The important thing to note at this point is not to panic, all might not be lost and it might not be entirely your fault. Interviews can take a turn for the worse for various reasons, don’t withdrawn and lose confidence and give up yet; you might be able to turn it back round to your advantage.

Turning the interview around

If you feel the interview is taking a turn for the worse then meet it head on and bring up the negative feelings you are having. The best way you can do this is by asking outright, simply say that you do not think the interview is going very well and see what reaction this brings from the interviewer.

You might be surprised and the interviewer might like your honesty and the fact that you aren’t afraid to challenge. The worse that can happen is that the interview will end and it was going that way anyway. If the interviewer likes your positive and open attitude you might get a break and suggest that you start over, whatever happens try to remain positive about the experience.

Sometimes it is hard to tell how the interview is going, some interviewers will conduct the interview with a straight face, and if this is the case, you can only go on the vibes you pick up from the interviewer. By being open and honest however you might steer the interview your way and direct the interviewer away from any negative thoughts or feelings they had about you.

If worse comes to worse and the interviewer ends the interview then you will have at the very least gained experience from the interview. You will also have turned negative feelings into more positive feelings by at least trying to remedy and turn the interview around.

Important notes to remember are

* Be honest and open during the interview and go with your feelings.

* Try turning the interview around by asking outright.

* If worse comes to the worse then thank the interviewer for their time and walk away with positive thoughts.

* Interviews can turn disastrous through no fault of your own.

* It could be that the interviewer has other things on their mind that are affecting the way the interview is going, by asking outright you could shake the interviewer up and bring the interview back around.

* If you deal directly with the interview going downhill then you have a 50/50 chance of coming out of it in good light.

Don’t think of the interview as an interrogation

Try to think of the interview as just being a two-sided conversation in which each of you are taking an equal part, you will answer the interviewers questions and ask some of your own. While the interviewer will want to determine if you are the best candidate for the job you will also need to know if the company and the position will be right for you.

Tips to help you relax

Deep breathing techniques are the quickest way of relaxing and calming yourself down if you are in a stressful situation, it is a technique which is relatively easy to learn and one which can be practiced virtually everywhere at any time without anyone paying any attention to you.

The easiest technique is letting your shoulders slump as much as you can and taking deep breaths in slowly through your nose and then exhaling slowly back out through your nose. Other helpful techniques which you can learn and practice before you leave for the interview are meditation and yoga.

Usually the worst part and most stressful time is waiting to attend the interview and once you are in there and have started the interview all is forgotten, if not and you feel panic rising then remember to take long slow deep breaths.

Spend some time preparing for the interview

On the actual day of the interview spend some time preparing yourself, give yourself plenty of time to shower and dress without rushing and beforehand practice one of the strategies for relaxing. A good technique to use is visualisation, you can start by breathing deeply and slowly through your mouth and nose then visualise yourself walking into the interview in a relaxed and confident manner. Try to visualise what you want to say and the points you want to get across and imagine saying these to the interviewer.

Give yourself credit and treat yourself

After you have attended the interview, give yourself a pat on the back and don’t keep going over what was said or what you think you should have said but didn’t, if you think you made mistakes then there’s no point chastising yourself about it. Just let it go and try not to sit at home waiting for the phone to ring, if you got the job then you’ll know soon enough and if not then you can try again.