiences.
Relax and unwind
It turns out that the main advice of stress management experts before an interview is to relax and have fun.
If you feel that your fear is so strong that it eats up your energy, positive emotions and enthusiasm, then just leave these thoughts and do something pleasant: go for a walk with friends, go to the cinema, go rollerblading or cycling, take a walk in the park . You will come to the interview not gloomy, but joyful and calm - and your chances of getting a job will increase several times.
Based on the materials of Arguments and Facts
According to the results of many studies conducted in the US and Europe, the fear of public speaking is included in the "top 10" of the main human phobias, along with the fear of death, fear of heights, etc. Sometimes it even takes first place in such "hit parades" . When interviewing, this can become a serious problem.
So, you have decided to start looking for a job, and there are many tests ahead of you. The main one is fear or uncertainty before the upcoming interview with the employer. Remember how you passed exams at school or college, and what a nightmare it seemed to you.
Fear of an interview is a fear of the unknown, of future changes in life. This state can be compared to what a child feels when he has to go to the world without a mother, and he does not know what awaits him there. But you are an adult and can take care of yourself.
The impression you make on an HR manager is great value, and proper behavior in an interview can easily outweigh some gaps in your knowledge. Therefore, your main task is not to interfere with the excitement of showing the employer what a great employee you are and what a good service you can serve the company.
Of course, everything will depend on the position for which you are applying. If it involves constant contact with new people, then insecure behavior in the interview will do you a disservice. But if you are going to do analytical and technical work, then there is less demand from you.
Do's and Don'ts
There are several effective ways relieve anxiety before the interview.
Try to look like a confident person. Straighten your shoulders, raise your head.
Remove from your vocabulary the expressions “I don’t know,” “maybe,” “I’ll try.” Change them to the phrases “of course”, “I am sure”, “I can”, “I am ready”.
Speak in your own name: “I want”, “I feel”, “I think”, “I do not agree”.
You can put 1 Glycine tablet under your tongue or drink a small dose of Novopassit. It is better not to take valerian because of its persistent specific smell, which the HR manager will definitely feel.
Some time before the interview, do a little exercise, take a brisk walk or jog in the park.
Warm up your hands - gymnastics of the hands reduces fear and stimulates speech activity.
Give up on the day of the interview from coffee, strong tea and chocolate, a lot of sweets. Instead of sweets, eat sweet fruits, especially if you are in a gloomy mood - fast carbohydrates will come in handy.
There is a well-known psychological formula that says: "We rejoice because we laugh, and we are upset because we cry, and not vice versa." Try to go “from the opposite side”: in order to cope with emotions, you need to breathe deeply, slowly, concentrating on inhaling and not holding the exhalation, not “hiding”.
Try to change the psychological attitude towards interviews and form a new one - "I'm a researcher." Tell yourself that you should stop torturing yourself and try to have fun, for example, by finding elements of the game during the interview.
Use the "reflection" technique. Listen to the pace of the person's speech - let yours be the same. Hold your hands the way he does. Act "in unison" with the interviewer - this is very good remedy to establish contact.
You may not be the hero of the Battle of Psychics program and you don’t know how to read other people’s thoughts, but you can guess what they will ask you at the interview. Do not be afraid to ask questions related to the amount of pay, schedule, workplace, vacation, insurance, white and black forms of payment, etc., that is, to defend your interests. Make a list of questions you might be asked ahead of time, and don't be afraid to voice your own.
Spoon of honey in a barrel of tar
There is even a benefit to the fear that you may experience during an interview: since a little excitement will keep you on your toes, you will be more responsive to questions from an HR manager.
Do not forget that the employer is also a person. He does not at all try to expose you as a deceiver and a liar, his job is to find the right person for a vacant position. You don't need to be a "superman" to be hired by the company, you just need to be qualified for the position.
When going to an interview, it is useful to ask yourself the question: what will actually happen if I am not hired? Perhaps, by answering it to yourself, you will understand that you have nothing to fear in particular. According to statistics, out of 15 interviews, only one is successful. And the faster you hit 14 rejections, the sooner you will succeed.
Good luck!
Regulation techniques emotional stress(E. V. Sidorenko)
| Reduce stress | Raise the voltage |
| 1. Emphasizing commonality with a partner (similarity of goals, interests, opinions of personality traits, etc.) | 1. Emphasizing the differences between yourself and your partner |
| 2. Emphasizing the importance of a partner's opinion in your eyes | 2. Belittling the partner - a negative assessment of the partner's personality, downplaying the partner's contribution to the common cause and exaggerating one's own |
| 3. Verbalization emotional state(your own or a partner) | 3. Ignoring the emotional state (of your own or your partner) |
| 4. Showing interest in the problems of the partner | 4. Demonstration of disinterest in the partner's problem |
| 5. Giving the partner a chance to talk | 5. Interrupting a partner |
| 6. If you are wrong, admit it immediately | 6. Delaying the moment of admitting you were wrong or denying it |
| 7. Proposal of a specific way out of the current situation | 7. Finding the guilty and blaming the partner |
| 8. Turning to the facts | 8. Transition to "personalities" |
| 9. Calm confident speech rate | 9. Sharp acceleration of the pace of speech |
| 10. Maintaining the optimal distance of the angle of rotation and inclination of the body | 10. Avoiding proximity and eye contact |
By the way!
3 Reasons for Interview Fear:
1. This is your first interview in your life, or the experience of communicating with the employer is minimal;
2. You desperately need a job, and a possible refusal means almost the end of the world for you;
3. You have somewhat embellished your merits in your resume and are afraid of being exposed.
Media holding "Pronto-Moscow"
The time before the interview is a few minutes that you spend in nervous tension. There are many techniques to take your mind off your worries and relax, and one of them is to look around and in which you would like to work.
Coming to the interview, many forget that the company needs employees as much as they need work. Meanwhile, at the interview, you also decide if a particular company is right for you.
All duties wages and other aspects of your position you will discuss at the interview, and before it you have a great opportunity to form your opinion about the company itself.
Take a look around
Most often, the applicant sits in the waiting room or in the corridor in front of the door, and waits to be called. In such circumstances, you won’t walk much, but it’s worth looking around. Sometimes this is quite enough to understand the details that you would be embarrassed to ask directly.
1. Walls
On the walls of the office, one can tell not only about the well-being of the company, but also about what is emphasized in this company and what is required of employees.
For example, if thanks to employees are hung on the walls, it means that the company values its staff. If there are awards on the walls, you can immediately see what the company has achieved and how it cares about its status.
Seminar and event posters may indicate a desire to learn and develop your employees, or that you will be required to attend events for professional growth.
2. Machinery and equipment
As you walk through the office, look for computers, mobile technology, video and projection equipment. If the company has the latest equipment, it means that the company attaches great importance to modern technologies and will invest in technical equipment.
If the computers are old, or things in the company are not going very well, or the management does not care about the convenience and productivity of employees.
3. Layout
Office layout means a lot. Look at how the tables are arranged, if the office has separate partitions, and what size they are.
What does the office look like more: a bright, spacious room or a labyrinth of gray walls? Just imagine if you would like to work in this place, because if you are hired, you will have to spend most of your day here.
4. People
If you have to work in a team, or at least occasionally encounter employees, you need to pay attention to them first. Assess the situation in the office: how do they work, how do they treat each other?
Everyone is sitting in headphones, staring at the monitor, or they are discussing a topic together. What prevails in the office - the sound of keys, phone calls, talking and laughing or harsh, annoyed voices?
The environment means a lot, and if you feel that the employees are quite hostile to each other, and the atmosphere in the office is tense, no amount of money will make such work beloved.
Equally important is how your future employees dress. If you value freedom of expression or hate formal wear, the dress code will be your farewell to personal comfort.
Double benefit
So, casually examining the office, employees and equipment, you will not only learn a lot about the company, but also. Your attention will be occupied with observation and evaluation, so there will be no time for nerves. Double benefit - both calmed down and roughly understood where you have to work.
If you came to the interview on time and just didn’t have time to look around properly, all this can be done after talking with the HR manager. Whatever he tells you about the company, his observations are worth more anyway.
Everything is important in an interview: from a well-thought-out resume to knowing the right answers to all questions. But it happens that the applicant has everything for success, except for one thing - the ability to calm down before the interview and present himself from the best side. And the more important this particular interview is for you, the more you worry. To overcome fear, all means are good if they work and do not contradict the Criminal Code. We offer you nine simple options.Medications
. A tablet of valerian or 10 drops of corvalol will do the trick. Moreover, valerian, motherwort or novopassit is preferable, otherwise you will spread a pharmacy smell around you, which is absolutely superfluous in this situation. Do you think that one tablet of valerian is not enough to get the result? Stop counting like that. Nobody canceled the placebo effect.Aromatherapy. Essential oils can change your mood and mood. The most versatile fragrances, the inhalation of which brings the spirit into an elevated and balanced state: grapefruit, lemon, rosemary, cedar, tea tree, bergamot, eucalyptus, lavender. However, care must be taken as dosage can be misleading and paradoxical individual reactions are possible. So, it is better to experiment in advance.
Breath. There are various breathing techniques that allow you to focus and tune in. Begin to breathe slowly, evenly and deeply, focusing on all the variety of sensations that give you inhalation and exhalation. You can try yoga breathing: take a deep breath through your mouth and exhale the air through your mouth with sharp jerks. One exhalation is divided into four or five portions. Ten to fifteen breaths are enough. Only for the implementation of such a technique is it recommended to retire.
Good song . On the one hand, this is a special case of breathing technique. On the other hand, the peppy "March of Enthusiasts" or the restrained melody of "Dark Night" will distract you. Of course, do not sing out loud - you are not in your soul. Let the words ring inside your head.
"I see" . You are waiting for the time when you will finally be called and completely exhausted. Try to focus on what you see or hear and begin silently naming what you see or hear, beginning each phrase with "I see." For example: "I see a green wall, I see a picture on the wall, I see a black frame for this picture." And do the same with "I hear": "I hear the voice of my neighbor, I hear the rustling of the newspaper."
Imagine naked. Such a method for setting the mood for a presentation (and an interview - in a sense, is a special case of self-presentation) was proposed by psychologist Ron Hoff. If the very sight of the interlocutor inspires you with horror, develop your imagination - mentally take off his clothes. A naked person is defenseless and a little ridiculous. And not dangerous at all. However, your fantasies should be kept in check and not allowed to develop in an erotic direction.
Ritual. Here, everyone has their own. Eat three fried eggs for breakfast, kick the battery with your foot, enter the conference room with your right foot... The astronauts watch the "White Sun of the Desert" before the launch - a wonderful ritual that has proven its effectiveness.
Reality Transurfing. Fashionable theory, described in detail in the books of Vadim Zeland. Within the framework of the picture of the world he offers, people can shape their future in the desired way and, as it were, attract it to themselves. Imagine that the interview is over, everything went great, congratulate yourself on your success. True, it's easier said than done. But knowledgeable people say that they do this trick with constant success.
Affirmation. An effective way to convince yourself of something and tune in to the positive. These strange texts are created according to the laws of NLP and, as it were, are programmed for success. You need to pronounce them regularly in order to be imbued with every word. It is better to make an affirmation on your own, but it is not forbidden to use the achievements of experienced affirmatologists. Example: “I quickly and efficiently solve the tasks before me. I independently determine the direction of my life. Every moment gives me an opportunity for self-realization.”
What Not to Do
1. Glass "for courage." Front hundred grams are good before the attack, and not at the moment when you need to demonstrate your best qualities.
2. Psychotropic drugs. Most of them soothe to the point of complete apathy.
Based on materials by Katerina Smirnova
Job interviews are always stressful. The main thing is to be able to cope with nervous trembling and tune in to the positive, but how to do it?
There are many ways to calm down. If this is not your first interview, try to recreate your past interviews, remind yourself of your successes, and look at the upcoming meeting from the perspective of the future. Your task is to reduce the importance of the interview: this is just a passing stage in your life, and nothing particularly terrible can happen here.
Take on a quick wits task to distract yourself from unpleasant thoughts and help you concentrate. Or clench your fist and slowly, slowly - about five minutes - unclench it. Sometimes it is useful to write abstracts about what you would like to tell a future employer about yourself. This will provide an opportunity not only to put your nerves in order, but also to prepare for the interview. Just do not overdo it: it should be brief information without insignificant details. It’s not worth memorizing answers to possible questions and having ready-made formulations in reserve: firstly, no one knows what the interviewer will ask you for sure, and secondly, forgetting a phrase, you can simply fall into a stupor and yourself harm.
A well-known relaxation technique is meditation and proper breathing: inhale deeply and exhale at the expense, try to distract yourself from heavy thoughts and think about something pleasant. For example, remind yourself of those moments in your life when you succeeded, you were at your best, and the people around you admired and supported you. You must convince yourself that you will succeed and that you are not afraid of anything. If time permits, listen to your favorite music.
If you have a panic attack right at the interview, try to control your emotions and master the situation. To reduce its importance, you can look at your interlocutor from an unusual, even ironic, point of view. One teacher oratory advised in this case to present the interviewer without clothes or inside the cage of the zoo, while you yourself are outside.
If you feel like you're starting to panic, take a short pause: it's okay to pause the conversation for a few seconds and take a deep breath. Try to take control of the situation in your own hands, show petty acting hooliganism: for example, speak in a slower or lower voice than usual. After all, fear attacks are caused by a loss of control, but if you take power even in such insignificant things, it will seem to you that the amount of control has increased and you are again ready to communicate on an equal footing.
I have heard that in an interview it can be useful to use the mirroring method - repeating the pose or some phrases of the interlocutor. This method is needed rather in order to establish contact with the interviewer. I myself have not used it, but perhaps this method will be effective. The main thing, in my opinion, is not to see the enemy in your interlocutor. Try to convince yourself that no one here wishes you harm, but on the contrary, wants to help you get a job.
Yuri Pakhomov
According to "Trud"
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