Hi Guys :)

I have just found out today that I have got an interview next week for an internal promotion.  I am notoriously rubbish at interviews and wondered if any of you can give me some advice/tips etc?

I am generally a very laid back person and very little fazes me...except interviews!! I go to pieces, become a jibbering wreck and generally lose the power of speech.  For once, I'd like to come out of an interview feeling like I have conducted myself well instead of cringing and kicking myself for being such a dribbling idiot :rolleyes:

My current job is known within the organisation as a difficult one and I know I do it well.  2 of the people on the interview panel are colleagues who I see every day and they generally see me going about my business in a very cool, together way under what are usually pretty tough conditions. I DO NOT want them to see me at my absolute worst (as I usually am in an interview) as I have to continue to see them daily whether I get the job or not.

Please guys, any help on how to hold it together would be great :)

Yours, Bricking It in Belfast

The best thing to control your nerves when having an interview or making a presentation is remembering to breathe. When nervous you tend to talk too fast and run out of breath before you get to the end of your sentences. Try to remember to take steady breaths - in through your nose and out through your mouth - that will help you to regulate it. Take a breath before talking and remember to talk slowly so as not to use up your oxygen and make you breathless - which will make you panicky.

Try NOT to think about what you are going to say for half an hour before your interview. Thats not the time to keep going over and over in your mind what you want to say. Thats the time to clear your mind and relax so you go in fresh.

Wear a shirt and jacket so if you get hot you can take the jacket off before you go in - then you won't have to worry about steam coming off you.

Good luck, be confident, you will be FINE! :D

BIB do you have meetings with the people you are being interviewed by ? If so treat it as a meeting ;)

Mind over matter ;) It is like a Phobia that you think that as it is an interview you will be a blubering mess :rolleyes: Just think how did you get your job They must have thought you were ok otherwise you wouldn't be there now

You will be fine do your research and make sure you have plenty of questions for them to answer as that will keep them talking and you listening ;)

Good luck !

Lucy
xx

I am an interviewer and get really nervous preparing for the interview!!! I am not in your field probably but there are probably some general rules which apply. First do your homework, it really annoys me when people do not appear to have researched what the job entails and what knowledge you might need. Also think about the experiences you have acquired in your job which might be transferable to your new job. For example when the question seems difficult if you could use an example from your job to clarify or explain what you would do in the situation, even if not an exact copy, this will give the interviewers some idea of how you may manage in the new job. They do not expect you to be an expert if it is a promotion but they do need to know how you will think and have the core skills for the job. Finally if you have supportive bosses get them to give you a mock interview to give you experience at the type of questions you may be asked. If you don't get the job ask for feedback so you can learn from it.

Having been interviewed by people who know me, I can say it is worse than if they didnt know you!! Only advice is to try and detach yourself from that and pretend you dont know them and give the answers accordingly i.e you have to forget they know you and your work.

Good luck

Interesting, knowing that you too get nervous, June!

One point I would make, from experience of many Staff Agencies through the years is that some agencies will not give you the name of the company that you are listed for - until the day of the interview itself (sometimes, I've even had to go into the Agency first, to get the full details/address etc).   I don't know why they do this - unless they are so scared that the potential client might approach the company individually, and thereby lose the Agency the commission,   But so far as the potential employee is concerned, it means that you cannot research the company itself properly - you can't sound as if you know about the company!

Margot

Hi ShaynLola
JuneH gave top notch advice, but reading between your own lines ... looks like you already have everything you need:
1) little fazes you
2) internal promotion, colleagues ALREADY KNOW you do a difficult job
3) cool under tough conditions

I'd hire you! You must believe you can do it, or you wouldn't be putting yourself through the mill. If you can get a 'dummy run' with willing colleagues so much the better - but you CAN do this job, so how about you just go & get it?
Get your chums to write you lists of your good qualities & read it before you go to sleep for a few nights.
Visualise a few scenarios re: the new job & how you would work with/around them.
Ask enthusiastic, lively questions. Be yourself. You wouldn't have got an interview unless colleagues thought you can do it.
If you get stuck, give yourself a break & say so. Most people (esp. colleagues who already know & respect your capabilities) will understand that we cope differently in a set-up,interview situation - don't be afraid to make light of it if you stumble: "silly me, it's sitting here under the spotlight getting to me, you know I perform differently when I'm fixing the zyrrtacy sprockets" ... or whatever it is you fix in real life!
& remember "THEY" - yes, the dreaded "THEM" !! are just as nervous as you. I promise.
GOOD LUCK & KEEP US POSTED

Thanks everyone :) Some very good tips there

My wonderful line manager (who is a trained and experienced interviewer herself) sat me down this afternoon and went through the stuff I had prepared and gave me a few tips and pointers.  Funnily enough, StinkerMink, she said almost all the same things as you did ;) so I'm feeling confident so far (probably the only time I've ever felt confident before an interview).  I'm not at all worried if I don't get the job (I'm up against some serious competition, some of whom have already been filling the vacancies albeit temporarily), I just want to conquer my fear and do a good interview for once!  I love the job I do now so I'll not be devastated if I have to keep doing it a bit longer :)

My interview is on Thursday but the results won't be announced for about a month as other candidates won't be interviewed until early November.  I'll let you all know how I get on :)

Great, you're confident that you can do the job (you wouldn't have got for it otherwise!).
You know your interviewers, so you won't look or sound too "forward" when giving your replies!!
When asked for examples think "STAR", as my firm calls it.... Situation, Task..what is needed to resolve the situation, Action... what you did...Result.. Of course you got a result!!!
Need we say more... of course this job is just up your street!! What was that moment of panic for?

Well I had the interview this morning and it went.......alright actually :D

I don't think I'll get the job and I'm not being defeatist when I say that, just realistic as some of the other candidates have way more experience than me but my main objective in applying for this job was to try to get over my stupid fear of interviews and I feel I achieved that today :) If I do happen to get the promotion, then that's a nice bonus. If not, then there will be other oppotunities in future :) 

Thanks everyone for your words of wisdom, they helped a lot!! :)

Well done to you, you sound quite relieved!
Your attitude to it is spot on too, nothing vetured nothing gained eh.
Karen

I got the job!!!!

*faints*

Yay! Well done! :D

*applies smelling salts*

well done!

well done!:)

Congratulations!
Onwards and upwards eh..
Best wishes to you
Karen ;-)

Congratulations! I'm so happy for you.

OMG! How did I miss this first time round??
Jules!!! 'Atta Girl!!' Very well done..Congratulations!! you were well due some good news, Delighted for you!
(I can hear the distant clinking of a fair few cocktail glasses in Belfast tonight!! :D chin!chin! sweetie heres to you!!)

Bottle of Bolly chilling in the fridge as I type ;)

Well done you Enjoy the Bolly you deserve it :D

Lucy
xx

WELL DONE YOU :D  The Briarlow SWD's give you big sloppy kisses!

Yeehar!!
Congratulations, just shows what you are capable of eh?
You must be chuffed, enjoy the buzz!
Well done again

Congratulations!!! :-D

well done - feels great I bet

Maxine