Interview

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Interviews are the lingering nightmare of almost all job seekers. Whether for newcomers or experienced professionals, interviews can make people nervous. Every interview seems to be a contest involving your ability, personality, professional skills and communication skills. In this process, we not only have to show ourselves, but also deal with endless questions, tests and evaluation criteria, and even have to endure face-to-face tension and potential sense of failure.

Challenges of interviews

First of all, interviews are often accompanied by huge psychological pressure. Interviewers usually represent the company, and their words, actions, frowns and smiles may affect your judgment. And you also need to show the best of yourself in just a few dozen minutes. Every detail in the interview will be magnified, and gestures, tone and speed, logical answers, and even performance in dealing with pressure may become the basis for the interviewer's evaluation. In this case, almost everyone will feel nervous and worry that they will be eliminated because of a small mistake.

In addition, the questions in the interview are varied, making it impossible to be fully prepared. No matter how much you know about the company and the position, the interviewer will always find a way to ask you unexpected questions. What's more, some questions are not even directly related to the job content, such as "How do you view failure?", "How do you work with others in a team?" and other questions, which often catch people off guard. On the surface, these questions are to test your personality, but in fact they are often a test of your ability to respond on the spot.

Another difficulty in interviews is competition. In many cases, you are not the only candidate, and you may even compete with many outstanding talents for the same position. Although your background and abilities may meet the job requirements, other candidates also have their own advantages. Therefore, in the interview, you must not only stand out, but also show unique advantages that are different from others so that the interviewer will leave a deep impression on you. This implicit pressure also increases the difficulty of the interview.

Why interviews make people uneasy

1. The pressure of self-presentation

Interviews require job seekers to present and promote themselves in a short period of time. This is particularly difficult for introverts, and even some extroverts feel uncomfortable in unfamiliar interview environments. We are afraid of not performing well, being misunderstood, and being magnified. Most people are not used to boasting about themselves, but interviews require us to be both sincere and confident. This contradictory mentality of showing ourselves often makes people feel uneasy.

2. Uncertain results

Interviews are usually accompanied by strong uncertainty. You may have spent a lot of effort to prepare, and you may perform well during the interview, but you may still be rejected for various unknown reasons. This uncontrollable factor makes the interview a "bet" nature, and the uncertainty of the results also increases people's fear of interviews.

3. Potential sense of denial

The denial of the interview result is often painful. Even if we know that being rejected does not necessarily mean that we are not good enough, we will still feel lost and even self-doubt because of failure. This potential sense of denial is something many people are unwilling to face, and interviews happen to magnify this possibility to the extreme.

How to deal with the pressure of interviews

Although interviews are anxiety-provoking, there are actually some strategies that can help us cope better.

1. Adequate preparation

First of all, being well prepared is the key to relieving anxiety. Research the background and culture of the target company, understand the specific requirements of the position, prepare common questions in advance, and even conduct mock interviews in front of a mirror or with friends. Although we cannot predict all problems, adequate preparation can help us be more calm when facing unknown problems.

2. Correctly view failure

Interview failure is often frustrating, but in fact every failure can provide valuable experience for the next interview. Don't blame yourself too much for a failure. A successful career is not determined by one interview, and failure is part of growth. You can review your performance, find areas for improvement, and be better prepared for the next interview.

3. Cultivate a good attitude

Interviews are just one part of the job search process and cannot fully define your career value. Maintain a good attitude and look at the stress and anxiety in the interview reasonably. You can try deep breathing, meditation and other relaxation methods to relieve tension. You can also remind yourself before the interview that it is not only the company that chooses you, but also you who chooses the company. This two-way selection concept can help you be more confident and calm in the interview.

Preparation before the interview

Before any interview, adequate preparation is essential. Research the company's background, culture and industry status, understand their products and services, and the latest developments. With such preparation, you will not only be more confident when answering questions in the interview, but also show your interest and enthusiasm for the company.

Additionally, it can be helpful to prepare for common interview questions in advance, such as “What is your greatest strength?” or “Why do you want to join our company?” Thinking about and preparing your responses, and even practicing in front of a mirror, can help you be more fluent and natural during the interview.

Interview Nervousness

Interview nervousness is completely normal, and almost all job seekers experience anxiety before an interview. This nervousness can help you stay alert to a certain extent, but excessive nervousness may affect your performance. In this case, deep breathing is a simple and effective relaxation technique. Before the interview begins, take a few deep breaths to help you reduce your nervousness.

Remember that the interview is not just the company evaluating you, but also you evaluating whether the company is a good fit for you. Therefore, viewing the interview as a two-way communication rather than just a one-way assessment may help you relieve some of the pressure.

Give Advice

1. Keep a positive attitude: Even if the results of the interview are not satisfactory, don't be discouraged. Every interview is an opportunity to learn, reflect on your performance, and look for areas for improvement so that you can do better next time.

2. Pay attention to non-verbal communication: In an interview, body language and facial expressions are equally important. Maintaining good eye contact, smiling, and sitting upright will all leave a good impression on the interviewer.

3. Prepare questions: The interview will usually end with a question asking if you have any questions. This is a good opportunity to show your interest and involvement in the company. Preparing some in-depth questions, such as asking about how the team works and the company's future direction, can make you leave a deep impression on the interviewer.

4. Mock interview: If possible, ask a friend or family member to help you with a mock interview. Through mock interviews, you can better adapt to the real interview environment and improve your self-confidence.

Interviews are not just about presentations

In fact, interviews are not entirely one-sided presentations, but rather a two-way interaction. During the interview process, we can also ask questions to understand the company culture, team atmosphere, and whether the job responsibilities are in line with our expectations. Interviews are not just a platform for the company to examine you, but also give you the opportunity to judge whether the company is worth joining. Looking at the interview from this two-way perspective can help us relieve some of the pressure and no longer regard the interview as a "one-sided assessment."