Have the Interview Jitters? 4 Quick Tips to Help
You can rehearse and prepare yourself in many ways for a job interview, but nerves always come into play. Sometimes, it works in your favor, keeping you aware and sharp. Other times, nervousness can derail you.
Nervousness makes you even more nervous and can make you ramble and talk about irrelevant items. The key is to learn how to use your nervousness to keep you on your A game. Another way to think about it is that you are, after all, just meeting people—so treat it as a networking event. When answering questions, just remember:
1. Don’t ramble. Answer any questions directly and concisely. Brevity is best as the interviewer can always ask for more details.
2. Quit when you have answered the question. Don’t keep adding examples or illustrative stories. If the interviewer needs clarification, they will ask.
3. If you can’t answer the question, say so. If you need clarification, it’s okay to ask. If the question is about something that you haven’t done, say so. Many times, an interviewer will ask a question that does not directly reflect the job. They might just have a general checklist or they might want to find out what your total experience is. Just be honest and don’t try to force an answer.
4. Use positive terms. Keep the interview positive. For example: You didn’t just get laid-off. Instead, you had the opportunity to work on a very interesting project until the company was forced to cut costs. Yes, you’ve been out of work—but you are working on a number of freelance projects that are keeping you busy and allowing you to learn new skills/keep your skills current. Everyone has something on their resume that they don’t want to speak about. Whatever it is, it happened. Address it positively and move on.
Being nervous is natural and any interviewer will allow for it. Practicing short, concise answers and keeping things positive will help. Sticking to answering the questions and answering honestly will keep you from “sticking your foot in your mouth.”
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As someone who works with clients prior to media interviews, the “don’t ramble on” rule also applies to job seekers. Avoid the tendency to continue talking to fill a void of silence. Some interviewers use that technique to draw people out, hoping they will reveal something beyond canned responses. It rarely works to the interviewees’ advantage. An anticipatory smile can also fill an awkward silence between questions.
Great point, Dave. Thanks for sharing.
Excellent counsel, Marie. The tips apply to all business conversations, public appearances and handling audience Q & A.