This was not just an email, it looked like a SOS.
Desperation was oozing out of it.
“ Please help me sir. I have my interview tomorrow and I am
nervous like hell. I do not know what to do.”
Fear of the unknown is our biggest enemy. It creates
uncertainty , loss of confidence and self belief.
Often we do not attempt because we are afraid of losing.
The saddest part is that it is not just the average or below
average students but even some bright students feel the heat.
A little nervousness is common among all of us. But we are
discussing about the chronic cases of anxiety disorders.
Why do we feel nervous ?
There can be many reasons. It could be due to some past experiences,
insecurities, low self esteem etc. But we shall limit ourselves to the
nervousness during interviews.
1.
Primarily our nervousness stems from the fear of
the unknown. We are afraid of the dark
because we cannot see anything. Our
nervousness is akin to that.
2.
We are nervous when we are ill prepared.
3.
We are afraid to fail.
So how do we overcome such problems:
1.
Acceptance that we are having a problem : We must first of all accept that we have a
problem on hand. Once we accept it, we
have overcome a major hurdle. Now it is time to act.
2.
Understand the interview dynamics: Failing in an
interview is not rejection. It is just that your profile doesn’t match with the
company’s requirement .
3.
Prepare well. Remember that there are no free
lunches in life. The harder you prepare, the more confident you shall be.
4.
Practice : Practice hard. Practice alone in
front of a mirror. Practice in front of your friends. Take part in various
competitions like debates, elocution contest etc. to overcome your fear of
public speaking.
5.
Realize that failure is as much a part of life
as success. One cannot succeed all the time.
6.
Learn techniques to overcome fear. Do deep
breathing. Drink water. Practice Yoga and meditation.
Life can be a great
teacher. It brings the process of learning out of our class rooms. The beauty
of this learning is that life throws problems at us and at the same time
provides the solutions.
All we need is an open mind and a strong will to change
ourselves.
