Job interview

Job interview

Going to a job interview can create some nervousness in most people. And if you do not learn what exactly makes you nervous and how to handle it, before the job interview, then you can't remove the nervous feeling.

The aim of this article is therefore

• To help you put into words what might make you nervous, so you can work on this issue before you go to the job interview
• Prepare you for the job interview so that you are convincing
• Help gain insights into how a job interview process can take place

So let's look at the first point, how can you avoid interview nerves.

Nerves at job interview 

You don’t have to worry about getting nervous when going to a job interview.

Firstly, it is completely natural and secondly, the nervousness causes the brain to pump a large shot of invigorating adrenaline into your blood. The adrenaline fills our muscles with energy in the form of sugar and oxygen. This is important as your body needs to provide the best when you go for a job interview. The body is in the process of helping you, although you may feel it creates certain unrest in the body.

So try to think of nervousness as something positive when you go to job interview.

If you tend to get nervous and feel exam anxiety, you can gain better control over your nerves through the following exercises

• Take deep, calming breaths where you draw the air all the way down from the diaphragm. Place your hand on your stomach so you can feel how your stomach fills with air. Hold your breath for a few seconds, then exhale slowly
• Think of something nice, if you like a song, listen to it before you go into the job interview
• The body relaxes when lying down. If you drive to the job interview, you can lie down in the back seat of your car for 10 minutes before you go in
• You can also choose to distract your thoughts. You do so by counting from 0 to 100. You can think about everything that is green (or another color) that you see when you look at your surroundings. 

You can practice these exercises before you go in to an exam or a job interview so you know what works best for you.

Use your handling of nervousness as part of your preparation for the job interview, which leads us to how you can prepare for a job interview in the best way.

Job interview preparation

Preparing for the job interview is about spending time on the following points

• Getting there, how long does it take to get to the job interview? Always set aside plenty of time for unforeseen obstacles
• What signal do I want to send? What clothes should you wear for a job interview? Am I going to use "party colours", or use a slightly more subdued make up?
• What questions do I want to ask? Always have at least 3 questions ready and preferably more
• Have I researched the company well? What would I like to be elaborated on re the company and the job at the interview?
• If you are going for a personality or intelligence test, this will normally not happen for the first interview. And you should probably get a hint a few days before you go for a test. But you must always be ready to talk about your personality and be able to give examples of how the company can benefit from this

Job interview questions

Not all job interviews are the same, but let's still look at what questions are typically asked.

The opening question is often,"Can you tell me about yourself"? Sometimes it is elaborated with, "If you start with your CV from the back (the jobs or education you did a long time ago), what do you want to highlight in relation to what jobs you have had and what you did?

Next, the company usually wants to know, "Why do you want to work for us?" 

Other classic questions are

• "What are your strengths?"
• "What are your weaknesses?"
• "Where would you like to be in your life in 5 years?"
• "Why should we hire you?" or "What can you do for us that others cannot?"
• "Why are you looking for a new job?"
• "What salary are you looking for?"

Also watch this video for ideas on how to tackle the frequently asked questions. (The article continues after the video).

You may also see:

Best tips for a job interview

Now that you have arrived at the job interview, you can do the following

In the car park

• If there are places in the car park that are reserved for Visitors then you are welcome to park your car there. However, please note, that you should ask reception if you need a parking pass. If you do not remember the number plate of your car, you can take a photo before entering the reception
• Is there a reservation for a specific number plate, or is there a parking space reserved for the disabled (and if you are not disabled) it is an absolute no go to park there
• If there are not enough parking spaces, find a legal place to park outside the company's area

At reception

• It may sound strange, but your job interview has already started with your first contact, namely the receptionist, or the employee you meet first. Whether it's the receptionist, the kitchen assistant, the warehouse employee or the director. Therefore, be accommodating. Some HR managers actually ask the receptionist what impression they got of you as eventually you may represent the company

In the waiting room:

• In the waiting room, you must also seem friendly and welcoming to the people you meet
• Here you can use the techniques we already discussed to calm any nerves
• Go to the mens or ladies room and check yourself in the mirror, make sure you are presentable

You will be called in for the job interview

• If you have sweaty palms, dry your hands on your clothes before you say hello 
• Be aware that not all interviewers shake hands now due to Covid-19

Best advice for the job interview:

At the interview

• If the interviewer does not show you where to sit, ask politely, "Where would you like me to sit?" (before you sit down)
• Put your bag near you but do not put your bag on the table
• There are divided opinions on whether the hands should always be on the table, so do what you find best. But try noticing a TV interview where most experienced guests in the studio have their hands full. They have it over the table to seem credible and confident. If you put your hands under the table, it may seem as if you have something to hide. If you shake a lot, it can be a good reason to keep your hands under the table until you are gaining confidence and calmness as the interview progresses
• Listen - listen - listen.  Do not interrupt even if you are eager. Seem confident and balanced. It is the interviewer who decides the agenda
• Take notes along the way (only very relevant things to remember)
• Answer the questions and substantiate with good examples
• Use the STAR technique, you can practice this at home. When answering a question to help you share detail think, Situation, Task, Action, Result
• When the interviewer asks if you have any questions use the ones you have prepared, it is acceptable to write them down and take notes of the answers offered.  One question that may be good to ask is: "What is the interview process after today?" That way, you can get valuable information, for example, whether you are going for a test. In that case, go home and prepare for this
• The job interview ends with a handshake (if you did it before the job interview)
• Use your happy smile and say thank you for opportunity to meet with them today

After the job interview

• Maybe you'll be led to the exit, maybe not
• Hand in any visitor pass at reception if you have received one before the job interview, or sign out from the visitors if the company operates one
• Find a place outside of business where you can just relax. Add more notes if there is something you need to remember for the next job interview, or in preparation for going to job interviews in general

After reading and practicing these tips you should feel more prepared for any future interviews.

Not all jobs require you to complete a personality test or undergo an intelligent test. But if you are invited to a test, take the advantage of preparing yourself, this will increase your chances of getting the job.

Click below to see more about:

• Personality test
• Intelligence test

It is possible during a job interview you may find yourself negotiating your salary, you can read more about this here: