Feeling nervous before a job interview is common, especially where competition for roles is tight and expectations are high. For many people, interview nerves are caused by fear of the unknown. Not knowing who will be in the room, what questions you’ll be asked, or how you’ll perform under pressure creates a sense of unease. In this article we are going to explore some top tips for how to cope with interview nerves to help you ace your next interview.
It’s worth noting that interview nerves aren’t a sign that you’re underprepared or wrong for the role. Most often, they come from caring about the outcome and wanting to do well. Recognising that these feelings are normal can reduce the pressure.
In fact, some of that nervous energy can be useful. It can help you stay alert, focused and engaged. The key is learning how to manage the nerves, so they don’t get in the way of your performance.
Tips to Cope with Interview Nerves
1 – Tackle interview nerves by being prepared
One of the best ways to cope with interview nerves is to prepare well. Feeling ready can make a huge difference.
Good preparation includes exploring the company’s website, social media and any recent news releases they may have done. Reading up on their recent projects, understanding their goals, and knowing how the role fits in helps you feel more confident going in. It also gives you better answers when questions come up about why you want to work there.
Practising how you speak about your experience out loud is another important step. Many people know what they want to say, but struggle to put it into words under pressure. Saying it out loud beforehand helps those thoughts feel familiar.
If it’s an in-person interview, planning your journey and knowing exactly how long it will take reduces the chance of turning up flustered. If it’s online, check your internet connection, camera and microphone in advance. Make sure you know how to access the meeting link and what platform it’s on. These small things make a difference to how calm you feel on the day.
2 – Calming techniques to cope with interview nerves
If your heart starts pounding before you’ve even entered the building (or logged on) there are a few simple techniques that can bring you back to a calmer state:
Try slow, controlled breathing – Trying a slow breathing technique like inhaling for seven seconds and exhaling for eleven can do wonders to calm racing systems.
Use box breathing to reset – The box breathing method is a popular choice: breathe in for four seconds, hold for four, breathe out for four, then hold again for four. This kind of breathing helps reduce physical stress responses and can be done quietly while you wait.
Go for a short walk – Some people find it helpful to take a short walk before the interview, even if it’s just around the block. Movement helps release tension and clear your mind and is a great way to help you cope with interview nerves.
Sit rooted and relaxed – During the interview itself, sitting with relaxed shoulders, both feet on the floor and your hands resting loosely in your lap creates a sense of stability.
3 – How to reframe your thoughts to cope with interview nerves
The way you think about the interview plays a big role in how nervous you feel. If you approach it like an exam where you might say the wrong thing and fail, that’s a lot of pressure. But if you treat it as a conversation to find out whether the job and the company are a good fit for both sides, it becomes more balanced.
It helps to remind yourself that you’ve been invited to the interview because the employer saw something in your CV that interested them. They want to hear more from you. That fact alone can shift your mindset from trying to prove your worth to simply showing who you are and what you can do.
What to do afterward your interview
Once the interview is over, the nerves usually fade quite quickly. Still, it’s a good idea to take ten minutes afterwards to reflect. Think about what went well, what caught you off guard, and how you felt throughout. This kind of reflection helps you prepare better next time and builds confidence over time.
It’s important not to be too hard on yourself. If you stumbled on a question or lost your train of thought, that doesn’t mean the interview went badly overall. Most hiring managers understand that nerves can play a part. Often, they’re more interested in your overall approach and whether you’re someone who can learn and adapt.
How The Electronics Group Recruitment can help you cope with interview nerves
At The Electronics Group, we offer support to help you feel ready and confident for your interviews. When you work with us, we don’t just match you with job opportunities, we help you with your CV and cover letter and then help you prepare for the interviews too.
Before your interview, we’ll speak with you to go over the role and what to expect. We’ll walk through potential questions and help you shape your answers based on your experience. If anything is making you particularly nervous, we’ll talk it through together so it doesn’t weigh on your mind.
Our team of recruitment experts can also offer useful advice on all things related to your job search for example: ways you can up skill in electronics, what recruiters really look for in electronics engineers or even explain the difference between roles such as quality engineers and embedded software engineers.
Interview nerves don’t mean you’re not ready or not good enough. They mean you care. With the right preparation, the right mindset and the right support, those nerves won’t hold you back.
Whether you’re just starting your job search or you’ve been through a few interviews already, we’re here to help you feel confident, calm and ready for what’s next. Get in touch with our team today to discuss how we can help you land your dream job.
