SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (March 29, 2021) – JVS Human Services is offering a free webinar to Michiganders searching for employment who are hampered by the fear of the interview process. The virtual event will occur on Tuesday, on April 6, 2021, at 10 a.m. and will address the reasons why job candidates often can become nervous before their interview, signs the interviewer can pick up on in the candidate which do not showcase a job seeker to the best advantage, and ways that fear can be managed.

JVS Human Services career counselor Phyllis Scripsick, who has a master’s degree in counseling, explained there are many reasons why job applicants are nervous. “There’s a feeling they are being judged, and that the interviewer might sense that their back is against the wall, that they are desperate for the job,” she explained. “Many people have catastrophic thoughts in their head – the ‘what ifs’ – and then others just simply aren’t prepared enough, so they feel anxious.”

Scripsick added that more than 90 percent of communication is non-verbal, and that an employer will sum someone up in the first 30 to 90 seconds by their body language. “If you are smiling and confident, as opposed to fumbling with items you may be carrying and stumbling over your words, that can be a big factor in the hiring process,” she explained.

Here are a just a few of Scripsick’s tips she will be sharing in the webinar to overcome interview fear:

• Being anxious ahead of time is not a bad thing if you can channel it into preparation. Think of yourself as an athlete preparing to race; you have been practicing for the big moment. Make sure you have all the knowledge you need at your fingertips.
• Be kind to yourself the night before and get a good night’s sleep and avoid dinking too much caffeine before the interview which can make you jittery.
• Avoid negative cognitions by putting positive visualizations in your head; imagine the success you are going to have in the interview.
• Instead of focusing on angst and anxiety, try to make yourself feel excited – think of it as a positive feeling.
• Stop thinking of yourself as being deficient. Know your worth and see the interviewer as being an equal, and someone you are interviewing to get information from as much as they are interviewing you.

No registration is necessary for the webinar which will be streamed on the JVS Human Services Facebook page. For those that miss the live interactive webinar, it will be recorded and can be accessed on the Facebook page for later viewing. Job seekers who need help preparing for an interview or putting together a resume or searching for employment can also email employmenthelp@jvshumanservices.org or call 248-233-4245.