How can you stay professional and avoid coming across as nervous while interviewing someone who scares or intimidates you?

like
Posting as :
works at
You are currently posting as works at

If you start to feel overwhelmed or intimidated during an interview, take a deep breath and try to relax. Remember that the interviewer is just another person, and they are likely to be just as nervous as you are. Stay professional and polite, and focus on giving clear and concise answers. If you need a moment to collect your thoughts, don't be afraid to ask for a break.

like

Exactly this. IME, most interviewees understand it can be intimidating and are usually polite enough to ignore any signs you might be uncomfortable.

Stay professional by keeping a positive attitude and being respectful. Try to focus on the person's qualities and what you can learn from them. Avoid coming across as nervous by staying calm and speaking clearly. You got this!

The best way is to be prepared. Do your research on the company and the person you are interviewing with, come up with questions to ask, and be confident in your abilities. Stay calm and respectful, and remember that the interview is just a conversation.

Try to focus on their professional achievements and accomplishments. Remind yourself that they are likely just a regular person, just like you, and deserve to be treated with respect. Avoid letting your nerves get the best of you, and stay polite and professional.

Being prepared makes all the difference in the world. Know your questions, know potential answers and follow-ups. If they have filmed interviews available, check a couple out to get a feel for how they communicate.

Act like you belong there, that's the biggest thing. People who have power and influence over others usually let it go to their heads, and they think they can push others around. But nothing deflates their ego quicker than someone who refuses to be intimidated. So just picture them as being at the exact same social level as you are; it's not what they expect.

I work for a very highly regarded author, so people have asked me this before. What I tell them is that everyone in the world has their own fields of expertise; and no matter what you might believe when you talk to someone who seems to have it all together, there are some topics they know NOTHING about. Case in point: my employer can write a best-selling novel but can't change the tire on her car (I know firsthand, believe me).

If you practice your questions ahead of time, that is the best preparation you can have. Most of the responses people give to interview questions have been planned out ahead of time I think; and if they throw a curveball at you, saying something you did not expect, just remember that it makes the situation more interesting for others who are watching or reading about your experience.

Related Posts

Hello,

New here. My company is hiring for several positions, When someone uses you as a referral, what do they tell the company when they ask how you know said candidates?

like

Talk me off a ledge!!! I had an interview with one of the leading professional service firms that I won’t mention for an internal services Learning Manager role. (I’m a former employee from the consulting side) I had a first round interview, that from my perspective, I aced… I answered everything thoroughly, I was engaged with the interviewer…she stated my skills lined up perfectly with the role and that she wanted me to talk to her manager….15 min after the interview I get a no go email…ugh

like

What is the correct path to obtain entry level positions in clinical research. My background is in health sciences and work experience has been 3 years as a clinical lab scientist. I have not been getting a whole lot of interviews, but the Interviews that I have secured went well but still resulted in being ghosted by the employer. Thx any advise and help is appreciated!

like

I am having 4 YOE as a Salesforce developer , I joined techM on july21 but I am thinking to put papers because of my pay and also my project , I am not seeing any learning scope in my project . currently I am getting 12.5 lpa .

How much can I expect If I put papers now and attend interviews.
I am 3x Salesforce certified and 2x copado devops certified.

like

Hi all,

Anybody from Deloitte who works on qliksense. I have an interview scheduled soon, so wanted to know what type of questions are asked.

Thanks in advance.

like

Hey everyone. Foreigner here applying as an AD. Who’s the best person to reach out to? Would appreciate any leads or just plain insights of the work and culture here.

Hi, I have been recently interviewed in Goldman Sachs Wealth And Private Banking division for a VP role. Can anyone help what is the average salary band for VP in that division for Bangalore location.

like

Has anyone undergo the Google BizOps associate interview rounds? Would really appreciate any tips on what to expect for the cases, on how open ended they would be, how quantitative, any examples, etc. Happy to DM too!!

like

Hi
How do you respond to a job rejection email? Any tips?

like

Just spoke to a tech recruiter at @Google- any Googlers here?

Curious about your experience (culture, remote-friendliness, etc.), recommendations for interview prep, and any other tidbits you might have to share!

like

YOE: 7
Current CTC: 20L (19 Fixed + 1 variable)
I'm a Java developer building products in networking domain. I'm strong in converting requirements into design and building products from scratch. I'm spending 12 hours everyday at work, unable to spend any time on brushing up algorithms.
I'm not happy with the money that I make for the efforts that I'm putting in, want to switch to good product company. I wish I get more time to learn and prepare for interview. Just putting my thoughts here.

like

Hi Team,

I have cleared all the interview rounds (WebEx & HR on call) for the position: VERIFIER, and also submitted documents (authentic as per my knowledge) for background verification on Aug. 25, 2022.

How much time usually ICICI bank takes to generate Offer Letter, after all the verification process??

If anybody is interested in applying to the CSR card anytime soon, I would really appreciate it if you applied through my referral link in the body of this thread. Points for you and me!

like

Any people ops professionals who moved from the nonprofit space to tech or health tech? I’m really struggling to make a pivot and feeling defeated after seeing rejection after rejection after applying to 80+ positions 😔

like

I'm a management consultant (analyst-level) with 6 months of experience looking to lateral into banking. Ideally I would like to spend 10-12 months in my current role before jumping to banking. When should I apply? How much time do the banks give you before they expect you to start as a lateral hire?

likesmart

Hey Guys,

I am interviewing for a Managerial role at EY’s OTS Practice and PwC’s DDV Practice. What are the Pros & Cons of both practices and what’s the salary range for a Manager in both firms?

like

How long do you wait to hear about an offer? It’s been almost 5 months of interviewing with a top company and I’m waiting on a decision. What’s your threshold for waiting?

Interviewing for an out of state non-legal business role. They want me to conduct the second round of interviews in person. How do I juggle this with my existing firm? Vacation? WFH but don’t tell them I’m traveling? Come clean (my boss might be that cool…maybe).

like

Hey fishes. I got an offer from deloitte India for strategy & front end transformation team at delhi. Would be very helpful if someone can shed light on this team, kind of projects etc. The partner that interviewed me said he's part of monitor deloitte india. How is this different? Is monitor deloitte different from deloitte india? Deloitee USI folks stay away.

There is this big bank where I'd love to work at, and after several interviews for various positions they end up promoting someone from within, even thou I understand it and think it’s good they promote their people, it left me feeling like I'm just being used to comply with the process.

More Posts

Trying to find a meet up location for ~a week (maybe less?) for myself and two girlfriends. 1 in Boston, 1 in London, 1 in Melbourne. any suggestions? Mainly just looking to chill out and catch up but open to a scenic spot and great food

like

🐠🐟
I have strong knowledge on SQL and have fair knowledge on informatica and Tableau.
I have done below certifications:
Oracle SQL
Aws Cloud practitioner
Istqb foundation level
I want to increase my knowledge base.
Could any1 suggest what should I do from seniors/mentors here:
1)learn full stack developer
2)Hadoop developer
3)any other course pls suggest
Yoe:8.5

like

Hi Guys,

I have been asked to register for National Skills Register by Nasscom at the new company. Is it mandatory to register ? If yes, what is this used for ? Please advice

Thanks for your help in advance!

like

Hello all I got selected to cts. And my doj Is on 27th July.. does cts is allowing wfh ?. I'm the one who have been really happy with kids and with work from home flexibility. Now I'm getting scared to join cts because of wfo. Even thinking back to take back my papers in ibm. I have got Manger role in cts. Please let me know the current situation in cts. That would be of great help for me.

like

Hi Folks,
Can any body tell me i worked one year in cts,now i am in bench,if i put paper in bench exactly how many days they will take to release me ?

like

How difficult to get project in Cognizant when we join as a lateral ?

like

Hi does D converts employees with .ext in their email id to on-roll employees?

uplifting

URGENT !!!

Anyone has any idea about
Capgemini gurgaon location ? Which is the nearest metro ? Capgemini

like

Does PHR certification help in India, as this is globally recognised how much valuable is this currently in indian job market.

Do we got some good offers or its another certificate just to add to CV after so much of investment & time I don't want to get this wasted !!

Need suggestions ??

I just graduated 1.5yrs ago, but have gratefully made my way into a Sr. Accountant position at a ~120 saas company managing books, p&ls, 606 rev recs, powerbi analytics, & all things finance for our 20MM of revenue. I feel like I’ve already reached my growth limit here and the next position up is my boss’s CFO position. I’m trying to break into big tech as a fin. analyst or rev rec specialist, but they always want someone with more experience. What should I do / any recommendations? 70k comp.

like

What’s going on in the DDB creative dept? Why has everyone left in the last two weeks?

like

How common are layoffs in big law?

like

Has anyone done laser skin treatment or skin resurfacing? I have minor lines around my eyebrows (outer, not middle), and forehead. Any advice? I don’t think I want to do Botox but I’ve otherwise looked at maybe microneedling.

like

Well there’s been a lot of rejection in 2020, but I finally accepted a role at a new employer today. It may not be my “dream” but I believe my possibilities are endless and they are aware of my long-term career goals. Finally some good news after all the negatives the previous year has brought me.

likeuplifting

Hi Everyone! I’ve been in direct sales and B2C companies for the last 15 years, selling software and supplements. Post pandemic I’ve grown tired of sales. I’ve been craving change but I’m at a loss on where my skills would valuable. The last decade I’ve been fortunate enough to move into management, mentoring sales/account managers. I’ve been moved a few times to turn around underperforming customer service and sales teams and it’s become a unique skill. Could I lean on some of you for advice?🙂

like

I've been working out like crazy & eating well - my legs are super toned on the outer sides but inner thighs don't seem to be going anywhere...any tips? I'm doing HIIT (Barry's) and running.

like

Has anyone here successfully fought off a NYS residency audit when changing your state of residency? Hoping to relocate to FL to take advantage of no capital gains.

like

Additional Posts in News & Media

What is your guilty pleasure when watching TV? Mine is love reality shows. OMG, I know that they are terrible, that they are acted and that there will always be unnecessary drama. But what can I say? I live for unnecessary drama

like

Let's compete! What's the craziest fake news you've heard so far and how many relatives of yours believed it?

like

Human interest stories might not be where the money is, but making the switch has saved my sanity after the tragedy I’ve covered the past few years.

like

Insane how many news outlets are out there and how so few of them are objective and unbiased.

like

Is there anything you would change about the career path you took in the industry?

like

What's the most ridiculous news you've seen this year?

like

CNN folks, anyone a Broadcast/IT field engineer here? I've applied for the position but I'm wondering if it's one of those "live wherever you want because it's mostly travel" things or a "you gotta live somewhat close to the shop" type deals.

like

I’m negotiating my salary, and I’m curious what a reporter/digital editorial lead makes at your company? I have 15+ years of experience in employee communications and TV news, and I live in the Seattle area. I think I’m being shortchanged bc I’m asked to do some of my previous manager’s responsibilities (he was promoted), but I’m paid as a reporter. I report to my director who reports to our SVP, and I’ve worked for this Fortune 20 company for 10 yrs. Any info would be helpful. Thank you!

like

What is an appropriate salary for an entry-level reporter for a digital newspaper owned by Rupert Murdoch in New York City? I’m getting the idea that it would be $55-$65K and would like to know how to be at the top end of that salary.

like

Does it make sense to work for a traditional newspaper publication, or should I focus my efforts somewhere else?

like

How do you think Twitter will change now?

like

Do you remember when we thought the Ukraine-Russia war would not last more than 2 weeks?
Same with COVID.
I guess we should stop assuming.

like

Do you think the news catastrophizes everything too much?

likesmart

I’m working on starting my own online show where I act as the news anchor and cover what I think are the most important stories of the week, but I feel like I lack the personality/presence to carry out that role.

like

Any advice from fellow women in this industry? How did you overcome gender biases?

like

Any recommendations on remote media position?

I have experience in television news with a masters in PR/Marketing but I am looking to transition to remote work as possible an Editor or content producer!

like