Interview-Phobia

Fearing a job interview, whether it's your first interview or your fiftieth, is a normal reaction to an abnormal situation. Let's dissect the interview process.

Two people sit in a room; one person is the interviewer and one is the applicant. The interviewer's job is to assess and ultimately "judge" the applicant's personality, work ethic and ability on a number of different points. The applicant's job is to answer the questions correctly and calmly and, if judged favorably, get the job.

Thus, normal people enter this abnormal situation with a number of reservations, making it a negative experience before the interview even takes place. However, by taking extra steps to properly prepare yourself for the interview, you can breathe a little easier when your name is called.

After you receive the call and accept the interview, check a map and plot a path to the interview site. Nothing is worse than getting lost when time is of the essence. Make sure to write the directions down on a piece of paper along with the phone number and street address, just in case you do get lost. Also make sure to keep some change handy in case you need to use a pay phone. If you are not sure about parking, call the receptionist and inquire about where to park.

The next step is to research, research, research. Find out the company's annual revenue. Check out their web site to further your knowledge regarding what they do and how they do it. Investigate salary requirements and what similar positions are paying in your market. Make sure that you have all the information, so that you can ask informed questions. Feel free to write down any questions that you might want to ask.

Decide what you are going to wear to the interview the day before. If you are a woman, have an extra pair of nylons handy. Make sure that your suit/dress is pressed beforehand. Remember the number one turn-off at a job interview is a poor appearance, so make sure that you look your best.

The morning of the interview, get up early so you have plenty of time to get ready and eat breakfast. It's very important to eat breakfast, even if it's a light meal. Breakfast is important for two reasons: 1) It will stop your stomach from growling during the interview, and 2) it will keep you from feeling light-headed or even faint.

Be sure that you have everything together in a briefcase, organizer or portfolio. Be sure to have your directions to the interview location. Bring your list of questions to ask.

Arriving late for an interview can destroy your chances of getting a job so leave the house early. Anticipate that you may run into traffic or that you may have trouble finding a parking space.

In essence, alleviating the stresses that make you anxious in the first place can decrease your fear of interviews. Staying one step ahead of the game can mean the difference between calmly getting the job or having a panic attack over the all-powerful interview.