Everyone at some point in their lives is going to go into stressful situations that are filled with pressure, however, one of the most stressful moments for anyone to deal with is going for a job interview.
If you are about to embark on a new time in your life with a brand new career, you will more than likely get this question so they can figure out if you are the right candidate for them when they throw you this interview question.
Today, we will go into how you can prepare for this question, including some example answers that you can give to the hiring managers.
Without any more delay, let’s get you ready for this job interview question.
Managing Stress For Your Interview
Before we can go into how you can be prepping, it’s important to discuss your own stress management before walking into the interview.
A stressful situation like a potential new job will make anyone shake their leg and bite their nails in anticipation of what will happen during the interview.
Managing your own stress will help you handle stressful situations in your job position as well, so if you can show them that you are calm and collected in your interview, you have a better chance of showing them how to manage stress when it comes to high-pressure situations at work.
Prepare
Winging it at a job interview is not exactly the way to go. If you cannot prepare properly for an interview, how are you supposed to be prepared for work every day?
Research the company and look at its mission statement and values. Their goals can help you target your answers to what they are looking for, showing them that you want to add to their success.
Ask For Help
Instead of running your answers in front of a mirror, ask a friend or family member to help you with the way you answer questions and your demeanor.
They can give you real-life feedback so you know what to change when it gets to the interview.
Use Relaxation Techniques
You have probably heard about deep breathing and how it can be helpful with calming the nerves and focusing the mind.
It is not fake. Taking a deep breath can help you overcome stress and stay positive about your interview.
You Can do Them in The Interview
These techniques are not limited to the waiting room. Whilst in the interview, be mindful of your body language and how you are coming across.
Focus on relaxing your shoulders, take a sip of water if needed, and take a deep breath in as you smile.
Avoid Negative Thinking
It is natural to immediately go to the worst-case scenario. You tell yourself that you aren’t going to get the job and that you will fail.
You have already given yourself a no before you’ve even had the chance. That type of negative thinking towards this job interview is going to create an issue for you.
Envision a Positive End Result
Even if you don’t get it, if you think that you have a good chance, show that in the interview and be friendly to them like you are a shoo-in.
This will show your relaxed side and it will help them see you as someone with a personality, maybe even someone who can handle work-related stress easily?
Prepping For The Question – “How do You Handle Stress and Pressure?”
This interview question will potentially come up in your interview, so you want to show them that you are ready for this question and you are able to present to them ways that you have handled stress in the past.
The hiring manager/hiring managers will be looking to see not only what you say, but how you say it.
Without proper thought, you can stumble over your words and make mistakes which can make them feel like you are not ready for the question, meaning that you might not be ready for the position.
Make a List of Your Soft Skills
The skills you develop at work can help you show them how you have handled stress in your previous job when you have come up against something that has had an impression on your duties.
These are classed as interpersonal skills.
Some soft skills that you can use to address stress and pressure in a work environment are –
- Time Management
- Leadership
- Organisation
- Problem-Solving
- Communication
- Adaptability
You can entwine these with how you handle stress and how that has fed into the work you do.
Add context to them when you are talking about these skills. A high-stress job will have an impact on anyone, it is your job to mold that into moments where you have used that stress to your advantage.
Think About Why You Are Being Asked This Question
This question is part of the classic behavioral interview questions that are asked to gauge how well a potential candidate will fit into a new workplace.
You are not only being asked this in relation to your work, but it can also be on a personal level when it comes to dealing with other colleagues.
When you are all on the same time crunch or have similar projects in the works, stress can ramp up which will put everyone in different stress-related moods.
You need to be able to show that you can work in an environment like this and can co-ordinate with others by keeping a cool head.
Too much pressure can be harsh on everyone. That is why it is essential that no matter what, staff are still able to work as a team and can work through any issue without butting heads or delaying work.
Don’t Deny Your Stress to Them
If you go in there and tell them that you are a master at stress at work and you rarely feel it, that also doesn’t look good.
Everyone gets stressed at some point, it is very normal to do so. If they think that you are not in touch with your emotions enough, how can you put passion and care into your work?
You don’t have to just give them answers in relation to your work stress, you can also talk about daily stress and how you work with that in a proactive manner which can help you with your day.
Tell them about how you can calm your stress down. “I exercise in the morning/evening”, “I practice self-care as much as possible”, “I will always take a step back if I feel stressed and need a break to get my head together.”
All of these will help you with your interview question.
Sample Answers to The Question
So, you know what you should be doing to mitigate those negative feelings before going into the interview as well as how to prep for the question.
It is time to think about just how you can answer that all-important question to give them a better idea of who you are not only as a candidate but as a person.
First Example
“I like to look at the situation as it is and break it down. Once I attack it bit by bit, I can help reduce the stressfulness of the situation and it can give me a clearer view of what I need to do.
For example, if we have to deal with a big project, it is important to go at it bit by bit and put all the focus on different sections whilst moving forward. Trying to do all of it at the same time can be highly stressful and potentially cause missed issues.”
Second Example
“I see stress as something that can assist me with my job. Working in an environment that challenges me can help me see things from different points of view which can have an impact on my work.”
Third Example
“I am very aware of group dynamics, so if there is something stressful going on with work, I speak to those who are feeling the most pressure and ask them what they are particularly stressed about and how that is impacting them.
Working as a team is highly important and if people are feeling a lot of pressure and stress, then that can cause productivity to go down. Speaking to them and offering to share the workload can help us progress forward as a team making us all happy.”
Conclusion
Hopefully, this article has been able to help you see the best way to answer this question and how that can support your career.
Bear in mind, it is fine to tell them that stressful situations happen, but do not tell them that you have created stressful situations or that you have had moments where you have felt too stressed and overwhelmed.
This might show them that you aren’t able to focus much if a seriously stressful situation comes about and that it could cause you to give up your duties all because you didn’t prepare yourself enough.
Be the first to reply