Every week- I haven’t actually checked this but I’m fairly certain at least once a week- either myself or someone else will remind you to be prepared for your video interview. That’s great advice. You never want to arrive to any kind of interview unprepared. That doesn’t mean, however, that you can’t overthink an interview; so here are some tips on not overthinking your next video interview.
First off, I cannot stress enough how important it is to get sleep the night before a big interview. You’ll be less likely to psyche yourself out if you have a solid night’s sleep behind you. When you get in bed, read something completely unrelated to the interview- if not, and you’re like me, you’ll start overthinking the night before.
From a technology standpoint, it is important to check to make sure everything is working before your video interview. At the same time, you’ll drive yourself crazy if you constantly check the sound and connections, plus there’s a pretty good chance you’ll end up hitting a wrong key or pulling out a cord the more you play with your setup.
It may also be alluring to consider other candidates. Yet again, you do not have control over other interviewees. You can’t control how you measure up to other candidates, or even the person who previously held the position. Stick to you. Overthinking other candidates will cause you to lose sight of the reasons why you are the best person for the job, and you may forget to remind the interviewer why you- as opposed to someone else- are the person for the job.
Beyond.com’s Mary Nestor-Harper offers some additional ways to not overthink your interview. My personal favorites are remaining confident by remembering there’s a reason they chose to interview you in the first place and to not try too hard to fit yourself to the company. The second one is especially important in regards to overthinking the interview. It’s easy to try and present yourself to potential employers as someone who fits their company culture. However, if you have to think about how to make it seem like you fit, you probably aren’t a great fit after all. How you fit the company culture should be the least of your worries. If you’re a fit, that will come through in your video interview.
While it may be tempting to obsess over your upcoming video interview, overthinking can cause you to underperform during an interview that you are more than prepared for. Instead, remind yourself of how qualified and perfect for the job you are. Make a list of reasons why and commit those to memory, rather than the things you can’t control (tech glitches, personality differences, other candidates, etc.). Focusing on you, getting a good night’s sleep and not fussing with things will help you be relaxed and attentive during your video interview, giving you the best chance to land the job.
What are some things you do before an interview to avoid overthinking it? Share with us in the comments section below!
IMAGE: Courtesy of Flickr by Dvortygirl
Add comment