Interviewing for a new job can be an anxiety-provoking experience, but there are ways you can calm your nerves, develop confidence, and nail the interview.
Here are seventeen tips from licensed therapists and HR professionals to help you overcome interview anxiety:
1. Prepare With Mirror Work
“Stand in front of a mirror at home and talk to your reflection as if you’re in the interview responding to potential questions. Be aware of body language, eye contact, and rate/tone of voice. This helps to build self-confidence for the interview, communicate clearly, and helps to decrease anxiety. My clients who use this technique sometimes say they feel silly or awkward the first time they do it, but after practicing it they tell me how effective it can be.” – Insha Rahman, LCSW
2. Research All You Can About the Company
“Don’t just read about the company profile. Read about their values, their mission statement, their aspirations, their corporate social responsibility programs etc. By doing that, you can relate your answers to the values that are being highlighted in the company activities. If you know your interviewer/s names, try to look them up on Linkedin. Check their job description and try to incorporate their action words in their JD in your answers.” – Joe Wilson, Senior Employment Advisor at MintResume.
3. Visualize Success
“When we have anxiety we are thinking in the ‘worst case scenario.’ To help reduce anxiety for a job interview write down and acknowledge all the ways you will be successful in the interview process. Also, remember if you have the interview then your future employer already likes something about you.” – Sasha Jackson, MSW, LCSW
4. Prepare Specific Responses
“Many companies use frameworks like targeted selection, where they want a specific example of a situation, your action, and the outcomes pertaining to things like dealing with opposition in the workplace, handling projects, or dealing with miscommunication.” – Robert Hinojosa, LCSW
5. Start Giving Yourself Pep Talks Early
“A pep talk addressed to yourself seemed helpful for me when I had my own job interview. It helped me clear out my anxiety days before my interview. Try to calm your nerves to avoid coming in with a clouded mind. Feeling confident will calm your nerves and in return, you can answer their questions properly and overall improve your performance. You can also show up wearing your best corporate attire. Looking good can boost your confidence. Dress for success, as some might say.” – William Taylor, Senior Recruitment Advisor at VelvetJobs
6. Think About What You Have to Offer the Company
“Write some bullet points of what you would contribute. Consider how you can show those points in the interview. Think of the interview not as a test or as a forum designed to trip you up or put you on the spot, or as a fake self-presentation. Instead, think of it as you and the interviewer having a conversation to figure out if you joining the company would be mutually beneficial. That way you’ll see the interview process more collaboratively and won’t feel as much performance pressure.” – Alice Boyes, PhD, author of The Anxiety Toolkit
7. Do a Power Pose
“One of the best things to do to combat interview anxiety is the ‘super-person pose.’ Spend a few minutes in the mirror posing like a superhero; just taking this stance exudes confidence and can release endorphins. Coupling this exercise with affirmations such as, ‘I am qualified, I am an asset, I am going to wow them!’ Can have a powerful impact.” – Sonia Martin, LCSW
8. Interrupt Negative & “What If” thoughts
“Negative thoughts can be very convincing, but are not helpful. When you notice them creeping in, you must interrupt them as quickly as possible and replace them with something positive and helpful. This can be a positive mantra, like ‘I am capable,’ or even singing (and dancing) to music. It is important to replace this negative thinking with another thought or activity, because it will decrease the opportunity for those thoughts to come creeping back.” – Janice R. Miles, LMFT
9. Take Action for What You Can Control
“It is normal to feel anxious before a job interview. Action is a powerful antidote to the fear that often accompanies interviewing for jobs. Focus on taking action in those areas of the job interview process you can control. For example, you may find it helpful to practice your elevator pitch with a trusted friend, family member, or career coach.
Additionally, carve out time to calm your nerves immediately before the interview. Spend a few minutes meditating and visualizing yourself succeeding in the interview. Throughout the interview, take a breath after each sentence. This will not only help you stay calm and centered but also allow the recruiter to take adequate notes and interject with any questions that arise.” – Kyle Elliott, MPA, CHES, Career & Interview Coach
10. Have a “Cheat Sheet” of Positive Thoughts
“Taking control of your thoughts can help with job interviewing anxiety. Our thoughts can create our feelings and by choosing to focus on more positive thoughts, we can shift our emotions.
For example, let’s say your fear is “I’m not going to know what to say.” You could address that by saying to yourself “I’ve practiced my responses to different types of interview questions and am prepared to ask a few good questions.” In this way, you’re challenging your anxious thoughts with evidence to the contrary. To reduce your anxiety, create a “cheat sheet” of positive thoughts to keep in mind whenever negative thoughts pop in your mind by jotting down your fears along with a few helpful coping statements.” – Dorlee Michaeli, MBA, LCSW
11. Think About Managing Anxiety, Rather Than Trying to Eliminate It
“When we recognize that anxiety is a natural reaction to a stressful situation, like an interview, then the experience no longer seems as out-of-control. To manage anxiety reactions in your body, focus on taking slow, abdominal breaths, and recognize that the feelings may be uncomfortable but they are not dangerous (some arousal before an important event is even adaptive). To manage anxious thoughts, consider the situation as a challenge, rather than an insurmountable threat. Together, these approaches can normalize the experience of anxiety and make it feel less catastrophic.” – Bethany A. Teachman, Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia
12. Take 5 Minutes to Breathe
“I suggest doing an abdominal breathing exercise, where you focus on inhalations and exhalations: Breathe in slowly through the nostrils, hold it in, and then exhale slowly. Do this between 5-10 times in a row. This helps to oxygenate the blood and helps the person decrease anxiety/nerves and think more clearly. I suggest doing this exercise for at least a few days leading up to the interview, and definitely the morning of the interview.” – Insha Rahman, LCSW
13. Use a Mantra
“When interview anxiety arises, It is important to validate feelings and say to yourself, “Of course this is scary, I really want this job!” Picking a “go to” mantra (one to use repeatedly) and incorporating a mindfulness skill in the moment can be helpful. When anxiety arises, my mantra might be, “You got this” and then a breathing exercise (such as counting to four as you inhale, holding the breath for a few seconds and then counting to four as you exhale) may be helpful for the purpose of managing the anxiety and bringing myself back to the present.” – Adria Hagg, LCSW
14. Do a Grounding Exercise
“I love using a grounding technique using our 5 senses. It helps to turn off the brain from anxious unwanted thoughts and be present in the moment. First position yourself in a comfortable position, then take 3 deep breaths. After that you’ll start to say 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. This is a very easy technique that can be practiced from anywhere and it’s so helpful in reducing anxiety.” – Edelys Diaz, LMFT
15. Remember You’re Interviewing Them, Too
“One actionable tip that an interviewee can use is adopting the belief that the company also has to impress them, as finding the right fit in a new position is a two-way street. When the interviewee is exclusively focused on only the impression they need to make, rather than having the viewpoint of this being a potentially mutual endeavor, this can fuel anxiety because the ‘stakes’ become internally higher.” – Rick Snyderman, M.Ed., LPC, CADC, CSAT, NCC
16. Change Your Perspective
“I have had many jobs and interviews in my lifetime. One thing I have learned is that I am looking for a good fit in the jobs I choose. I don’t go into the interview assuming they are just evaluating me, but I am also looking for red flags and interviewing them. I am very polite but inside I am looking for a great match. Taking on this attitude really calms the anxiety for me. I let go of the outcome and the idea that ‘this is the only job I want,’ and take on an attitude of, ‘lets see if this is a good fit.’ By changing your perspective to this is an interview for the company as well and not being attached to the outcome, it really helps with confidence and to find the right job, not just a job.” – Dian Grier, LCSW
17. Think of It as One Step Closer
“The reality is, it is totally normal to have anxiety prior to an interview, so expect to have anxiety on some level and identify how the “Ideal You” would like to present during the interview. Confidence stems from competence, so spending some time researching the company and potential questions is crucial. Interview anxiety can be regulated through consciously slowing the breath, and reframing self-talk to be optimistic, realistic and actionable—remember the forward action you are taking and the steps you have already taken to make it to the interview. You are pushing yourself to a better future and you will either succeed this time or get one step closer to nailing it in your next interview.” – Nicole Kleiman-Reck, LMHC
Additional Resources
- Mental Health America
- National Alliance on Mental Health
- MentalHealth.gov
- Online Therapist Directory: Sort therapists by specialty, cost, availability and more. Watch intro videos and see articles written by the therapists you’re considering working with. When you’ve found a good match, book an online therapy appointment with them directly.
Are you ready to connect with a therapist but feel a little overwhelmed by all your options? Speak with one of Choosing Therapy’s Client Navigators. Client Navigators are mental health professionals who will listen to what you’re looking for in a therapist and help pair you with the best possible fit. Getting started is free, easy, and confidential.
