Transcript
There are four moments that can wreck your confidence in an interview. And I think once you actually know what these are and what you can do about them, you can walk into pretty much any interview and handle every single one of them. Stick with me through all four, especially the last one, because that one's pretty bold. And it might honestly be the thing that lands you the job. So you get the advice everybody does, right? Practice your answers, dress professionally, show up early. And that's all fine advice, by the way. I'm not knocking any of it, but nobody actually sits you down and says, here's what's going to happen inside your own head in there. And here's what you can actually do when it happens. So that's what I wanna walk through with you today. All four in the order they actually show up, because they do tend to show up in this order, starting from before you even walk in the door. Okay, so the first one happens before you even get there. You've been anxious for days, maybe longer, and you walk in already rattled. And honestly, that shows. This tip feels a bit like a cheat code, because it works so well. So my daughter's a gymnast, and right before she competes, she does this thing. She closes her eyes and she visualizes everything from the moment she walks onto the gym floor. She visualizes herself being calm while she waits for her turn, being focused and feeling confident. Then she visualizes every step of her routine. And that's not just a gymnast thing or an athlete thing. This is a real research technique. It's called mental rehearsal. And there's actually research behind it. There was a study done back in the '90s that found that people who visualized themselves going through the process of succeeding, not just picturing the win itself, but the people who focused on the process actually performed better and felt less stressed than the people who only imagined the outcome. So it's not just closing your eyes and picturing yourself with a job, it's picturing yourself walking through it. So before you walk into that interview, visualize yourself in that room, walking in confidently, shaking hands, sitting down, feeling relaxed and in control. Okay, the second one. This one hits the second you sit down in that chair, and it may feel like you're the only one being evaluated in that room, like every single word out of your mouth is being graded. But I wanna offer you a different way to think about this. You are not the only one being interviewed here. That manager needs to fill that position. They need to know if you're the right candidate just as much as you need to know if they're the right fit for you. And this isn't just a nice thought to make you feel better and less stressed. Career counselors who work with interview anxiety say that this exact refrain helps interviews feel less threatening because the second it becomes a two-way search instead of a one-sided evaluation, the stakes start to come down. That pressure that you're carrying, that this is all on you, that you're the only one being critiqued, you can let some of that go because you're also doing some of the critiquing too. When you actually believe that, the whole thing stops feeling like an interrogation and starts feeling more like a conversation. And you'll start sound more like yourself instead of a nervous over-rehearsed version of yourself. Okay, so for the next one, you're right in the middle of the interview and your mind just goes completely blank. And I think this is the one everyone is the most scared of. Honestly, it's the easiest one to actually fix. So what you need are a couple of really good rehearsed phrases in your back pocket. And you can pull these out the moment you get caught off guard. Something like, that's a really great question. I'd like a moment to think about it if that's okay. Or that's a good question. Would you mind if we come back to that one a little bit later? And this isn't just a personal trick of mine. Career centers actually teach this as an anxiety technique, pausing on purpose. It actually comes off as thoughtful and not unprepared. And the fourth one, this one happens right at the end. And honestly, it's the one almost nobody catches, which is exactly why it's such a great opportunity, guys. You'll get the, do you have any more questions for us moment? And most people play it safe and ask something forgettable like what's the culture like? Or how do you guys do scheduling? But here's the question I think you should actually ask instead, especially if you really wanna seal the deal. Be completely open and direct and say something like, I really do see myself working here. I wanna be a part of this team. What concerns do you have about my resume or my experience? I'd really like the opportunity to address any that you might have because I'm confident I'll be successful in this position. So I know that takes a lot of nerve to ask. I'm not gonna pretend that it doesn't, but it does something that nothing else in the whole interview can do for you. It gives you one more shot right there in the room to clear up the exact thing that might actually be making them hesitate. And this is not just my opinion either. Career experts who study how interviews close specifically say that this is one of the strongest ways you can close an interview. Now most candidates never actually do it, which is why this works so well when you do it. Comes off as super confident and direct. So that's it for a moment. And you don't need to become a different person to handle any of these. You just need to know they're coming and what you're going to do when they show up. And hey, I wanna hear from you all on this one. What's actually tripping you up in your interviews? Drop it in the comments. And let us know if you've got some tips too that didn't make this list. Our whole focus here is to build a community to help you find the right job for you. So let us know what's worked for you and let's all cheer each other on.
Video: Video: Cailey, Nursing Mastery
There are four moments that can wreck your confidence in a nursing interview. Once you know what they are, and what to do when they show up, you can walk into pretty much any interview and handle every one of them. Stick with me through all four, especially the last one, because it's a little bold, and it might be the thing that lands you the job.
Why Nursing Interview Nerves Follow a Pattern
You already get the advice everybody gets. Practice your answers. Dress professionally. Show up early. All fine advice, and none of it's wrong. But nobody tells you what's actually going to happen inside your own head in there, and what to do when it does. So that's what I want to walk through with you, in the order these moments actually tend to show up, starting before you even walk in the door.
Confidence Killer #1: Walking In Already Spiraling
The first one happens before you even get there. You've been anxious for days, maybe longer, and you walk in already rattled. And it shows.
Here's a tip that feels like it should almost be illegal, it works that well. My daughter's a gymnast, and right before she competes, she closes her eyes and visualizes the whole thing. Walking onto the floor, staying calm while she waits her turn, feeling confident, every step of her routine. This works outside the gym too. There's real research behind it. One well known study found that people who visualized themselves going through the process of succeeding, not just picturing the win, actually performed better and felt less stressed than people who only imagined the outcome.
So before you walk into that interview, visualize yourself in that room. Walking in confidently, shaking hands, sitting down, feeling relaxed and in control.
Confidence Killer #2: Feeling Like You're the Only One Being Judged
The second one hits the second you sit down in that chair. It feels like you're the only one being evaluated in that room, like every word out of your mouth is being graded.
Here's a different way to think about this. You're not the only one being interviewed. That manager needs to fill that position. They need to know if you're the right fit for their unit just as much as you need to know if they're right for you. Career counselors who work with interview anxiety point to this exact reframe as one of the most effective ways to lower the stakes. The second it becomes a two way search, the pressure comes down a notch.
You're also doing some of the critiquing. Once that actually lands, the whole thing starts feeling like a conversation. And you sound like yourself, not the nervous, over rehearsed version.
Confidence Killer #3: Blanking Mid-Answer
You're right in the middle of the interview and your mind goes completely blank. This is the one everybody's most scared of, but it's actually the easiest to fix.
What you need is a couple of rehearsed phrases in your back pocket for the moments you get caught off guard. Something like, "That's a really great question, I'd like a moment to think about this if that's okay." Or, "Would you mind if we come back to that one." Career centers teach this as a real technique. Pausing on purpose comes off as thoughtful, not unprepared, which is the opposite of what most people assume.
Confidence Killer #4: Leaving Without Addressing What's Holding Them Back
The fourth one happens right at the very end, and it's the one almost nobody catches, which is exactly why it's such an opportunity. You get that "do you have any questions for us" moment, and most people play it safe, ask something forgettable about culture or scheduling.
Here's the question I think you should ask instead, especially if you really want to seal the deal. Be completely open and direct. Something like, "I really do see myself working here, I want to be part of this team. What concerns do you have about my resume or my experience? I'd like the opportunity to address any that you might have, because I'm confident I'll be successful in this position."
That takes some nerve to ask, and I'm not going to pretend it doesn't. But it does something that nothing else in that whole interview can do for you. It gives you one more shot, right there in the room, to clear up the exact thing that might be making them hesitate. Career experts who study how interviews close specifically point to asking directly about the interviewer's concerns as one of the strongest ways to end things, and most candidates never actually do it. Which is exactly why it works so well when you do.
You Don't Need to Become a Different Person
Four moments. You don't need to become someone else to handle any of them. You just need to know they're coming, and what you're going to do when they show up.
You've already done the hardest part by taking this seriously. Walk in knowing exactly which moment is coming next, and what you're going to do about it.
Which moment gets you?
Walking in already spiraling
Days of nerves before you ever reach the door. Picture yourself walking through the room, step by step.
Feeling like you're the only one being judged
You're evaluating them too. It's a two way search.
Blanking mid-answer
Two rehearsed phrases buy you the pause. Pausing on purpose reads as thoughtful.
Leaving without addressing what's holding them back
Ask what concerns they have while you can still answer them.
Notes
- The visualization study: Pham, L. B., and Taylor, S. E. (1999). "From thought to action: effects of process- versus outcome-based mental simulations on performance." Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 25(2), 250 to 260.
- Video by Cailey, Nursing Mastery.
