7 Peak Performance Mindset Tips to Ace Your Next Interview

Preparing your mindset for an interview is as essential as preparing the right resume for the job you’re applying for.

How often do you take the time to consider the internal obstacles that can occur while interviewing?

To have a Peak Performance Mindset for an interview, you must first start with how you want to present yourself and be perceived during the interview process.

And remember, you’re not only being interviewed, but you’re interviewing the company, culture, and position as well.

So step into your power by preparing yourself as if you’re a CEO.

7 Mindset Preparation Steps:

Every one of us has an “inner CEO”. The inner CEO’s function is to:

1. Control your Mindset

2. Control your self-talk

3. Regulate your emotions

4. Activate your drives and motivation

5. Control your mindfulness

6. Control No limit thinking

7. Find higher meaning

Another essential part of Mindset preparation is self-regulation. Self-regulation is staying cool under pressure.

Reflection: Do you have the ability to keep your emotions in check while interviewing?

Example: Captain Sully Sullenberger.

Now, you’re not going to be asked to land an Airbus A 320 with two blown jet engines on the Hudson River with 155 people on board!

However, Captain Sully said he experienced a great deal of stress and his blood pressure soared. Still he was able to exercise self-control and because of that he saved all the lives on the Airbus.

How did Captain Sully accomplish such self-control?

Insight: High level of training and years of experience can be drawn upon when in a crisis situation.

You: Ongoing learning, and practicing before going on an interview will give you insight and experience for you to draw upon.

Insight: Emotional regulation is an essential process of managing your state or behavior in a crisis situation. Even though Captain Sully could feel his blood pressure rise, he kept his emotions under control.

You: Expand your capacity to interview under difficult situations by making a list of scenarios that could happen during an interview. Then practice how you would answer a difficult question or situation while managing your emotions.

Insight: Captain Sully over rode his logical left brain and trusted his instincts from his right brain as the best solution.

You: Trust your instincts when faced with a difficult situation in an interview.

“Don’t let the force of an impression when it first hit you knock you off your feet; just say to it: Hold on for a moment; let me see who you are and what you represent. Let me put you to the test.”-Epitectus

How your Inner CEO can regulate emotions.

7 Emotional Regulation Skills to Help You Achieve a Peak Performance Mindset:

1. Refocus yourself when you notice the negative self-talk by just saying to yourself “STOP”. This will help to diffuse the situation.

2. The more you interview, the more comfortable you’ll get interviewing. Improve your tolerance level by putting yourself in uncomfortable situations. Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Encourage yourself by saying, “I can get through this.”

3. Record your negative thoughts on your smartphone. Don’t allow negative thoughts in your head. Play back the recordings at the end of the day. Decide to remove negative thoughts from your life. You’ll be amazed how many there are flowing through your mind.

4. Let your inner CEO control your emotions without letting your emotions control you.

5. Learn how to notice things without reacting to anything. Practice staying neutral.

6. Learn to shift your focus from the flow of your thoughts to the flow of your breathing. Focusing on your breathing has a calming effect.

7. To effectively handle difficult interview questions, or a potentially embarrassing situation in an interview, it’s essential to be physically calm. Deep breathing exercises before walking into the interview will help calm your emotions.

Keep this list with you as a checklist before walking into the interview.

Lastly, the more you practice and interview the higher level of competency you’ll attain. Competency creates Confidence, not the other way around.

Christine Harrington is The Savvy Sales Lady. She is a facilitator for Peak Performance Mindset Workshop, a personal sales coach and consultant. Christine helps sales professionals develop their beliefs and skills to transform their sales performance.

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