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STRESSWhatYouShould(andShouldnt)FocusonBeforeaJobInterviewbyKarenDillonAUGUST28,2015Years ago,when I was interviewing for the job of deputy editor at Harvard Business Review,Ithought I had carefully prepared for my full day of interviews.I had my favorite suit dry cleanedand ready to go.I took my older daughter(a notoriously bad sleeper)to my parents house so Icould count on getting a full nights sleep.I even did a dry run of the unfamiliar drive to the officeon the Sunday before my interview.I was ready for anything.FURTHERREADINGHBRGuidetoManagingStressatWorkMANAGINGYOURSELFBOOK$19.95ADDTOCARTSAVE SHAREOr so I thought.The night before the interview,my younger daughter,normally a sound sleeper,started teething and cried continuously.Far from well-rested in the morning,I somehowmanaged to slice a hole in the suit when I tried to cut off the plastic dry cleaner wrap.With mysecond favorite suit on,I headed out the door with my driving directions in hand(this was pre-GPS!).Unfortunately,the map directed me on a heavily trafficked route something I hadntencountered on my Sunday dry run.After sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic,I ended up at theinterview a solid half hour late and seriously ruffled by my series of setbacks.In hindsight,I can laugh at what happened(especially since I got the job)but I also realize that Ihad focused on all the wrong things:logistics and details instead of substance.That mistakecouldve easily derailed what was to be one of the most important job opportunities of my career.Stress about job interviews feels like a given for most of us.And we often dont make it easy onourselves since we head into these critical moments with only a scant amount of preparation.“Even relatively smart people dont prepare very well for interviews,”says John Lees,author ofThe Interview Expert:How to Get the Job You Want.Instead,we wing it.And that ends up makingus nervous in the very moment that were most trying to impress.And as Lees points out,“nervousness is intimately related to underperforming.”So,how do you manage the inevitable stress of a job interview and prepare correctly?“Prepare yourself even more thoroughly than you think is necessary,”Lees advises.You may beperfectly qualified on paper,but presenting your best self in the interview room someone whois energized and relaxed and easy to work with is a rehearsed performance.Heres how Leesadvises you avoid the interview jitters:Develop a real script.Most interview questionsare utterly predictable,he says.You canprobably sketch out the 10 or 12 things you willbe asked.Why should we hire you?Why do you fitthis role?I notice some gaps in your resume andso on.Practice answers to those questions.Actually say the words out loud.Its not goodenough to think about how youll roughlyanswer.Lees calls that“false preparation.”WhatYouShould(andShouldnt)FocusonBeforeaJobInterviewReally do it.“Its about building up small narratives,”Lees says,so that you have answers at theready and youre freed up to be far more present in the interview room.Plus youll probably givefar more succinct and responsive answers.Remember that the interviewer needs to learn acertain amount about you in a short span of time.If you ramble on with one or two answers,youmight use up all your time and you risk coming off as a self-absorbed bore.Prepare for questions you want to avoid.If theres something on your resume youd rather nothighlight,chances are your interviewer will be curious.You have a better chance of movingswiftly past the topic if you practice your answer ahead of time.“Keep it short and upbeat,”Leesadvises.Lets say you were laid off.You can say something like:“Like hundreds of other people,Ilost my role when the company downsized.But that gave me a chance to look at the skills Ivedeveloped and identify new areas of growth.”Shift your answer from the past to the present andkeep the conversation in a comfortable place.If you are thrown for a loop by a question,take a minute to think about how youll answer beforeresponding.Introverts,Lees points out,often need time to process a question.You can buy timeby summarizing the question or framing it in your own way.“Thats a really great question.WhenI answer it,Im going to discuss”The worst thing you can do is look or act flustered.Thatcommunicates incompetence.If you have to,tell your interviewer:“Let me think about that for aminute”and then only answer when youre ready.Make sure youre actually listening.When people are nervous,they tend to focus on themselves,what theyre saying,how theyre responding.But anxiety can be a blocker that stops you fromlistening,or makes you miss something vital your interviewer just asked.Try to slow yourselfdown by taking slow breaths and focusing on the interviewers words,not your ruminations.Ifits a complicated question,its OK to repeat it and then ask,“Have I got this right?”before youstart to answer.Invent a conference call to give yourself a break.One of my former bosses once passed on anexcellent tip.If youre scheduled for back-to-back interviews,tell your contact in advance thatyou have a conference call you must attend and ask if theres a private room for you to do that.That will allow you a small respite from the intensity of being“on”for several hours in a row.Thistrick is especially helpful for introverts but could help anyone who is likely to be exhausted froma long schedule of interviews(and who isnt?).WhatYouShould(andShouldnt)FocusonBeforeaJobInterviewPre-script your own questions.You know youre going to be asked if you have any questions forthe interviewer.“No”is always the wrong answer.Have one or two good questions ready aboutthe future of the company or the future of the role you are interviewing for.Ask a trusted friend to mock interview you and videotape it.If theres anyone in your life withreal world interview experience,ask them to practice with you.But both of you have to take itseriously.Its a great dry run.Lees suggests videotaping the interview(your phone camera willlikely do the trick)and then watching it without the sound.Body language can be a criticalcomponent of your interview and“youll see how you present yourself,”he says.With practice,you have a chance to observe and correct your nonverbal messages before youre in the hot seat.Of course,being nervous is normal but dont dismiss your jitters.Instead,be as ready as you canby doing the work of the interview well before you get into the room,says Lees.And he suggestsyou ignore anyone who tries to calm your nerves by telling you to“Just be yourself.”Of courseyou want be authentic,but you dont want to present an anxious,sweaty-palmed version ofyourself.You want to be the best version of you calm,confident,and prepared.KarenDillonistheformereditorofHarvardBusinessReviewandacoauthoroftheforthcomingCompetingAgainstLuck:TheStoryofInnovationandCustomerChoice(HarperBusiness/HarperCollins,October2016).RelatedTopics:JOBSEARCHThisarticleisaboutSTRESSFOLLOWTHISTOPICCommentsLeaveaCommentPOSTREPLY0012COMMENTSrevathyselvan10monthsagoAgreatarticlePOSTINGGUIDELINESWehopetheconversationsthattakeplaceonHBR.orgwillbeenergetic,constructive,andthought-provoking.Tocomment,readersmustsigninorregister.Andtoensurethequalityofthediscussion,ourmoderatingteamwillreviewallcommentsandmayeditthemforclarity,length,andrelevance.Commentsthatareoverlypromotional,mean-spirited,oroff-topicmaybedeletedperthemoderatorsjudgment.AllpostingsbecomethepropertyofHarvardBusinessPublishing.JOINTHECONVERSATION