Techniques for handling nerves
during the recruitment process
Many students, graduates and professionals feel anxious before and during interviews and when meeting professional people at career fairs, networking events or starting a new job.
Nerves before any performance event, particularly in new situations, are normal. It shows you want to do well and create a positive impression. By understanding your responses to stress, it is possible to develop effective strategies to develop your confidence in these situations so that you can perform at your best.
When we feel stressed, our bodies release hormones called cortisol and adrenaline as an automatic way of preparing us to respond to a threat, sometimes called the ‘fight or flight’ response. Evidence shows that feeling some stress helps us improve our performance as these hormones help to sharpen our mind and energise us. However, too much stress can lead to us experiencing negative symptoms which are unhelpful in performance situations.
Everyone reacts to stress in different ways including:
Physiological symptoms (such as rapid, shallow breathing, tense muscles, headaches, sleep problems.)
Cognitive symptoms (such as negative thought patterns, inability to concentrate or make decisions.)
Emotional symptoms (such as feeling irritable, fearful, loss of sense of humour)
Behavioural symptoms (such as avoidance of certain situations, excessive eating or drinking.)
The good news is some techniques can help you manage nerves and stress. Here, we provide some tips and resources to help you prepare for a specific career event, such as an upcoming interview, and offer guidance on how to improve your emotional resilience and overall wellbeing while searching for a job.
Effective preparation is key to any performance success. Fear of the situation can sometimes lead to avoidance of preparing properly beforehand. Getting advice about what to expect, researching the employer and practising your answers to possible questions can help build confidence and calm nerves.
Our Careers Guidance resources help you understand what recruiters are looking for and give helpful tips on how to prepare. See resources including The Job Interview and Assessment Centres and Interview360 tool or you can sign up to one of our career workshop events via Surrey Pathfinder Events
Talk to a Careers Consultant: We offer confidential one-to-one appointments to discuss any career or job-related issue. You can also book a mock interview to practice your interview technique or presentation. Career Consultants will give you constructive feedback and tips on how to improve. Book via Surrey Pathfinder.
Academic Skills and Development also provide students with support on delivering presentations through Academic skills and development resources including a Preparing a Presentation leaflet.
If you are feeling anxious, one of the simplest and effective techniques is to focus on your breathing.
This calming breathing technique for stress, anxiety and panic takes just a few minutes and can be done anywhere. You will get the most benefit if you do it regularly, as part of your daily routine.
You can do it standing up, sitting in a chair that supports your back, or lying on a bed or yoga mat on the floor. Make yourself as comfortable as you can. If you can, loosen any clothes that restrict your breathing.
If you're lying down, place your arms a little bit away from your sides, with the palms up. Let your legs be straight or bend your knees so your feet are flat on the floor. If you're sitting, place your arms on the chair arms. If you're sitting or standing, place both feet flat on the ground. Place your feet hip-width apart.
Then follow these instructions:
Let your breath flow as deep down into your belly as is comfortable, without forcing it.
Try breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Breathe in gently and regularly. Some people find it helpful to count steadily from 1 to 5. You may not be able to reach 5 at first.
Then, without pausing or holding your breath, let it flow out gently, counting from 1 to 5 again, if you find this helpful.
Keep doing this for 3 to 5 minutes. Source: NHS Moodzone - Calming Breath Exercise
Visualisation involves using mental imagery to achieve a more relaxed state of mind. This technique that has been used for decades by athletes and successful sports stars to improve their performance.
Research shows that using positive mental imagery combined with repetitive training improves performance outcomes. Similar to sport, when interviewing for a job, a high level of performance is required for a short period of time and visualisation techniques can be a helpful way to improve your confidence.
Try this visualisation exercise before an interview or assessment centre. Adapt it for any other performance situations or events that make you feel anxious.
Sit or lie down comfortably in a quiet room. Close your eyes and use each breath to relax your body from head to toe.
Imagine yourself preparing for the interview on the morning it will take place. When you visualise getting to the employer's office, use your senses to imagine the colours, light, shadows and objects in the room. In your mind, hear the interviewer's voice when they greet you. Notice your emotions are calm and confident as you shake hands.
When you meet the interviewer, imagine you are smiling warmly, and they are smiling back at you. As the interviewer begins to ask questions, imagine you answer them spontaneously and easily. You feel confident and comfortable. Visualise your best self, expressing your motivations and interest in the job and feeling positive about answering their questions.
At the end of the interview, you might imagine hearing the interviewer say something like "Thank you so much for coming today, we have really enjoyed meeting you.” Visualise yourself coming away from the interview feeling satisfied and happy with the interview.
(Adapted from Interview Visualise Success)
If you find visualisations difficult, try guided meditations. Guided meditation and deep relaxation can have a positive effect on your body and hormones. Meditation helps calm the adrenal glands and allows them to rest, relieving them from over-producing the stress hormone cortisol. Guided meditation is meditation led by a teacher.
These guided meditations help with interviews. All you need to do is listen and allow yourself to relax.
Meditation for Interview Success – 20 minutes guided meditation
Guided Meditation – Interviews: Stay calm and confident – 7-minute guided meditation
Guided Meditation - Deep Relaxation – 18 minutes
Mindfulness is a simple technique which, if practised regularly for even 10 minutes a day, can help you to reduce anxiety, boost your mood, focus better and sleep well. Whilst there are different ways to practise mindfulness, essentially it is about practising bringing the attention into the here and now, to the body and senses.
Ted Talk - All it takes is 10 mindful minutes by Andy Puddicombe
The Body Scan - Mindfulness Meditation (15 mins)
The 3-minute Breathing Space a mini meditation.
The Centre for Well-being have also developed a free Mindful Study course
Mindfulness apps include Headspace and Stop, Breathe and Think. Some apps charge a fee.
We are often much more critical of ourselves than we are when our friends are going through similar situations. Imagine what you might to say to your anxious friend to help them prepare for an interview or presentation. Now, can you give that advice to yourself? Self-compassion is the opposite of self-criticism. By developing self-compassion, you can break a self-critical cycle and learn to activate your soothe system (which calms your threat system and drive system) and help reduce anxious thinking.
For more information: Looking After Yourself - Building Self-Compassion Workbook
Sometimes our own negative thoughts and unhelpful thinking patterns can lead to feelings of low confidence and anxiety when attending an interview or delivering a presentation. Our internal voice may include negative thoughts such as ‘I’m always terrible at interviews’, ‘I will mess it up’, ‘I’m not good enough’ or “I know I will fail”.
One way to get a handle on these negative thoughts is just to start noticing them. It can help if you get them out of your head and write them down. Once you notice them, you can start to challenge or step back from them to gain some perspective, and with practice start to see the situation in a different or more helpful way.
Unhelpful thinking patterns or ‘cognitive distortions’ are used in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to help treat anxiety. CBT looks at the links between thoughts, emotions and behaviours.
Use 12 types of unhelpful thinking habits to identify your most common unhelpful thinking patterns related to your upcoming interview, presentation or job search. Then, challenge the thought and replace it with a more helpful alternative thought.
For example: Sometimes it can be our own negative thoughts and unhelpful thinking patterns that can lead to feelings of low confidence and anxiety.
Our internal voice may include negative thoughts such as ‘I’m always terrible at interviews’, ‘I will mess it up’, ‘I’m not good enough’ or “I know I will fail”.
Unhelpful negative thought
Example of cognitive distortion type
Challenge the thought, replace it with alternative, more helpful thoughts
‘I’m always terrible at interviews’
Mental filter (when we notice only what our mental filter allows or wants us to notice)
Always? That’s not quite true. I was offered my summer job last year after an interview. I do get very nervous at interviews, so I feel I don’t perform at my best. I could find out what I can do to reduce my nerves.
‘I’m not good enough for this type of job’
Critical self (putting ourselves down, self-criticism)
Where’s the evidence? My application impressed the recruiter enough to invite me to an interview. I’ve got the same chance as the other candidates.
’Everyone will think my presentation is boring’
Mindreading (assuming we know what others are thinking)
How do I know this? My lecturer and I think it’s an interesting subject. I could test it out, practice with my friends/personal tutor/career consultant and get feedback.
‘I know I’m going to fail this interview and will never be able to get a job I really want.’
Prediction (believing we know what’s going to happen in the future)
Catastrophising (imagining and believing that the worst possible thing will happen)
How do I know? I could do well if I prepare and try my best. If I do “fail” yes it will be disappointing, but I will learn a lot about how I can do better next time.
Neuroplasticity - The science behind changing your thinking patterns
The Single Most Important Thing You Can Do For Your Stress – 11-minute video by Dr Mike Evans who examines evidence for the most effective stress management techniques
Dr Dweck 's Growth Mindset v Fixed Mindset - how the brain changes through learning
Social Anxiety Self Help Guide – For help with managing a fear of social situations
When we feel stressed and under pressure, we often forget to take breaks and relax despite evidence showing that this is vital for optimal mental and physical performance. These relaxation tips from mental health charity, Mind, show how to calm the mind and relax the body.
Regular exercise and activity boosts your health and wellbeing by increasing your energy levels and releasing endorphins that help lift your mood and reduce stress.
Activities and classes are available at Surrey Sports Park
Ways to relax on campus via the University of Surrey Wellbeing Map
Talk to friends and family before and after an interview or networking meeting to gain support and reflect.
Book an appointment with a Careers Consultant (see next page for how.)
If you become overwhelmed or unable to cope, make an appointment to see a wellbeing adviser or counsellor at the Centre for Wellbeing.
The Health Assured Student Assistant Programme has a free 24/7 Student Helpline : 0800 030 5182, wellbeing support and a free Wisdom App
Don’t forget we are always happy to help you with every aspect of your career planning and development, whatever you are in your journey. If you are unclear about where to start or what to focus on first, just make an appointment with a Careers Consultant via Surrey Pathfinder and we can help you develop a plan for moving forward.
Visit our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion careers resources to find out more about diversity initiatives, employer perspectives and support at Surrey.
If you would like more information, visit MySurrey Help to find answers to the most common questions and details on how to ask us a question if you require more support.
