Did you get called in for a remote interview for a position in technology? We are so proud of you. Getting to this stage means your CV was amazing, and you caught the recruiters’ attention. Now, you need to take that good impression to your remote interview. We know you have all the skills to get ahead, but we also understand that nerves can play a trick on you and hide your full potential. To help you out, we’ll share with you the best hacks to control your nerves in a remote job interview.
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Seven tricks to avoid nerves before a job interview.
1. Arrive with concrete examples that prove your value.
In your tech job interviews, you will have what is known as Behavioral Interviews, a recruiting method that seeks to predict your current performance based on how you acted in your previous job.
In short, you will be asked specific questions which you will have to answer with concrete examples where you have played a key role in solving a problem.
The recruiter will ask you for specific examples or experiences where you have been a key role in solving a problem.
If you try to remember them during the session and fail to do so, your nerves and insecurity will increase, causing the dreaded blank mind that will keep you quiet for several minutes.
Arrive confident with a list of all those relevant situations in your work past where you were able to resolve a conflict.
Being prepared is the best tool to gain confidence during a job interview.
Summarize your past experiences with the STAR method.
When you know what you have to say but don’t know how to say it, that’s where the nerves start to rise.
To avoid them, you have to come in with great clarity on what you want to convey.
That’s where the STAR method comes in.
An interview response technique that will help you structure how you handled a job problem in the past as accurately and convincingly as possible.
Think about that relevant example and fit the information into the following four stages:
S: Situation. Give context and a scenario to the problem you faced.
T: Tasks. Describe the responsibilities you were assigned.
A: Actions. The sequence of steps you executed to solve the problem.
R: Results. Share the results you achieved with your actions.
In short, the STAR method is useful for controlling nerves in a remote job interview because it gives you a simple format to answer a question about a past work experience in an orderly fashion, without digressions or ambiguities.
3. Meditate a few hours before the interview
Want to know how to calm your nerves in a remote job interview? Now that you’re in the privacy of your home, you can treat yourself to a relaxing pre-interview meditation session.
If you’re looking for ways how to relax before an interview, meditating is the best technique. Mindful, deep breathing will help you get rid of that stream of negative thoughts that make you doubt yourself, calm anxiety and quiet your mind. Do it half an hour before going into the video call.
4. Simulate the interview in front of a mirror or by videotaping.
When nerves get the better of you during your remote interview, certain body gestures give it away: a blank stare, fidgeting with your hands or fidgeting with an object in front of the camera. But you don’t realize it until you’re aware of it.
That’s why a good way to control your nerves in a remote job interview is to practice in front of a mirror or by recording it on video.
This way, you can identify the gestures you make when your nervousness peaks.
Once you have done this, you can rehearse postures or gestures that will help you control your body during a nervous episode and demonstrate greater self-confidence.
Recreating the interview beforehand will help you better remember everything you want to say while controlling your body language.
5. Do the job by studying their culture and philosophy in depth.
As you may know, one of the most frequent types of questions asked in programming or software development job interviews is cultural fit.
Beyond the evaluation of hard skills or technical skills, with this assessment, recruiters want to know if you fit with the cultural values and principles of the company. This is because they are looking for quick integration and retention of talent.
Landing in the interview without having thoroughly researched the hiring company is the worst mistake you can make in the tech industry. A mistake that can trigger your nerves as soon as you are asked such questions.
The best advice we can give you: do the work.
Coming in with a thorough understanding of the company culture is a good strategy to avoid nerves in a remote job interview as a software developer.
If you know the place you want to work in in-depth, you’ll have more information when you’re asked questions related to the company culture or what excites you – besides the paycheck – about working there.
In addition to your own work experiences, take some time to gather information about the company’s ethos: principles, motivations, how they see themselves in the future, and their values. Then internalize their philosophy and align it with your own purposes.
Nothing helps calm nerves in a job interview better than the rewarding feeling of having prepared.
6. Take a reasonable amount of time in answering to organize your ideas.
This does not mean that you have all the time in the world to talk about your experiences and achievements. But you won’t give better answers the second the recruiter asks his question.
A good hack is to dedicate 4 to 5 seconds to solve the recruiter’s question; in these seconds, you will have a lapse of time to organize your ideas and explain them with clarity and precision.
7. Practice the therapeutic S.T.O.P. method to calm anxiety and overwhelm.
An effective tip we can give you to control your nerves in a remote job interview in the tech industry is to implement the S.T.O.P. method.
This simple and psychologically proven mental trick will help you lower your anxiety levels, stop overthinking, control stress and feel better before facing your video call interview.
There are four steps to follow:
S: Stop everything you are doing and focus on your thoughts. Let the world stop with you. Stop looking at your cell phone screen or checking the time. Stop everything. Stop moving. Just stop.
T: Take a few deep breaths. Breathe in and out calmly. Concentrate on how the air moves in and out of your body. Keep calm and breathe.
O: Observe what is happening in your body, emotions, mind and behaviour. Don’t judge yourself; just pay attention to how you are feeling.
P: Proceed as you were but incorporate with intention what you have learned and observed into your actions. Move on.
This technique for controlling nerves in a job interview – and in any stressful life situation – is to slow down your mind, reflecting not only on the things you do but also on the feelings that dominate you.
The S.T.O.P. method reminds you that you actually have the power to dispel your own fears, doubts and nerves. You’re the boss here.