Reduce nerves - prepare well

Although you may feel extremely nervous, remember that it is a completely normal feeling. Try not to let the nerves show - act confident and try to mask your nerves. A study by Sieverding (2009) found that applicants who tried to surpress and mask their nerves were rated as more competent than people who did not put on an act to hide their anxiety.

One top tip to reduce nerve levels is to make sure you are well prepared. Maurer and Solamon (2006) found that an effective method of preparing for a job interview is to have 'interview coaching'. This is easy to do at home - simply ask a friend, colleague, lecturer, family member etc to conduct a mock interview with you. Have them give you honest, constructive feedback at the end of the interview, and if possible video the interview so you can see for yourself where you could improve. Maurer and Solamon (2006) found that 95% of the people who had 'interview coaching' said they felt it helped them to prepare well for the interview.

The person conducting the interview should do some research into the organisation so they can question you about the company, as well as the role and your attributes/experience. For some tough interview questions to practice see some of these suggested links (we do not own any of these sites). We have also provided links for PHD-specific preparation.

http://career-advice.monster.com/job-interview/Interview-Questions/100-Potential-Interview-Questions/article.aspx

https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/ADVICE/getajob/interviews/Pages/default.aspx

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviewquestionsanswers/a/interviewquest.htm

http://betweenarock.co.uk/phd-musings/phd-interview-preparation/

REFERENCES

Maurer, T.J., & Solamon, J.M. (2006). The science and practice of a structured employment interview coaching program. Personnel Psychology, 59(2), 433-456. doi: 10.1111/j.1744-6570.2006.00797.x

Sieverding, M. (2009). 'Be Cool!': Emotional costs of hiding feelings in a job interview. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 17(4), 391-401. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2389.2009.00481.x