5 Tips For People Who Are Bad At Interviews
Everyone gets nervous before a job interview, and almost everyone has stumbled through an interview or two at some point. But some people have a harder time with interviews than others. You might have to work harder to perform well at a job interview, whether it’s because you feel socially awkward, find it difficult to deal with anxiety, or just don’t do well when put on the spot. Don’t let being bad at job interviews prevent you from having the career you want.
Prepare, Prepare, Prepare
One of the most common mistakes job candidates make before an interview is not preparing enough. You should look into the company so you can tell them not only why you’re interested in working for them, but why you would be an asset to the team. Read up on lists of common interview questions and craft responses to those questions. Practice your responses in the mirror. Draft a friend or family member to pretend to interview you.
Prepare a list of questions you have for the interviewer, too. Ask them what they love about working for the company, for example, to end the interview on a high note.
Cultivate Anxiety Management Techniques
Some people walk through life without experiencing much anxiety, while others seem to drown in it. Learning to manage your anxiety with a therapist is a valuable way to perform better in interviews and throughout life. Feeling crippling anxiety before a job interview makes it difficult to perform at your best.
Some people find meditation helpful, while others repeat mantras. Working out the morning before your interview might give you the endorphin rush you need to feel peppy and confident when walking into that unfamiliar office. These suggestions might work for you or they might do nothing; your anxiety management techniques will be unique to you.
Work on Your Self-Presentation
Do you mumble or talk too fast when you’re nervous? Are you never sure what to wear to an interview? Looking and acting the part is a big chunk of the battle when it comes to winning at job interviews. Call human resources to find out about the company’s dress code so you can pick out an appropriate outfit beforehand, and go shopping if you need to. To practice speaking more clearly, make a video of yourself and watch the result so you can pick out the areas you need to work on.
Start Your Own Business
Becoming a self-employed entrepreneur seems like a drastic step to take just to avoid job interviews. However, your poor interview performance might indicate a lack of enthusiasm for corporate work, or a lack of desire to be someone else’s employee. Starting your own business might be as simple as opening up an online store, or as complex as borrowing money from the bank to open a new restaurant or hair salon.
When you don’t have the resources to start your own business from scratch, look into companies that help you start your own business and remain on your side throughout the journey. Selling products for Amway, for example, is a great path if you’re interested in building your business acumen with a bit of assistance.
Become a Freelancer
As a freelancer, you can land remarkably similar jobs to the ones you’d perform in an office. Many companies hire freelance copywriters, web designers, marketers, recruiters, software developers, and more. Though some of them ask you to come for an in-person interview or to interview over the phone, others simply require you submit a portfolio and a sample.
Look for telecommuting jobs, since those typically require a portfolio and a resume, but not an in-person interview. Plus, if you’re bad at interviews because you just don’t like talking to people much, a telecommuting job requiring you to send emails back and forth might be the perfect gig for you anyway!
Few people are truly good at job interviews. The final piece in the puzzle is practice. The more job interviews you go on, the more you’ll become accustomed to the process. You may never be stellar, but you will be able to work constructively through interviews in order to find a great job.