The secret to nailing job interviews
Hint: it's to do with your inner critic
In certain situations, when we're stressed, under pressure or out of our comfort zone, our inner critic can get really loud. And what’s more stressful, pressurising or uncomfortable than a job interview?
If you've ever sat in a job interview thinking the person opposite you thinks that you're an idiot, then you'll know what we're talking about.
A little bit of nervous energy can, at times, be helpful. But you want it to be you in that chair, not your inner critic (Russell ain’t qualified for the job).
So rather than let that happen, try these tips to leave your inner critic the f*** at home.
How to leave your inner critic at home for a job interview
Here are five simple things you can do before, during and after your job interview to make sure your inner critic doesn’t steal the show.
Before
Practice with a friend.
Ahead of a job interview, you’re likely to have prepared your answers to the standard questions about your CV, strengths, weaknesses and mythical hobbies.
But what about anticipating what your inner critic might say? This is where it can be really helpful to practice with a friend beforehand. Walk through the things your inner critic might say when you’re answering interview questions (for example, talking about your management experience). Then ask your friend to help you challenge what your inner critic is saying.
The reason that it’s helpful to practice with a friend is that they often see all of our good points far more clearly than we do.
However, if your bestie isn’t free, try this journaling prompt and do the same exercise by yourself.
Cultivate some perspective.
The lead-up to an important interview can be really nerve-wracking. If your palms are sweating and your stomach is turning, remember that some things in life just feel hard! And interviews definitely fall into that category. Recognise that feeling nervous, stressed and out of your comfort zone is a perfectly normal part of life. Sometimes this simple act of realisation can work wonders.
During
Ground yourself.
Grounding techniques are ideal for calming your nerves during the interview itself—and your interviewer won’t notice a thing.
Simply focus on bringing your awareness to the feeling of your feet on the floor and your back on the chair. You can also try naming objects you see around the room to bring yourself back to the present moment.
Talk to your interviewer about your inner critic!
It may sound counterintuitive, but tell your interviewer some of the things your inner critic says to you. Talk about how that critical voice spurs you on and makes you try hard. Not only is this relatable (we’re all human and your interviewer has an inner critic too!), but it also demonstrates your self awareness.
After
Pass the salt, please.
Post-interview, your inner critic might be torturing you with a play-by-play account of your answers and all the things you wish you’d done differently. Remember to take what it’s saying with a BIG pinch of salt—it’s probably not true. Its voice is just likely to be louder around a challenging situation, like an interview, than it is the rest of the time.
Further reading
If you’re looking to finesse your interviews skills and feel more confident in your career, we’re always sharing tips on how to manage your inner critic on our Instagram.
We also love the following resources for career advice:
The Copy Club - a community designed for marketers, but tbh there are tonnes of helpful events, courses and guides that are relevant to any job search.
Girlboss - have a browse of their blog posts, listen to their podcast or subscribe to their newsletter for career how-tos and success stories.
The Stack - another community developed especially for women, with the goal of building your network and supercharging your self development.
Over to you
How does your inner critic affect you in job interviews? What helps you soothe your nerves and feel more confident? We’re all ears.
If you haven’t already, don’t forget to subscribe to this newsletter for our weekly emails. We share (free!) psychologically-grounded insights and tips that will help you turn the volume down on your inner critic in real life situations (like turning red in meetings). Kinda like having a professional coach in your inbox.
Now…go kill it in that job interview!
