The same thing happened to me once when the head of our department was attending our in-house regular meeting, where I was supposed to give a brief talk. Itās a routine process, and Iāve been doing it weekly, but the presence of a senior manager freaked me out so much that I was gasping for breath and slurring my words. My colleague helped me out, but I was teased for days (in an amiable way).
I think this reaction has something to do with how we feel about authority and about ourselves. Some people will get stuck in an elevator with the president, and theyāll think itās not a big deal. Others lose their heads over movie stars. I was angry at myself when this happened to me, and I promised myself to never feel intimidated in front of anyone. No rank or position should make me freeze. Weāre literally all humans. And those two guys who were interviewing you were no better than you. When you learn that attitude, itās harder to make you panic!
Hey, Iām really sorry this happened to you. Youāll definitely have other opportunities, given that you passed their first screening (do you mean some written test?) youāre smart and capable. A panic attack can happen to the best of us, I feel more at ease when Iām well-prepared, but you seem to have done everything in that regard. I know right now itās not much to comfort you, but I can assure you interviews get better once youāve had your fair share of them. For one thing, you simply care less. Itās like speed-dating: this oneās not for me, whoās next! :) Donāt stress over it, youāll find something even more promising.
@Fergus MacWilliam Preparation doesnāt matter when a panic attack strikes. Knowledge, or lack of it, is not the problem. When the brain goes into āfight or flightā mode, you canāt control it. Or rather, you can, armed with proper coping mechanisms.
I advise the post creator to take a few sessions with a therapist. Theyāll show you ways to relax and refocus so that in the future you cand overcome these episodes.
@reboot I was not saying that lack of knowledge was the problem here. All I meant was that when you think it all out beforehand, you feel more confident, which in turn makes you less vulnerable to stress. I agree that counseling may help here, though I coped with my interview anxiety myself. Like I said, it gets better with experience...
An interview doesnāt guarantee theyāll hire you. So even when you answer all the questions, you never know why they made this or that decision. If you ever feel the panic taking over again, repeat the question out loud. That will show the employer youāve understood them, and it will give you a few seconds to compose yourself. Also, never hesitate to ask for clarification. Asking questions is good, recruiters love it! And while they give you extra hints, youāll again have some bonus time to relax a bit.
We have all had terrible experiences in interviews, donāt beat yourself up over it. Sometimes preparing and knowing too much about the employer even makes things worse. I once spent days reading about a potential employerās history, leaders and mission. My mind was so overwhelmed with this information that I couldnāt think clearly and probably sounded like a novice when they interviewed me. I didnāt get the job, but never mind, my current one is better. Itās always a roulette, and if you learn to regard it that way, your disappointment will be only about the time *you* have wasted on other people and not the other way around. Best of luck
You may consider taking some anxiety medication hours before an interview. Youāll need to ask a therapist about it, for some meds take weeks before they have any effect, and some will make you sleepy. But Iām positive there are some that will calm your nervous system only slightly, making your stress triggers less frightening.
You could email the people who interviewed you and explain that it was a panic attack. You might be allowed to have another go at it, maybe an online interview this time. Thereās no harm in asking, and you shouldnāt feel embarrassed. Youāre not the first person to panic during an interview. An email like this may show how much you value this opportunity, employers generally like perseverance.
@Fergus MacWilliam Not a written test, it was a coding test in a sandbox environment. Its main goal was to test my knowledge of algorithms and general computer science knowledge. I appreciate your comparison to speed-dating. It made me smile!
@Anna Sun It didn't cross my mind to email them. Won't it seem like I'm desperate? I don't want to look even more idiotic. It's a small world, and at some point I might come across any of those people, including the recruiter. Perhaps it's best if they don't remember me.
Interview anxiety is very common even after being well prepared for it. Meeting strangers in position of authority and you feel powerless in front of them , Being evaluated and judged are all reasons for being stress and nervous.
Next time before going for interview or any other important events in life which gives you anxious or nervousness feeling try these techniques:
You need to always continue to expose yourself to such situations intentionally. this is effective way to become better and more relaxed in interviews. treat every single one as learning opportunity. do not fear it.
Be proud of yourself for going for the interview to a big tech company despite your anxiety. Make a note of what you may improve upon in the future but avoid overthinking your performance. Every interview is valuable because it gives you an opportunity to improve your skills.
You can meet a therapist if you are consistently avoiding job interviews and if you are having panic attacks just to go for an interview. Cognitive behavioural therapy works great for interview anxiety because it teaches you to learn that it is not the situation that is causing your anxiety but how you perceive the situation.