Drawing from my experience of interviewing hundreds of candidates for various jobs and coaching many more for job interviews, it's evident that candidates' anxiety and nervousness often impact their ability to express themselves effectively in interviews, ultimately determining their success or failure. To better understand this phenomenon, it's important to consider the factors that contribute to interview nervousness.

1. Evolutionary Adaptation:

Fear and anxiety are survival adaptations for all animals. While "fight or flight" may be a good survival strategy, in a job interview, the only option is to "fight" for success.

2. Cognitive Appraisal:

How a person perceives an experience depends on their mental models, which can influence their fear and anxiety. It's important to note that success in an interview is not solely determined by academic intelligence; otherwise, there would be no need for a separate interview.

3. Learned Responses:

Like Pavlov's Dog experiment, conditioned reflexes such as past interview failures can be the cause of fear and anxiety. To overcome these experiences, you may need to unlearn them, possibly with the assistance of an experienced interview coach.

4. Threat Perception:

Viewing the interview as a threat, whether physical, mental, or emotional, can heighten anxiety. Instead of worrying about potential failure, recognize that one interview outcome does not dictate your entire future. Use one failure as motivation to better prepare for the next opportunity.

5. Environmental Factors:

External pressures like financial stress or the urgent need for a job can increase anxiety. Understand that fear doesn't help you perform well in an interview; it can actually hinder your success. Techniques like prayer and meditation can reduce mental stress for those who find them effective.

6. Miscellaneous Factors:

Some individuals may experience chronic anxiety due to personality traits, social and cultural factors, psychological disorders, genetic factors, or other reasons. In such cases, clinical solutions like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy may be required.

Crux of the Problem: Identifying the root cause of your interview anxiety and nervousness requires thorough introspection. There's no one-size-fits-all solution; it depends on the individual's primary issue. It is your initiative to introspect, nothing else, that decides your success.

Interviewers Are There to Help You:

My advice, as an experienced interviewer, is that the sole objective of an interviewer is to select the best candidate for the job. Our goal is to facilitate and encourage candidates to showcase their knowledge, skills, and attitude in a friendly manner. You can trust your interviewer. A good interview should feel like a friendly conversation between the interviewer and the job aspirant.