So, you got the call you’ve been hoping for, “_______, I’d like to schedule a face-to-face interview with you.”  Congratulations!

You’re excited and proud that you’ve been able to get to this place in the job search process.  But wait, all of a sudden the reality of having to interview is setting in.  Now you’re beginning to feel nervous and a little incompetent.  You can feel your heart beating a bit faster and your mind is racing…. 

“What will I wear?  What if I show up late because I got lost?  What questions will I be asked?  Will I be prepared to answer them properly?  Who am I competing against for this job?  How will they answer the questions?  Will Ido better than them?”

Has it ever occurred to you that your interviewer may be nervous as well?  Has it ever occurred to you that your interviewer may be asking him/herself, “What questions should I ask?  How will I know what to write down?  Am I prepared to evaluate this candidate properly?  What if they ask me a tough question that I can’t answer?”

Several weeks ago, I asked my assistant to help me conduct interviews for an intern that was joining our team; her first interview!  While she was excited and up for the challenge, she was definitely nervous.  For an interview that I spent all of three minutes preparing for, she spent three days!

So, what’s the point? 

The next time you have an interview, don’t psych yourself out.  Remember, your interviewer may be just as nervous (or more!) as you!

Until next time….