FastTrain

I was running a course on interview technique last week with a real variety of people. One of the delegates was a fire-fighter and he certainly had some stories which would make your hair stand on end.

However, as soon as we began the interview role play, he was reduced to a stammering, blushing wreck, speaking in a barely audible whisper. Nerves effect people in different ways but this was a very extreme example. How can a man who faces the fear of real physical danger every day be so terrified of a few questions?

After some coaching it became apparent that this was the first interview he had had in twenty years. Why should he be good at something he doesn’t practice? Also, more office-bound jobs might involve the communication skills which are helpful in interviews. However a fire-fighter will not have these opportunities. So by offering him some relaxation and visualisation techniques and also giving him a clear idea of what he could expect in an interview, he finally began to relax and to be able to tackle the questions.

The key techniques for overcoming nerves in an interview are:

Preparation – get together a list of questions, make notes on your answers (with examples from your past achievements and experience) and then practice OUT LOUD.

Breathing – when we get nervous we forget to breathe. So take two or three deep breaths in and out before you go into the interview and keep checking you are breathing during it.

Pause and slow down – don’t be rushed in to giving an answer. Pausing is not a sign of weakness – in fact it makes you look more confident and thoughtful.

Visualisation – have a clear sense and picture of what you are like when you are relaxed and confident and imagine yourself being interviewed in this way. Don’t allow bad experiences in the past or imaginary fears to intrude. Put those to one side and focus on the successful outcome.

Does anyone have any other relaxation techniques they use to overcome nerves?