How to control nervousness during an interview?

I know of someone who works at an Asian grocery store who is 24 years old, and had graduated from a prestigious university with a degree in mechanical engineering. Although it has been 7 months since his graduation, he still has not submitted his resume to an engineering firm for an interview, and continues to work as a stocker for the Asian grocery store. Perplexed, I ask him why does he not submit his resume for a job interview, with the chance to make 4 times more what he is making now, on an engineering career path that promises to bring much more? The grocery store worker stated that he does not like interviews and becomes very nervous during them. Just the thought of a potential interview makes him anxious and jittery. So he continues making minimum wage doing manual labor, just because he has nervousness during interviews.

This does not have to happen to you. If you have nervousness during interviews, you may have performance anxiety, a form of social phobia, also known as social anxiety disorder. Performance anxiety is the fear of being embarrassed during performance situations, like an interview.

There are ways to control nervousness during an interview:

• Take a beta blocker before the interview. Propanolol is a beta blocker that is commonly prescribed to decrease the physical symptoms of anxiety, such as increased heart rate.
• Try exposure therapy. Exposure to varying degrees of the feared interview can help to sensitize you and decrease the anxiety during an interview. You can start out by watching an interview on video, then progressing to watching a live interview, then eventually doing a mock interview.
• Try relaxation techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and yoga.

Don’t avoid interviews due to your anxiety and nervousness. Get the help you need to advance your life and career. AnxietyBoss.com and Anxiety Protocol have the resources you need to overcome your nervousness of interviews.