Stress and the Interview

Process

Some Helpful
l f l Tips
 Stress and the Interview Process
Interviews can be stressful
and prompt unwanted anxiety

In this brief workshop, you will learn about:

• Identifying
Id if i the h signs
i off stress

• Negative effects of excessive stress

• How to mellow or calm the jitters

• Some basic coping strategies to help you manage and overcome stress in
positive ways
 Interview Worries?
• What is it about the interview that contributes to your stress?

• Identify one aspect you are most worried about

 A job search is an emotional roller-
coaster ride
• Evoke
E k a range off emotions:
i

-negative: anger, shame, guilt,

embarrassment, fear

-positive:
positive: excitement
excitement, pride
 Reducing Interview Tension

• Interviewers center on the subject you know best – yourself!

• If you have done your homework, you will know more about the
company and the interviewer than they will know about you

• You have nothing to lose; you didn’t have a job offer before the
interview – if yyou don’t get
g a jjob offer,, yyou are no worse off
 Reducing the Jitters

• The less you worry about making mistakes,

mistakes the less anxious you
will appear

• Try to have more than one interview lined up as back-ups

back ups

– Placing “all your eggs in one basket” could be problematic

 Points About Stress

Some stress is NORMAL

A level of stress performance

 Where are you on this Stress Chart
during an interview?
OPTIMAL

STRESS UNDERLOAD STRESS OVERLOAD

ANXIETY
LOW ANXIETY HIGH ANXIETY
APATHY IN CONTROL YOU IN CONTROL ANXIETY IN CONTROL
NON-PRODUCTIVE NON-PRODUCTIVE
 Signs of Stress

How do you experience stress?

Physical Symptoms?
Mental?
Emotional?
Relational?
 Symptoms of Too Much Stress?
• Muscle tightness – clenched jaw, teeth, tension in neck and stomach

• Shallow and rapid breathing

• Disturbance of sleep patterns – sleeping more than usual, insomnia, early

morning awakening

• Withdrawal from normal activities

• Increase in alcohol and/or substance abuse

• Stomach problems, headaches

• Deteriorating work performance

• More accidents
 4 Approaches to Reduce Your
Interview Fears
1
1. Organized

2. Self-directed behavioural strategies

3. Positive attitude

4. Relationship skills
 1. Get Organized
• Be prepared as much as you can
– Review the company and job description
– Have a list of yyour references to ggive if asked

• Expect to have questions directed at how you fit the job description
– e.g. if the job description requires communication skills, be prepared to
provide examples of your communication skills

• Practice with a friend prior to the job interview to rehearse your responses

• I
Imagine
i yourself
lf responding
di to questions
i iin a calm
l and
d confident
fid manner

• Arrive early – practice deep-breathing

 2. Self-Guided Behavioural Strategies
• Exercise in moderate and regular amounts

• Eat well

• Establish regular sleeping patterns if you can

• Breathing exercises
– Diaphragm breathing, pause breathing, sighs and breathing

• Meditative practices and breathing

 More on Meditation and Breathing
Abdominal breathing:
-Breathing in, I calm my body.
-Breathing out, I smile.

Positive self talk:

-I know this is a wonderful moment.”
 These can help
p
• Abdominal breathing
• R l
Relaxation
i
• Meditation
• Visualization
 3. Positive Attitudes
Do your best
Be reasonable with yourself – expect enough so that you are sufficiently
challenged

Accept your limits

Use a sense of humour

stay focused in the present

Support
 Positive Self-Talk

• I can develop a plan to deal with it.

• Just think about what I can do about it – that is better than getting
anxious.

• No negative talk – think healthy and adaptive thoughts

thoughts.

• Worry will not help.

• Some anxiety is helpful – it gives me an edge.

Confronting and Handling
a Stressful Situation
 Coping With the Feeling of
Being Overwhelmed
• When fear comes, pause and breathe.

• Keep the focus on the present – what is it I have to do?

• Label my fear from 0-10 and watch it change.

• I should expect my fear to rise.

• Don’t try to eliminate fear totally – just keep it manageable.

• I can convince myself to do it – it will be over shortly.

• It is not the worst thing that could happen.

• Think about something else for the time being.

 Relationship Skills
• Develop friendships and a support group to help you through stressful
times

• Talk to others about what you are finding stressful

 Conclusions
™ With practice you get better at interviewing
(consider booking a mock interviews at The Career Centre)

™ As your fear subsides, you

™ Your confidence will grow

Check out the career workshops and handouts

on interviewing to acquire more information
http://www.career.uwo.ca/library/employmenthelp.html
 Resources
Helpful Websites

• Career workshops and handouts from The Career Centre @ Western:

http://www.career.uwo.ca/

• Student Development Services for anxiety/stress coping strategies:

http://www.sds.uwo.ca/psych/index.html?psych

• Canadian Mental Health Association “Coping with Stress” at:

http://www.cmha.ca/data/1/rec_docs/403_CMHA_coping_with_stress_EN.pdf
 For information and support
Visit us: 210 UCC

Location: 210 UCC

ƒ 1:1 Career counselling session
ƒ Employment Help Centre
ƒ Online and print resources
ƒ Workshops
ƒ Mock interviews
 For information and support
Visit us: 210 UCC

We are here to help you with

career decisions and employment

Employment Help Centre: 210 UCC

Monday to Friday, afternoon
(D
(Drop-in
i dduring
i the
h school
h l year))

519 661 3559

519-661-3559

www.career.uwo.ca