Author: Nina Zlatanovic

The process of finding a job at some moments can be exhausting, stressful, and with a lot of doubts that accompany it. Candidates who are beginners in this process often feel lost and discouraged, and jitters are a very frequent companion of job interviews.

Jitters are a kind of fear that occurs in situations when a person estimates that they are not ready enough for an upcoming event or that they do not have enough capacity for it. As such, jitters can encourage a person to be further prepared for an upcoming event, and then we say it is stimulating stage fright. On the other hand, it can also make a person want to quit, or they become completely blocked, and then we call it inhibitive stage fright.

There are various techniques that are used and can help people who encounter jitters, anxiety, or nervousness before an important upcoming event. In subsequent lines, we will try to present practical techniques that can help you prepare for an important upcoming event.

 

1. What is the worst that can happen?

In situations when you feel nervous and insecure about your knowledge or skills, it is useful to ask yourself a question “What is the worst that can happen?”. It happens that people in stressful situations perceive those situations as worse and harder than they really are and anticipate consequences as more significant and more serious compared to what may really happen. When you ask yourself this question, you will realize that what can happen is not the worst thing and that the situation is not as bad and irreversible as it seemed to you at first glance. Then the feeling of tension and anxiety will be reduced, and this will help you be more relaxed about the upcoming event.

 

2. 4 – 7 – 8 breathing exercise

This is a technique that can significantly help you rid yourself of the feeling of tension just before an important event. It is straightforward, and it takes about five minutes to perform it:

• Place yourself comfortably in a chair and close your eyes
• Breathe deep through your nose counting to 4
• Then, hold your breath counting to 7
• Exhale slowly counting to 8

You can repeat this technique several times. Deep breaths will help you inhale the oxygen into your system, which is very important for its functioning. Holding breath helps us intake oxygen into our bloodstream and reach all cells of the organism. The last step, the exhale, will slow the heart’s work and return it to normal. This exercise can also serve when you have troubles sleeping.

 

3. Superhero posture

Different pieces of psychological research confirm the thesis that taking a specific position of the body can affect the increase in confidence. The pose of superheroes involves standing in the so-called open position, with spread legs, your hands on hips and with eyes looking up. This posture can cause changes in behaviour and neuroendocrinological system (an increase of testosterone, as well as a reduction of cortisol, often referred to as the stress hormone). Besides, people who occupy the pose of superheroes have a greater tendency to take risks.

 

4. Progressive muscular relaxation

This technique allows us to have deep muscle relaxation, as it reduces the feeling of tension and anxiety. For this technique, you can take out 15 minutes and also exercise in everyday situations. The essence of the exercise is alternating contractions (about 5 seconds) and the relaxation of a certain group of muscles. Between each muscle group, take a 15-seconds recess. You can start the exercise from your head, and down to the following muscle regions:

• head (lifting of the forehead)
• neck (lifting the shoulders high to the neck)
• back (touching the shoulder blades)
• hands (relaxing and tightening the fist)
• chest (deep breath)
• stomach (retracting the stomach)
• legs (relaxing and tightening of the whole leg)
• calves (relaxing and tightening)
• feet (strong push of toes to the interior of the foot)

Switching between tension and relaxation, you will learn to distinguish these conditions and become more aware of the parts of your body that are particularly tense.

In the previous rows, we went through just some of the techniques that exist, and that can greatly help you fight stage fright. None of these techniques can guarantee that you will never have any more jitters, which should not happen indeed. As we have stated at the beginning of the text, stage fright can have a positive impact and stimulate you. These techniques can help you relax and start thinking about a constructive and productive way that is aimed at presenting yourself in the best light of an upcoming event.

For anyone who starts looking for a job, the first or a new one, a profile on LinkedIn can help a lot, but only if it is properly made and visible.

LinkedIn is a global social network intended for business people. In addition to employees, many companies have official pages there, and therefore, in addition to connecting with colleagues and potential employers, you can find useful articles and job ads.

As one of the essential tools in the recruitment process, recruiters often use LinkedIn to search for adequate candidates for specific positions. During a search, they focus on several basic items, and we will present the most important aspects that your profile should cover:

Location: Make sure to set the exact location where you are interested in working, specify the country in which you reside.

Specify the exact job title you currently occupy, but also make a brief description of your most important responsibilities. The same job description is often called differently in different companies, so a job description will help recruiters understand what you do precisely.

Make sure that the name of the position and the period which you spent in each company match the information you have specified in your CV.

When you change your employer or position, change the data in your profile on time so that you do not get accidentally contacted for a workplace from which you progressed further a few years ago.

Specify languages you speak and the approximate level of your knowledge.

Specify keywords such as programs in which you work and skills, both technical or social that you have because these are the keywords that recruiters will use to seek for you.

Additional: Make your profile credible. Leave recommendations for colleagues you collaborate with or had an opportunity to cooperate in the past. Then ask them to write their experience in working with you. A good recommendation on LinkedIn can mean a lot, especially if you were recommended as a competent or diligent colleague and expert.

Show your interest in the area where you want to develop yourself: attend online courses in that area and attach your certificates.

Build your network: Connect with your colleagues, influential people from your industry, but also with people from HR, so you get on their radar.

Write articles and comments, show your knowledge in action, and the more active you are, the sooner you will get noticed by managers who can later offer you cooperation.

Even if you are not actively looking for a job right now, it is good to have an updated and active profile on this social network because when a wish or a need to change it occurs, you will be a step closer to a new offer. On the other hand, it is always good to be open to new opportunities, because there may be an opportunity only one InMail away from you.

The term “ghosting” was connected in the past to the sudden interruption of personal connection – between partners or friends. It represents an act of unannounced and unexpected termination of any contact in person, through a phone or social networks, without any explanation. Another person remains deprived of an explanation, and that reflects on the emotional state of the other side. A person chooses to act in a “ghosting” way in the hope that the other side will understand the hint and desire for termination of relations, without a clear and personal expression of the need for that or an explanation. People who disconnect the relationship tend to avoid emotional discomfort in this way without thinking about how the other side will feel.

Lately, ghosting is increasingly present in the relationship between employers and future employees. An increasing number of candidates avoids informing a future employer that they have changed their mind about a job application. Candidates who are actively seeking jobs, often send their application to a large number of addresses, without examining details about the company or a job ad, sometimes even without seriously considering their intention to change their current job. At the time when there is a call for a job interview, a candidate decides not to answer the phone, hangs up the phone after they hear who calls them, do not show up for an interview, avoid to answer an offer they received or they simply stop coming to their workplace after they have started working.

The right to change opinion is an assertive right of every individual, and especially in the business world, there should be understanding if candidates change their mind and quit. However, modern ways of communication have contributed to the impairment of communication, and sometimes it seems that the cessation of every way of communication is an acceptable form to disclose an unpleasant piece of information to the other side. Many people avoid conflicts naturally, and this seems like an easier way to avoid potentially unpleasant situations.

This phenomenon is most commonly seen with young people, who have less professional experience, and unfortunately, are unaware that such a way of communication leaves a bad impression for future opportunities. Even if you change your mind, it is always good to answer a call and explain the reason, because a changed opinion leaves a better impression than poorly developed communication skills.