A lot of people are very nervous when it comes to job interviews. Are you one of those? So please continue reading.
We don’t always say what we think. However, our body language reveals what we feel. Body language, in particular, is often given enormous weight in job interviews because who says so much convincing in the first two minutes that the rest doesn’t matter?
Several candidates fail in an interview not because of their professional qualifications but because of these non-verbal signals.
A CareerBuilder survey (https://press.careerbuilder.com/2018-02-22-The-Most-Unusual-Interview-Mistakes-and-Biggest-Body-Language-Mishaps-According-to-Annual-CareerBuilder-Survey)
has determined which gestures HR people don’t like at all in an interview and which tend to let applicants fail – many of them are typical characteristics of nervousness:
- Failure to make eye contact: 68 per cent
- Failure to smile: 38 per cent
- Playing with something on the table: 36 per cent
- Fidgeting too much in his/her seat: 32 per cent
- Bad posture: 31 per cent
- Crossing their arms over their chest: 31 per cent
- Playing with hair or touching one’s face: 26 per cent
- The handshake that is too weak: 22 per cent
- Using too many hand gestures: 13 per cent
- Handshake is too firm: 8 per cent
What can we do to reduce nervousness?
1. Use the anchor method
The anchor method is a technique that helps you to relax in stressful situations. It is based on stimulus reaction coupling. The thumb and index finger are pressed against each other, and during this process, you think intensively of a positive experience, for example, your last holiday. The beautiful memories are transferred to the pressure of the fingers. If you have repeatedly repeated this exercise, pressing your fingers together gives you a good feeling.
To make this work, however, this method requires some practice. Therefore, you should start to find a suitable anchor and connect it with positive emotion early. Then, if you feel nervous, you can counteract it with a button or finger.
2. Take a deep breath
Nervousness affects your breathing. Many people then tend to breathe through the mouth or only into the upper part of the body. In addition to the dry mouth, your voice will also beep. Correct breathing helps you to reduce tension.
If you are about to hyperventilate, you will only become increasingly nervous and increase your excitement. So just before the interview, take a few minutes for a breathing exercise, in which you can calm down and go to the interview without stress.
A breathing exercise against stress:
Targeted breathing exercises can also combat nervousness in the job interview: Sit or stand upright, shoulders straight, place your hand on your stomach and try to breathe through your nose – if possible, without your chest lifting.
Breathe according to the 4-6-8 method:
Inhale slowly and deeply, count to four,
Hold your breath, count to six,
slowly exhale through your mouth and count to eight.
Repeat at least five times. Over time, you will no longer need your hand. However, with this exercise, you can breathe away stress, frustration, or anger.
Deal honestly with your nervousness.
A reasonable person knows that you are excited. Your nervousness is a sign that something is on your mind and proves your seriousness. Therefore, you should not try to hide your excitement. Usually, it doesn’t work.
If you have stalled while speaking, lost the thread or noticed that your nervousness is noticeable, speak out that you are nervous. This has a human effect and makes you sympathetic.
Besides, you can fall a stone from your heart. Just saying the words can often make the situation noticeably more pleasant.