UKC

I have a very important day tomorrow and am getting very nervous. A different kind of nerves which I experience during climbing, but can I deal with the issue in the same way.
I have to do a role play tomorrow, the specific scenario I am unsure but it will be a customer trying to close an account and I'll need to convince them otherwise.
I started feeling sick earlier I am getting so uptight about this.

When climbing I rarely actually get nervous until I get on the route. Then once on it I am forced to deal with my nerves, shaking, feeling sick n all. Like most climbers there are countless times I have been seriously screwed and found myself wondering 'oh jesus, what have a I done, what was I thinking, omg, no way, yes way, no choice, bollox bollox bollox bollox', while on a side thought trying to figure out the best way to fall and what would be the least painful object to hit if ti comes to that. It's all about commitment, or stupidity or both.

This role play has found my nerves, has me feeling very uncomfortable, sick etc. even though I know nothing nasty can happen to me, well, physically unless I actually do throw up in the interview. This is something I can prepare for, but I am unsure how to. I have been trying all week, by just putting it to the back of my mind and concentrating on other things I need to know.

So both situations have me feeling the same, but are very different situations. I can not just jump into the interview like i would on a route, commit and then deal with it. Doing this could just land me in a real stink if I freeze and start to stutter etc. So what is the solution, I am not a nervous type of person, but this is new to me, a first.

Any advice?

In reply to Dominicandave:

Deeps breaths and visualisation of yourself coping well with it could help.

Think of it going well and things being okay.

In reply to Dominicandave:

Sounds horrible. I hate dealing with the general public, particularly grumpy people. If you hate it, do you really want to do this as a job? Fair enough if you wil get some satisfaction out of selling something to someone. I wouldn't, so I don't.

In practical terms, think though the options that might happen and prepare a response to each. If something else happens, you can probably mold it into one of the responses you've already thought of. If not, you'll have to wing it. If it all goes a bit wrong, no one is going to die or even get slightly hurt.

Steve

In reply to sbc23:
I'm fine at dealing with people and the public, I think the nerves are as I have never been through this before. I am pretty new to job hunting as I have never had to for the last 20 years, and so how interviews are conducted are seemingly very different to back then. There are a few threads I have posted about the surprises I have found in my search for emplyment, what they require these days etc. This second stage role play is another new one that is niggling away at me. Maybe because I don't want to be made an idiot of if I have been preparing for entirely the wrong situation, lol, that's how unsure I am. I suppose I expect the deep breaths I take when stuck on a cliff to rid my apprehension are not working on this, well, they rarely work on a cliff either but like I say, that's a different situation.

Thanks for the input!

In reply to Dominicandave:

My suggestion is - practice the roleplay with someone, as many times as you can.

Lots of luck tomorrow.

In reply to Dominicandave:
Nerves are inevitable, and the adrenaline you'll probably be feeling when you go in will trigger you into trying to do well.

I remember my Dad needing to go to the toilet a few times before driving off one day for an important business meeting, which went okay AFAIK.

All I can really think of is imagining things going well, so you can sleep well-ish.

Maybe think about what the customer might be complaining about?

In reply to Dominicandave:

Think it through from the other side. If you were a customer what reasons would you have for being upset, wanting to leave? Costs? Product? Customer service? If you were an interviewer wanting to make an awkward scenario what would you have the customer complain about?

Try to come up with the most difficult scenarios and then think about how you could deal with them if they come up in the interview.

And don't forget, not all scenarios are 'winnable' - it's how you handle the communication rather than necessarily the outcome that the interviewer will be looking for.

In reply to Dominicandave:

youtube.com/watch?v=h-wfO6_eq-A&

In reply to Dominicandave:

Its 20 years since I passed my driving test ,at the third attempt.

I hadn't been nervous the first time ,but I was the second time .

I can still vividly remember absolutely shitting myself for what felt like days before the final ,and successful attempt. Was horrible.

Never wanted to be that nervous again ,and apart from a few occasions ,I never have.

Quite happy to live in my own little corner of the world .doing my little humble job.

Being Nervous = being stressed ,and less of that you have in your life ,the better

In reply to Dominicandave:

Its a tough one really as different people react differently to nerves. Being familiar with being nervous helps but they way I think about it, being nervous is an opportunity to really focus and get into the zone. I have done a lot of playing / performing (orchestral / am dram) and the buzz from getting utterly into the zone is phenomenal. Knowing you can do it also helps you get through and if you don't know if you can do it, just focus harder. You will be amazed.

Good luck!

In reply to Dominicandave:



Treat it exactly like your climbing, jump in and relish the challenge.

It will be designed to test your ability to do the job, if you do well the job will suit you, if you don't then you may be better off looking for a different sort of job.

In reply to Dominicandave:

Don't look nervous but appear very confident (smile a bit - that'll actually help you relax and feel more confident), and be very firm and resilient all at the same time.

In reply to Dominicandave:

A good starting point is to gain empathy with who you're talking to. I'd say that there are relatively few people who diuslike bullsh*tters, and being frank about things can be a good preface:
"I found this a really difficult and thought-provoking task. Its enabled me to explore some rvery important aspects of etc etc..." .

Right away you are praising them for being so great at coming up with the task, whilst indicating that you are not providing a 'solution', just possible thoughts on the topic...and use the language of exceptions ("One way of showing this might be to blah, blah etc")


As a last resort, an old ex-colleague of mine said to me prior to my first promotion interview "Just imagine them on the bog, son". It helped!

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:


Resilience is always helpful, it can perhaps take a few challenges to develop it.