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Nervous at interviews

I have tried as hard as I can to write the best CV I can. Yet I feel that it will be overlooked. Is there a way I can make it more dynamic or show that I have a great personality which should be as important as my skills?

Also, I used to get told that you could tell a potential employer at interview if you were nervous but now I wonder if that is still the case? I do not seem to be able to handle the interview stage well and cannot give the best of myself. The style has changed to one where you really have to think on your feet and give examples how you personally did this, that and the other and how you came to the end result.

Is there any advice you can give me to stop me feeling like a nervous wreck please?

Jill

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avatar careersurgery 26 February 2009 Career Surgery
  • Anon

    Hi Jill
    Your post suggests you have doubts about your CV- do you? How much time have you spent researching layout and checking grammar and spelling? Have you included the headlines ‘Key Skills’ and a ‘Personal profile’? Do you tweak each CV to make it relevant to each job you apply for (laborious job I know!!!) I wouldn’t upload my CV to websites and would be careful who I send it to, so you can ‘control’ which one ends up in the laps of a prospective employer for example.
    Personally, it is a combination of layout and content that suggests dynamism and personality. The quality of your writing in particular is important. Anyone can use the generic statements that come up on many CVs, but it takes time to think up something original and hard hitting ABOUT YOU.
    Ask for feedback. If you haven’t got anyone to review it, consider paying someone (think how much a dream job would be worth to you!!).
    I’d be careful to advertise nervousness. Clearly, any recruiter worth their salt would spot nerves, but I think I admire people who battle through and ‘try’ to create an air of confidence, regardless of how they feel. If you tell me you’re nervous, I don’t think I’d think any MORE of you. Also, apologising for nerves is like offering an excuse for something, and if I was recruiting someone I would not be looking for someone who likes to give excuses – I WANT RESULTS.
    I would advocate practice interviews as a way to get over nerves. Invite someone appropriate to stage mock interviews. Come up with a list of 30 common interview questions (Google), and prepare answers for all of them, perhaps with a couple of business examples for each. Then ask the mock interviewer to pick out questions in random order, and perhaps put a new spin on them to try and wrong-foot you. Do this enough times, and you will be able to deal with 95% of interview questions without much scrambling around in your head for the best ‘fit’ answer. Competency based interviews are really good ways to bring out your experience, you just need to have a great example of how you met the competency each time. Also, make sure you listen to the interviewer’s question, as I’ve often heard of, or seen people fail to answer the question after rambling on for a while… chances are, they won’t ask you to try again, they’ll just put a cross by the question.
    There are some great resources out there. Posting on here is a good start, but keep going. I suggest reading some ‘classic’ people development literature such as the excellent ‘How to win friends and influence people’, you can buy them for peanuts second had of Amazon.
    One last thing, why do you want to leave your current job (if you have one)? Are there things you could do to approve you enjoyment and contribution in your current role? Ask for 360 degree feedback from people you don’t particularly click with/get on with, to find out what your areas of improvement are…. Dare ya!
    Good luck
    P.S. Post back to let me know how you get on.

  • wittsey

    Hi, how do you feel about following up on an interview. If you have an interview and they say they will let you know by the end of the week, that has not happend, should you follow up and ask the company who interview what the latest status is with their interview? Should you be asking this question or wait for them to contant you.

  • Steve

    @wittsey : This is such an old post, but to anyone else reading, I would certainly try calling after a fair time has elapsed. Experience with my clients tells me it usually means a no if the time has gone past whatever deadline the employer set. Best to know isn’t it?…

    Steve
    http://www.stevenichollscareercoaching.co.uk

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