Interview Stress

Hi there,

I promise this isn't sales, but this screams coaching. Even just 1-2 sessions. (Maybe with a different coach).

You need an outside viewpoint/expert to assess what's happening, 

Apart from that, I also think you probably need a break. Take a pause in your prep and come back in a week or so.

Also, you're not alone! Read some of these other Q&As:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/final-round-mbb-how-can-i-deal-with-stress-10058

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/choking-during-interview-8580

Hi there,

Q: I need some help in how to manage the stress and pressure during the interview. Could anyone suggest me some methods?

As a first step, I would recommend to understand why you felt so much pressure in the past interview:

• Is it because you haven’t done enough live practice?
• Is it because you have only a few interviews and felt it was a “once in a lifetime” opportunity”?
• Is it because you are not 100% confident of your structures / need to do more drills on that?

Until you understand that, it will be difficult to fix the issue.

Some possible solutions (which might or not apply, as your issue might be different) are:

1. Schedule live interviews with others and ask to make it a “stress interview”, so that you get used to be uncomfortable.
2. Increase the number of target companies (even companies that might be a 2nd choice, so far that they are minimally interesting) so that you know you have backups.
3. Improve your structures with more drills.

If you need more help please feel free to PM me.

Best,

Francesco

Pff, I'm really sorry to hear. 

Your message read very honestly. 

I'm truly sorry. If it helps, realistically there are always more and better opportunities ahead. Don't linger too long over this one. 

You need to work with someone to identify your triggers for stress and then how to change them. There's no quick solution. If there was one that I could fit within this Q&A I would, but realistically somebody needs to see you going through these situations and then coaching you to adjust your mindset. 

Whenever I've seen this with candidates, it's almost a self-sabotaging mentality that has to do with their limiting beliefs. So then I work with them to track these beliefs and try to substitute. This runs deeper often, even into the language that they use to describe themselves or their work, which then needs to be calibrated through NLP practices. 

But don't worry. At the end of the day, like anything else, it can be changed, it can be improved and you'll figure it out. Think of all the other difficult things that you've achieved in life. This will just be another one of them. 

Keep your head up!

Cristian

Stress in an interview is normal. Below are my suggestions. 

1. The key, especially for Round 1 interviews would be to consider the interviewer as a collaborator / colleague and work through with them on the case as you would do with any colleague in your regular job. I would not hesitate in asking for help when you are stuck or feel that you are losing direction.

2. As for the feedback about structuring, practice is really the key. Practice different types of cases, practice with bunch of different people to get diversity of feedback. 

3. Make sure that you have a several interviews lined up, ideally starting with some of the ‘non-target’ firms and then with the most preferrred firms. This will ensure you get some ‘game-practice’ prior to the big day.

There are a few options.

First, you have to apply to multiple companies. By going through multiple interviews, you desensitize. You start getting accustomed to both the situation (the stress you feel) and to what happens in that situation (the questions you get, the interviewer reactions, the “unexpected” starts becoming more expected). Other people may simulate well an interview, but your stress levels will necessarily be higher at the real thing

Second, use coaches to support you. They support you by explaining you what questions to expect, what good looks like (how you should answer, … give you specific feedback), how interviewers react, and simulate the overall experience

Third, get out of your comfort zone. Some people don't practice with peers. Some only use peers they are comfortable with, or always the same ones. Some want to use their coach as a case peer (and after 3-4 sessions you start feeling comfortable with that coach). So make sure you practice with people that you actually don't know.

Four, prepare!!!! Interviews are like an exam. You can prepare for them. You never know 100% of the questions you are going to get. However, there are things you know you will be asked (90% probability), some you know that you are likely to be asked (50% probability) and then those that are less likely but still you have to be prepared. 

Some candidates leave their FIT questions (and some parts of the case interview) to chance!!! That's a huge mistake!!! Make sure you are super prepared for the questions you are going to get, so that you can stay calm for those, avoid being overstimulated by those questions, and reserve your brainpower for “the real deal”. 

FIFTH and Final: SET THE GROUND! You can help set the mood for the interview. Be yourself welcoming and warm to the interviewer. Smile. If you smile you actually force your body to relax. You also stimulate the mirror neurons of the interviewer, and they will likely smile and relax as well. All of that will remove some stress out of the equation.

Hope this helps!!! Let me know what worked for you.