Interviewing is NEVER easy. For anyone. Even for those who interview all of the time, it still is a challenge. Sure it might get easier over time, but it still plagues most folks with some level of anxiety. There are always ways that interviews trip you up and make you fumble and you lose your self-confidence.

Think of it like training for a marathon. And if you train, you’ll be prepared for whatever interview you might have.

So first there are multiple rounds of interviews. There is first round with the recruiter, the second round with the hiring manager and subsequent rounds with additional folks who have a say in if they like you, if you’re right for the job and if they would enjoy working with you. Each interview requires different skills.

A few ideas to make it easier:

Practice. Record yourself and listen to it back to it. Interview with a friend. Be sure to prepare answers to easy questions you’ll KNOW you’ll be asked like “Tell me about yourself” and other basic questions.

Before you go into the interview: Smile, take a deep breath and do a power Superman (or woman) pose to instill some confidence.

Keep it light. It’s a conversation to suss out whether or not you have the skills required for the position. If you think of it as only a conversation and not put the weight of the world on your shoulders whether or not you’ll get this position, you’ll be better off.

I talked about this on a recent podcast about how to kick ass in your interviews . 

You have all the right stuff. You just have to put it in practice.

And then don’t forget to write a thank you note!