info@thecvengineer.co.uk

Make sure you approach every interview with the right frame of mind...

There is no doubt that careful research, planning and preparation for an interview will have a positive influence on your frame of mind.  But some of us get very nervous in the interview itself and all our careful planning goes out of the window.

If you get nervous in interviews, try one or both of the following exercises before you go:

• A Positive Affirmation - This means giving your self confidence a boost by saying something positive to yourself about your skills and abilities.  Talk to yourself about the successes of your career.  Talk through the success stories you have included in your CV.

Try saying this to yourself, out loud at least six times, just before your interview.

"I am a skilled and experienced [whatever your job is], and I am an asset to the organisation that I work for.  I am staying calm in the interview and answering questions very effectively."

• A Positive Image - Before you go for the interview, think about a positive time or event in your career.  It might be a time when your boss praised you for work well done, or a time when you felt that a project or task went really well.

As you think about this event try to make the memory as vivid as possible, think about what you saw, what you heard and how it made you feel.  As you build a picture of the event in all its colourful glory, turn the whole memory into a picture in your imagination and, in  your imagination,  place the picture in the air, or on a wall.

When you go to the interview, as you walk into the interview room, imagine the picture hanging on the wall, or hovering just above the interviewers' heads.  You'll be surprised by how calm this can make you feel.

If none of these work for you, or you feel you need more support, contact us.  We'll give you a few minutes of advice for free, which may well help you to stay calm in interviews.  Call us on the number below, or email us on info@thecvengineer.co.uk.