How To Cope With Interview Anxiety
Ever wondered why interviews can feel so overwhelming? Interview anxiety has deep evolutionary roots in our brain's survival mechanisms. Let's break down what's happening and - more importantly - how to manage it.
Why Do We Get Interview Anxiety?
Our ancient brains interpret interviews as potential situations of social judgment and rejection. From an evolutionary perspective, for our caveman ancestors being accepted by the group was crucial for survival. Today, while an interview rejection won't lead to being outcasted from society, our brain still activates the same protective response.
How anxiety helped our caveman ancestors vs. makes us uncomfortable in interviews
The Anxiety Cycle in Interviews
The vicious cycles that maintain interview anxiety.
The arrows in this image illustrate how interview anxiety operates as a self-perpetuating cycle, with each component feeding into and amplifying the others.
The arrows form a continuous loop around "Interview Anxiety" in the centre, showing how each element connects to, and reinforces, the others.
There's no clear starting or ending point - each component can trigger or worsen the others.
For example, here's how the cycle might play out:
You become hyper-aware of how you're coming across in the interview (self-focused attention)
This triggers thoughts like "They'll think I'm incompetent" (unhelpful thoughts)
These thoughts cause physical symptoms like sweating or shaking
You notice these symptoms and worry the interviewer will see them
This makes you more self-focused and anxious
You might then adopt safety behaviors like giving shorter answers and just try to finish the interview early
This makes you more self-conscious, starting the cycle again
The smaller circular arrows also show that each component can also create its own mini-cycle.
For instance, noticing physical symptoms can cause more physical symptoms, or unhelpful thoughts can spiral into more unhelpful thoughts.
This visual representation helps us understand why interview anxiety can feel so overwhelming - it's not just feeling nervous, but a network of interconnected reactions that keep feeding into each other. Understanding these cycles is the first step in learning how to interrupt them!
Breaking The Cycle: How To Interrupt The Anxiety Cycles
Before The Interview
Get enough sleep
Avoid substances that stimulate your nervous system, such as coffee or nicotine
If you can’t function without your morning coffee, try one shot instead of two
Prepare, but not to a level that feels obsessive
During The Interview
Keep a glass of water handy for dry mouth
Focus on the conversation and the task at hand, rather than yourself
Remember, interviewers are just people too!
Hold in mind you are also here to interview them - is this job even right for you? do you want to work for people like them?
Hold in mind that interviewers are used to seeing nerves - even if they see you sweat or shake, they’re likely to interpret this as you caring about the role, rather than being incompetent
Use the CARE Technique - this is a technique to help stop anxiety in it’s tracks, and keep you focused on the task at hand
After The Interview
Be kind to yourself regardless of the outcome
Reflect on what went well rather than just focusing on mistakes, and then let it go and move on with your day. Try not to obsess over it - remember, thinking about it over and over again will not change any outcome.
Use each interview as a learning experience
Celebrate your courage in facing the situation! Do something nice for yourself.
Remember: Your Brain is Trying to Protect You
Understanding that interview anxiety is your brain's way of trying to keep you safe can help you respond to it with more self-compassion. The physical symptoms you experience aren't dangerous - they're just uncomfortable. With practice and the right strategies, you can learn to manage these responses and perform well despite feeling anxious.
While anxiety might not disappear completely, you can learn to work with it rather than against it. In fact, it would be odd to have no anxiety at all, as this may suggest that we do not care! So don’t try to get rid of it completely!
If you're struggling significantly with interview anxiety, consider reaching out to a mental health professional who can provide personalised strategies and support.