July 2021

The benefits of meditation are numerous, and can be especially helpful in the lead-up to an interview. Interviews for even the most seasoned professionals can be a challenge and practising some pre-interview meditation for five to twenty minutes beforehand can be helpful to reduce your stress or anxiety about the experience. Ideally some “quiet time” among nature for this quick meditation practice is ideal, although even a short break at a bus stop, office foyer or in a spare bedroom before a Zoom interview would all work!

For your pre-interview meditation here are some things you may care to consider:

Be grateful:

Meditate on everything you already have and can be grateful for. This feel contrary to seeking new employment, but reflecting on all that you already have is actually a great place to start. For everyone there is much you can already be grateful for; friends, family, kids and your health are all good places to start.

Be thankful:

Pause to give thanks for the opportunity to interview for this role. You were probably one of over a hundred applicants to apply for this job and you are now getting an interview. It’s pretty cool for you to have an opportunity to interview with the client, regardless of the outcome. Every interview is a chance for you to build your network, and could be the next step in your career. So be thankful for the interview; independently of the end result.

Be accepting:

Prepare yourself to be okay with the idea that the interview may not go that well. This isn’t setting you up for failure, instead this is accepting that some parts of an interview are out of your control, some questions you may have no answer for and you simply may not be the person they are looking for. But that’s okay, and life will go on.

What’s your intention?

Intention is something to consider prior to an interview, and it’s probably aligned to your career goals but intent is also more immediate. A simple intention could be to connect with the interviewer and learn more about the company and opportunity. Try to keep the intent of the meditation and interview more in the present tense, rather than focused on medium or longer term goals. Aim for an open and honest connection with the client as your immediate intent, and this will probably align with your medium-term goal of getting the job.

Some pre-interview meditation could be a handy tool to help you enter your next interview with more presence, calm and clarity. While for some, the best interview prep may be a strong coffee and some push-ups! Either way, we hope this could be another tactic for you to consider in the lead-up to your next interview.