No doubt, most of you have been through at least one interview in your life, which means you’re likely familiar with the dreaded interview jitters!  The kind of jitters that keep you awake all night before the interview, that make you stub your toe on the way out of the door, that make you spill your Starbucks down your new blue tie (and dammit you didn’t bring another one), and the kind of jitters that make you feel like throwing up in the reception area while you’re waiting.

It’s completely normal to experience interview jitters; it’s important though to not let them affect you to the point that you mess up the interview, and become that candidate that the interviewer tells everyone about at lunch the next day.

Here are a few tips to getting over the interview jitters, leaving them at home and acing your interview instead:

• Be Ready – preparation is the best thing for interview jitters. Practice those 25 most asked questions in interviews (as mundane as they are) so that you’ll feel able to answer them if they come up.  Ask you partner or friend to do a mock-interview with you as well, and tell them not to hold back on the drilling either!

• Do Your Research – research the company and find out things like how is the company faring in the industry? What quality of work are they delivering?  Company ethos/vision/mission?  Write down any questions you have from your research and take these with you to the interview.  Make sure you get all your questions, about whether this is the right role and company for you, answered during the interview too.

• Remember You’re Not the Only One Being Interviewed – as we said above, you are also interviewing the company to find out if it’s the right fit for you. Recognising this can help ease the nerves and make it feel less like a firing squad and more like a two-way conversation.

• You Are the Expert on YOU – remind yourself that you are the best person to explain your own expertise.  You have the experience and the skills and it’s just a matter of explaining that during the interview.  The knowledge is already there.

• You Got Asked to Be Here in the First Place – you were good enough to get asked to attend the interview, weren’t you?  The company or recruiter must have seen something in your CV that they liked and matched what they’re looking for.  Take confidence from that.

And when the time comes, arrive early, take a walk around the parking lot or block before you go in and take a few deep breaths while waiting in reception. Relax, and tell yourself “I got this!”