How can we deal with interview anxiety?

Firstly we want to point out that university interviewers will completely expect you to be nervous and will make allowances to a certain extent.

No university will want to trip you up on purpose or to make you feel uncomfortable – they will all want the best out of you! Some really simple tips to keep calm are:

• Take deep breaths regularly throughout the interview
• Have a glass of water with you which you can sip on to give you time to think or provide a way of grounding you
• Be prepared! Ensure you follow all the tips in this course and you’ll go in to your interviewing knowing that there is nothing else you could have done in advance
• Take care of yourself in the run up to the interview. Make sure you eat right, get some fresh air and exercise, get some good night’s sleep and do the things that you know you enjoy and relax you

Further tips

Indeed.com and other work related websites have some great advice on how to deal with interview nerves and anxiety. The tips are job interview related but as we’ve mentioned before, many are completely relevant to a university interview. Have a look through their website to see what you may find helpful.

Mindfulness activities

Many people find mindfulness activities a great way to relax and to keep any nerves or anxiety away. A great one is the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique, explained in full on the DeStressMonday.org website. It allows you to focus on something simple and take you away from any stressful thoughts – a great one to do prior to an interview. Why don’t you give it a try now?

Do you have any tips on how to control interview nerves and anxiety? Please share them with the community in the discussion below!