Thursday, January 23 - "How Can I De-stress And Focus?"

Happy Thursday!

Here’s what’s on the job description for today:

1. One of the most prestigious internship opportunities available globally.

2. Today’s Question: “I have an upcoming interview but I’m so worried about the second and third round, which are more technical, that I can’t focus on the first round coming up. How can I de-stress and focus?”

IN HIRING

World Bank Internship Program

• Available for any full-time graduate or PhD students, this is the premier opportunity for mission-driven candidates.

• The internship provides access to the development sector, where you’ll collaborate with other interns from around the world on improving poverty levels and making the planet more livable.

• To apply or learn more, check out the page here.

Click here for their full-time job board.

TODAY’S QUESTION

“I have an upcoming interview but I’m so worried about the second and third round, which are more technical, that I can’t focus on the first round coming up. How can I de-stress and focus?”

Recommendation: that feeling of being so overwhelmed by the whole process that you can’t focus on the next step can be crippling. Here’s how I’d think about it:

• First, I can’t stress how much more important mentality and attitude are in interviewing than nearly every other factor. A less-prepared candidate in the right zone mentally will outperform a well prepared candidate stressed out 4/5 times, as per my experience.

• Second, I would setup your days leading to an interview so that you’re putting yourself in a position where you’re less likely to be stressed on interviewer day. I find regular exercise and some form of meditation a great start, whether it be prayer, yoga, or more formal meditation.

  • If this isn’t already part of your day, find one of the apps online that help with guided meditation to get started.

  • Note that this is not an extensive answer to the question because all the preparation, exercise, and meditation in the world can’t ensure that something doesn’t come up 5 minutes before the interview that throws you off.

• Finally, prepare for when the uncomfortable stress or anxiety come. What will you do if you have a question during the interview that triggers you, bringing back memories of how you screwed up a past interview?

  • Create a simple process that you will follow, and plan this ahead of the interview so that you can just follow the process when you feel the anxiety setting in.

  • A good starting format could be to (1) ask for 10-15 seconds to organize your thoughts, (2) organize your answer into three parts, and (3) deliver it using transition words such as first, second and finally.

Conclusion:

Dealing with anxiety is no easy process but planning for it in advance has worked wonders for candidates in the past.