How do you deal with anxiety during interviews
Hi everyone,
I’m trying to lateral at the moment and I found that my brain just freezes whenever I interview with more senior people such as MDs... I’m considered very technical in my team and I generally don’t have this problem when I’m in front of a client but whenever I’m in front of a senior person from another bank in the interview setting, I start an over-complicating thing and I get anxious so much that I get even the easiest questions wrong sometimes.
And it’s embarrassing because for example if someone asks how a P/E multiple changes if a company A raises stock to fund CAPEX, I would guide correctly how equity and earnings are likely to change (eg equity likely to go up and earnings will go up in the next 12 months depending on the nature of the asset but likely to be offset by higher depreciation ) and what additional info do I need to validify my hypothesis but I will then just freeze and if given more info that actually allows me to calculate the likely new multiple, I would not do the calcs, just freeze and blurb something like - P/E will go down.
How do you overcome anxiety in the interview setting?
First, just keep telling yourself that you studied the material and you know it like the back of your hand, because you do. Tell that voice in your head that says you don’t to shut the fuck up. Second, it can be helpful to focus on the interviewer themself as a way to remind yourself that they are human just like you. Look at them and remember that they eat, breathe and shit just like you and that fundamentally you are both the same. It can also help to imagine him in a less than desirable environment (the whole visualize the audience in their underwear is corny but it’s true). I’ve found that for a lot of people including myself, that’s the source of interview anxiety. It’s putting the interviewer on too high of a pedestal. Obviously I’m not saying talk to him like he’s your frat buddy but like I said just keep reminding yourself that they aren’t this magical creature that you are scared of. Treat it like a normal, respectful conversation, almost like you would have with a teacher in school you liked. A conversation like that is casual but at the same professional. Lastly, and I’m 100% serious about this, look into some of the popular, low impact nootropics. These are essentially no risk and if you find one that works for you to help you remain calm and collected the upside is obviously enormous. I’ve found l-theanine, lion’s mane, and uridine mono phosphate to work very well in circumstances like this. Hope that helps. Good luck.
Thanks for your advice! Will take it on
Agree with all of this, it's what I did in interviews because I had similar issues. The underwear-picturing thing worked great for me.
Couple additional suggestions:
When walking in to another firm's office, picture yourself working there. Sitting in the bullpen, walking around with coffee in hand, speaking with colleagues, etc. Even pick out your desk.
Look into box breathing. Before you go into an interview, this could help you remember to breathe properly.
Imo the most important thing was said best by Monty Burns. When you know that you know your stuff, just
Do you take that stack regularly, or only for anxiety-inducing situations?
Usually for only anxiety inducing situations. Theanine works like coffee, where it works whenever you use it. The other two however take a couple days/weeks to take effect so I use them in preparation. However, I don't see a reason you can't take them regularly as long as you cycle off every once in a while (like 2-3 months) so you don't build a tolerance. These obviously aren't like drugs so it will take much longer to develop a tolerance
I used to get terrible stage fright in interviews and been dinged many times for that. The classic frozen expression or generally going in loops and never getting to the point was very common.
What I found useful was if you sit in front of the camera and look at yourself whilst saying the answers you get used to looking at a human face and with some time you won’t be nervous. It sounds like you got the content on lock just need to work on being comfortable in front of a person. So I’d suggest try sitting 1-2 meets away from preferably a full body length mirror to stimulate the distance between you and the interviewer in real life.
Thanks man!
This is exactly what happened to me today !
Perspective helps me. We'll all die at some point, and in that context, no moment seems to large, which gives me a large confidence boost.
A few things have helped me over time:
1.) Realizing everyone gets anxious, and that courage comes from facing fears, not, never having them. Put more simply, courage is manifested "in the moment" when you are at your personal fork in the road between feeling fear or facing fear.
2.) Keeping anxiety in context with my desires. Anxiety is sink or swim; I can panic and have a negative result OR I can remain calm and have a positive result. I remain calm because my desire to have a positive result outweighs my fear of having a negative one. Flip this logic and you have anxiety.
Ill give you an oldie but a goodie.
Note: I assume that the type of anxiety your are describing is NOT, I repeat NOT medical in nature. If it is, seek professional help.
My two biggest anxieties were public speaking in front of large crowds and panicking about flubbing what I was going to say in front of very, very senior folks (interview or not).
Back when I was a young pup, I was finishing up my 2 year pit rotation, and all the top analysts were asked to spend another year working for another group within the firm. This was a serious perk back in the day. I interviewed in Research multiple times and I had an final round interview with Abby Joseph Cohen for a job. Yes, that one. Me and an external candidate five years my senior.
I studied every night for hours, read two books on econometrics, memorized EVERY call the group had outstanding. In short, I was a well oiled machine ready to bite the head off of a bat . Day before the final interview, I spoke with my Rabbi who said something to me that has stuck to this day. He said, "Do you think she is spending time actually talking to you to learn about your ability to memorize charts and graphs? Why is she sitting across the desk from you?"
It finally hit home. The interview was not about work stuff (mostly), but about me and her. It was about a fit within the organization. It was about what, I have told many of my analysts over the years, the "drooling at the bar test". You are a person who, to varying degrees, has run the gauntlet already. Do you think the MD gives two shits about your ability to move logos, check fonts, and whatever? No.
The person across from you is a human being with fears, desires, goals, dreams, and probably at least one alimony payment and two $50,000 private school tuition nuts to pay every year. Being scared or afraid of a PERSON is non-sensical. Being afraid of failure is.
Post mortem: Spoke for an hour longer than the scheduled interview. I learned more in that two hours than most. I lost out to the other guy. He was just better than me. She called me on a Sunday to let me know. My other roommate in Finance answered the phone and nearly fainted it was her on the other end. God, he was such a pansy.
Be yourself, be honest, be humble.
D.O.U.G.
Lots of good advice in this thread. Here are two thing that worked for me:
1. Channel your anxiety into energy. Anxiety is basically just a manifestation of your body's innate fight-or-flight response. The purpose of that system isn't to give you anxiety, but to give you energy and the ability to face adversity. Once I realized that, it was much easier for me to think clearly in interviews while coming across as more enthusiastic and energetic. I don't have specific tips on how to do this other than it just "clicked" for me one day.
2. Practice makes perfect. My story feels a lot like yours-I was, frankly, a terrible interviewer coming out undergrad. I got super anxious and sweaty, forgot what I wanted to say, sounded nervous and unsure of myself, and generally came off as incompetent (especially in front of senior folks). I consider myself lucky to have even gotten my initial offer. It was much worse when I was recruiting for PE jobs and I struck out with every megafund/UMM I had during the on-cycle process. I kept at it and did literally dozens of PE interviews over the next year of my analyst stint. Over time, I just got better at it with practice and now, many years later, interviewing is one of my strongest skills (much better than my peers). I ended up landing at a MF off-cycle and since then have gotten an offer with every single job I've interviewed for. My recommendation to you is to get as much practice as possible--try to schedule networking calls with senior people to get over that phobia, interview for a bunch of random jobs that you aren't interested in, do mock interviews with career services, older classmates, alumni, etc. I guarantee you'll feel better over time and you'll be flying to through interviews like nothing.
My father has to give a lot of speeches as part of his job... told me his biggest anti-anxiety tip is to imagine whoever he’s talking to taking a dump in the morning. Cause that’s what he did as well. We’re all human. You’re not in a life or death situation.
My biggest motivation (use it every single time) is knowing kids my age were dying in the tens of thousands in front lines 100 years ago. It’s an interview. We’re very lucky to be alive here and now.
My father has to give a lot of speeches as part of his job... told me his biggest anti-anxiety tip is to imagine whoever he’s talking to taking a dump in the morning. Cause that’s what he did as well. We’re all human. You’re not in a life or death situation.
My biggest motivation (use it every single time) is knowing kids my age were dying in the tens of thousands in front lines 100 years ago. It’s an interview. We’re very lucky to be alive here and now.
Just like all things, interviewing is a skill that you can improve with practice. Practice interviewing as much as you can and interview as much as possible. I guarantee you WILL eventually become an interview pro but it might cost you one or ten jobs at first. The real trick is to not give up.
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