You’re not alone–most people find job interviews stressful. With only one crack at making a good impression to escape your current job, increase your pay, and expand business connections, who can blame you. Aside from quitting your job and giving an anxiety-provoking public presentation, few things in the workplace induce more fear than an interview. Thankfully there are several simple things you can do to reduce job interview stress.
1. Sleep well–two nights before. Many people toss and turn the night before a job interview. Since most have no problem running on fumes for a day, aim to sleep well for two nights leading up to your interview. Accomplish this by exercising vigorously and tiring your body.
2. Get there early–but not too early. Rushing, getting lost, and the fear oft being late all provoke anxiety. Print out directions to the interview location the night before (get an alternative route as well) and plan to arrive 30 minutes early. But do not enter the building until 10 minutes before the scheduled interview. The anticipation of waiting can be brutal. Have a mini-plan to kill some time before the interview–walk around the block and do some deep breathing. One of the worst things you can do is get to an interview too early and be stuck waiting in the reception area for an extended period of time.
Read more of my blog post at U.S. News & World Report.
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