What to Do When You Are Nervous in a Job Interview

What To Do When You Are Nervous is a key focus of this guide. Interview nerves are normal and manageable.

Reframe nervousness as energy

Research on anxiety shows that viewing nervousness as excitement rather than dread leads to better performance. Your body is producing the same physiological response in both cases. Telling yourself you are excited rather than nervous can genuinely improve performance.

Prepare more than you think you need to

Most interview anxiety comes from uncertainty about what will be asked. More preparation reduces the unknown variables and reduces anxiety proportionally. Over-prepare for important interviews.

Breathe deliberately before you go in

Slow, deliberate breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system and reduces anxiety. Taking ten slow breaths in the minutes before your interview is a scientifically supported technique. For more on this, see our guide on virtual interview tips.

Remember that interviewers want you to succeed

Most interviewers are not adversaries. They have a role to fill and they want the person in front of them to be the right person. Going in with this mental model reduces the sense of being evaluated by a hostile audience.

Read next

• How to Ace a Remote Job Interview
• What Questions to Ask at the End of a Job Interview
• How to Answer ‘Tell Me About Yourself’ in a Job Interview

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the STAR method?

STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result. It is a framework for answering behavioral interview questions by providing context, your role, what you did, and the outcome.

How long should a STAR answer be?

Two to three minutes. Situation and Task together should take 30-45 seconds. Spend the most time on the Actions and always end with a concrete Result.

What are common behavioral interview questions?

Common ones include: “Tell me about a time you handled conflict,” “Describe managing competing priorities,” and “Give an example of when you failed and what you learned.”

Should I memorize STAR answers word-for-word?

No. Memorized answers sound robotic. Know your 6-8 strongest stories well enough to tell them naturally. Practice key points, not exact wording.

Preparation is the one variable in an interview that you can control completely. The questions a recruiter asks are largely predictable because interviews are structured around a short list of competencies: communication, problem-solving, collaboration, leadership, and adaptability. When you map your experience to those competencies before you walk in the door, you stop improvising answers and start delivering evidence.

After debriefing hundreds of interviews over my career, the single biggest differentiator between candidates who get offers and candidates who do not is specificity. Vague answers about being a “team player” or a “fast learner” signal that you have not reflected on your own experience. Specific answers with real numbers, real timelines, and real outcomes signal that you know exactly what you have accomplished and can do it again. For more on this, see our guide on write a thank you email after a job interview.

Research is the second pillar of interview preparation. Most candidates look up the company’s homepage and stop there. Strong candidates go deeper: they read recent earnings calls if the company is public, review Glassdoor comments from employees in similar roles, and follow the company’s LinkedIn for news from the past three months. Specific, well-researched questions at the end of the interview signal genuine interest and leave a lasting impression.

The follow-up after an interview matters more than most candidates think. A personalized thank-you email sent within 24 hours, referencing a specific moment from your conversation, keeps you top of mind during deliberations. I have seen hiring decisions genuinely influenced by a thoughtful follow-up that reminded the panel of a candidate they were on the fence about. For more on this, see our guide on research a company before a job interview.

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