Change Your Mind; 5 Stress-reducing Tips for Your Next Interview

Discover tips grounded in psychology to change your mindset, reduce your interview stress, and help you land that job!   

Interviews are perhaps one of the most stressful parts of the job hunt process, but where is that stress coming from? Understanding your stress is a crucial step in overcoming it. Stress can be defined as one’s physical and psychological response to the perceived demands of a situation like an interview. That’s right, the way you perceive an event is largely responsible for your feelings of stress! Don't worry, though, because that also means you have a lot of control over how you feel about interviews. So, here are some tips to help you change your mindset and ace your next one!   

Once again, stress is all about perception. For instance, if you believe you lack the resources to meet the demands of your interview, you may feel stressed. So, how can you build those resources? Well, it’s easier than you think, and you can do it by simply preparing for your interview! Information seeking, like researching the company and the role or writing down some answers to common questions are great places to start! AgCareers has plenty of other articles to help you with your interview preparation, so be sure to check them out!  

Another great way to lay off some interview stress is by simply talking to someone about it! This can be a family member, a friend, or anyone you trust. Disclosure, or putting your feelings into words, is a common method of stress reduction because it helps put things into perspective and better understand where your feelings are coming from. Even writing down any information you can think of about your interview counts!   

Oftentimes, interview stress can stem from a lack of confidence. Maybe you feel like you are underqualified, or maybe you feel like you always drop the ball during the interview. If you have doubts about your abilities, one thing you can do is use affirmations. Remind yourself that your interviewer has already decided you are worth interviewing! Making this mindset change can boost confidence and self-esteem, which, in turn, reduces stress.    

Another common source of interview stress is the fear of rejection. Let’s face it: nobody wants to be told they didn’t get the job! One way to familiarize yourself with rejection is to put yourself in more situations where you might get rejected. This can help you realize that rejection is not the end and that this will not be your only chance. Opportunities are endless, after all. It can also be helpful to reframe rejection as a learning opportunity; how can this interview help you better prepare for the next one, regardless of the outcome?    

So, you’ve done all you can to prepare; you’ve read over the job description more times than you can count, you’ve talked to everyone close to you, and you’ve reminded yourself that you can do this! That means the next best step might be to take a step back. There is such a thing as over-preparation, and it’s important not to try and control every detail or fixate on small things. Try doing something to take your mind off the interview. It can be something as simple as listening to music or taking a walk. Going into the interview with a calm mind can help you put your best, most natural foot forward!