craresources blog

Written by Katie Fidler

The pressure to impress and succeed can be overwhelming, and appearing anxious during the interview can make you come across unprepared and unqualified.

Here are a few tricks to calm your nerves and give you the confidence to make a great impression on your interviewer.

Be prepared!  The best thing you can do to ease your pre-interview anxiety is prepare. Research the company and the position for which you are interviewing. If the company hasn’t already explained the interview process to you, then ask so you know what to expect! For more information on how to prepare for an effective interview, take a look at an in-depth article our team has written on the subject.

Practice makes perfect. Have a friend or family member “interview” you, asking you the questions you think that your interviewer will expect you to answer. Regardless of the industry, you should be prepared to provide a thoughtful response to the following questions:

• Why do I want this job?
• What are my goals? How does working in this position for this company help me to achieve these goals?  Where do I see myself in five years?
• How does my experience relate to this position?
• What value will I add to the company?

Expect to Interview the interviewer.  In addition to becoming familiar with the questions you may be asked, you should know that questions that you want to ask in the interview. Remember, you are interviewing the company as much as they are interviewing you. Asking questions in an interview shows you have done your homework on the company, are clear on how this company aligns with your career goals, and shows your genuine interest in the company and position.

Treat the interview like a First Date.  Calming your nerves before an interview can be as simple as putting the interview in perspective. An interview is nothing more than a conversation with another human who likely shares similar interests to you.  If you are friendly and personable, your interviewer will mirror this behavior.

Last but not least, dress to impress. While this may seem cliché, you will be amazed at how you feel about yourself and your abilities when you know you’re looking your best. Becoming less anxious about an interview can be as simple as getting a haircut and putting on your favorite suit.

There is no doubt that the pressure felt preceding and during an interview can be enormous, but it doesn’t have to ruin your performance. Taking heed of this advice will help you feel that you’ve regained control of the situation and give you the confidence to interview well and make a great impression.

I would love your feedback.  What do you do to calm your nerves before an interview?

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,
Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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The interview process can be just as stressful for a hiring manager as it is for a candidate. You are probably receiving hundreds, if not thousands, of resumes from hopeful applicants and overwhelmed knowing that in order to find the best candidate for the position, you’re going to have to disappoint all the others. As tough as it may be, it is critical that you inform candidates not selected for the position of your decision to pursue other candidates. Most companies execute this by rejection letters or emails to these candidates thanking them for their time and interest and informing them of their decision to go in another direction. Despite what you may think, rejection letters are more for you and your company than for the unselected candidate! Here’s why:

• Rejection letters give your company a professional image and show candidates that your organization is well managed. Although candidates will be disappointed that they weren’t selected for the position, they will appreciate your reaching out to them and making them aware of your hiring decisions.
• In addition to showing your company’s professionalism, rejection letters show candidates that your company has genuine respect for people’s time and effort. Letting people know that they weren’t selected for the position will allow them to focus on other avenues of employment. To further show your respect of candidates’ time, rejection letters should be sent no later than two weeks after you’ve made your final hiring decision.
• Rejection letters will help to protect your company against disgruntled candidates seeking to use loopholes in EEOC laws as grounds for legal action. Sending a rejection letter will make it impossible for former candidates to say that they were treated unfairly or kept in the dark by your company. Another way to protect your company in regards to rejections letters is by sending them to all unselected candidates. This will show that you are treating all candidates fairly and make it hard for a candidate to make a case for preferential treatment.

Keep in mind that candidates will be disappointed and frustrated when they receive the letter, especially if they’ve been looking for a job for a long time. Let them down as easily as possible. Thank them for their time, acknowledge the skills they bring to the table, and invite them to reapply for this position or another position within the company at a future date. Remember, just because this candidate isn’t right for the position you are trying to fill now, they may be perfect for this or another position at a later date; the last thing you want to do is burn bridges.

You may be thinking that your candidate pool is just too big to send rejection letters to so many unselected applicants. After all, who has that kind of time? It’s better to see it this way: think of the time and resources that will be wasted when three hundred applicants call every day for a month to check the status of their application. An easy way to expedite the process is to have a generic rejection letter template and personalize just the name of the candidate.

Letting people down can be tough for a hiring manager, but it is an essential part of the job. Sending rejection letters is an easy way to communicate not only your final hiring decision, but the respect you have for all candidates’ time and consideration.

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,

Katie Fidler
www.craresources.com

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