Battling through the nerves at medical sales jobs interviews

For some people, job interviews are a living nightmare and they just can't handle their own nerves. You may have the best medical sales track record in the company, but unless you can hold it together for that crucial hour in front your potential new employer, that experience won't get you your new job.

What is it so stressful. Well, psychologists tell that the root cause of stress is usually uncertainty. In this case, job interviews are defining moments in your life that will shape your entire future, what could present more uncertainty than this? Sorry, I'm not helping.

I've seen the profound effects of nerves in interviews first hand myself.

• Stuttering and talking too fast.

• changes in facial colour, redness to face and neck

• sweating! I've seem it dripping of the ends of people noses whilst fully clad in 3 piece suits

• memory shut down, people going utterly blank on familiar subjects, such as your wife's name!!

• Mumbling words or talking too quietly

• a profound clumsiness, fumbling with files and dropping things during the interviewing

The list goes on, and the effects, to extreme sufferers, can be devastating.

The good news is that I have some highly effective nerve busters for medical sales interviews which will work. The key, using our psychologist's comments above, is to remove as many uncertainties as possible.

1. Do a dry run for your interview journey. Then allow yourself this time + 30% for your actual interview. If this seems a little extreme, I have recruited for medical sales positions myself and turned people around for being 10 minutes late, if they're not punctual for an interview, what will they be like in the job? Quite apart from this, you will remove the stress from your journey regarding 'what if I don't make it on time?'.

2. Do your research. It's not difficult, just a matter of putting in the time. Know everything there is to know about your new employer and the role you are interviewing for. Turnover, profit, how medical sales people they have, what their mission statement is. Instead of worrying about difficult questions you'll be hoping they do ask what you know.

3. Investigate you interviewer. Once again, this is not difficult. Once you have a name, your recruitment consultant should be able to give some details. Also, try finding a medical sales person from the team and call them up. The more you know about your interviewer, the more you are reducing uncertainty and therefore potential stress.

4. Exercise before your interview. If you are a real sufferer, for me, this is the killer technique. Most interview venues for medical sales will be hotels, many of which have a gym. It may cost you as little as £5 to join for a day. Arrive 2 hours before and go in the gym, maybe have a swim. This will send endorphins flowing around your body, you'll find it almost impossible to feel stressed or nervous afterwards.

5. Listen to your favourite music. If exercise isn't for you, music can also induce a deep state of relaxation. Much of this is due to an association with previous occasions you have heard the music. Listen to music that leaves you feeling up beat as well as relaxed. This can also take your mind off those uncertainties.

6. Apply for many medical sales roles simultaneously. Another trick to remove uncertainty. If you can generate several medical sales opportunities at once, this can induce the feeling that you will get your next medical sales job somewhere between all of the interviews, which can reduce the stress you feel at any one interview.

Despite my earlier comments that these are 'life defining' moments which won't be helpful for the nervous amongst you, in retrospect, life does have a habit of 'working out' one way or another for those prepared to work at it. so whether your future is medical sales or something completely different, don't take any one interview so seriously you can barely utter your name. If you do, try my nerve busters.

Good luck