How to Survive a Stressful Interview

Editorial Team

Stressful Interview

Contrary to popular belief, a stressful interview isn’t just a series of awkward questions. When used as the primary method of testing stress tolerance and communication ability, a professional recruiter must combine this strategy with cautious behavioral tactics. Even though non-standard discussion topics can be prepared for in some way, some HR-specialist actions can quickly turn off even the most intelligent applicant. A recruiting expert who works with a writing company that provides a “pay to write essay” service for students has shared how to behave in a stressful interview and how to spot the usual rudeness.

Check for self-control or ordinary rudeness?

Employers like stressful interviews, but not everyone takes them to the limit. It’s important to remember that applicants form opinions about an organization based solely on the outcomes of a meeting with a recruiter. Personal communication has a lot to do with it, even if you have a perfect business website and a professional branding approach.

As a result, after such an interview, a huge number of applicants drop out. Those who choose to continue further either have a high-stress tolerance or are hell-bent on landing this job. Job searchers who are astonished and outraged by the recruiter’s improper behavior are unlikely to remain silent and will, more than likely, freely express their negative thoughts.

Those who have had several interviews at different companies, on the other hand, understand that interview preparation entails more than merely memorizing the appropriate responses. It’s crucial to keep in mind that a conversation can take an entirely unforeseen course.

A job candidate should be able to distinguish between a stressful interview and a usual display of rudeness and disrespect. Pay attention to how the recruiter interacts with other corporate employees if you’ve been in the waiting room for a while. Perhaps he’s testing your patience to see how strong you are, and then he’ll use additional techniques to destroy your self-control. If your early impressions of the interviewer’s actions make you uncomfortable, you should go elsewhere.

One crucial thing to remember is that if you are unhappy with the format of the interview, you should not waste your time. You have the right to decline subsequent steps in this company’s hiring process. Instead of seeking to adhere to external standards when looking for new employment, you should prioritize your mental health.

Be prepared ahead of time

It’s tough to foresee how you’ll be handled during your first encounter with a new company. It may be a standard interview, which is stressful for most people, or you could get “lucky” with a recruiter who wants to test you out. Certain acts can be planned ahead of time, but you will have to improvise based on the conditions during the interview.

A clear disrespect for your time is a solid sign of an imminent tough interview. Let’s assume your interview is scheduled for 10 a.m., but the hour hand has already crossed noon, and you’re still waiting. In some cases, you may not even have a place to sit. You become enraged and eventually lose your cool. Except the recruiter may keep an eye on you in the interim and start the prepared dialogue when you’re ready to “explode.”

Bring a book or magazine with you to read as you wait for minutes or even hours in such a situation. If you really must have a meeting, the best approach to prevent losing your cool is to engage in mindfulness practice. However, it’s best to avoid using gadgets because negative social media content will further distract you from the approaching interview.

If it’s getting close to noon, you have every right to ask to go for lunch. Remember that, matter how tense the interview may be, it is still a two-way process of communication in which the initiative can pass from the recruiter to you and back.

Repel attacks

If you want to demonstrate good stress tolerance and a desire to work for the company, examine how combat and excitable applicants will react to such “painful approaches.”

1. Personal Questions.

You should not go into considerable depth about your personal life or future family plans, even if the recruiter is really interested. Most people try to keep outsiders out of their personal lives for reasonable reasons. You may confidently say that these things have no bearing on your professional skills or productivity. When faced with adversity, resist and restate your case.

2. No formalities.

It’s possible that you’ll be contacted unexpectedly to put your self-control to the test. Without apologizing or even saying hello, a late recruiter can start an interview. If such an appeal offends you, think about whether it’s suitable to continue the dialogue in this style, but don’t respond in kind. In a business conversation, keep a safe distance between two strangers.

3. Control the interview.

In certain companies, the motives of the recruiter take on utterly ludicrous forms. It’s possible that the candidate will not be asked to sit, or that a glass of water will “accidentally” spill over his or her suit. This isn’t a stressful interview; it’s a sign of poor manners and a complete disrespect from the company’s side. A self-aware professional would never stay with such a “peculiar” company.

The bottom line

Stressful interviews produce predictable outcomes, but they must be conducted in accordance with established guidelines and within clearly defined criteria. Yes, it’s analogous to a challenging role-playing game with particular rules and requirements. However, if the recruiter has become unduly permissive owing to incompetence or a lack of professionalism, the job seeker should continue seeking for a job that uses more accurate staff evaluation procedures.