The Shyness & Social Anxiety Workbook
216exposure to interviews (using both real interview practices and role-play simulations) 
as a strategy for learning to become less anxious. In this section, we provide additional 
suggestions for improving interview skills. These suggestions are meant to be used along 
with the cognitive and exposure-based techniques discussed in earlier chapters.
Essentially, being prepared for an interview involves knowing what to do before 
the interview, how to behave during the interview, and what to do when the interview 
is over. We provide suggestions for each of these interview phases. For a more detailed 
discussion of this topic, we suggest reading Messages: The Communication Skills Book . There 
are several other excellent resources on interviewing for jobs listed in the recommended 
readings section at the end of this book.
Preparing for the Interview
Here are some suggestions for preparing for an interview. These are all things to do 
before you get there:
UÊBefore the interview, practice interviewing with friends and family members. 
Also, practice interviewing for other jobs that are of less interest to you. As 
we discussed in chapters 7 and 8, practicing being interviewed will help to 
decrease your anxiety when you are in the actual situation.
UÊKeep the situation in perspective. Remember that it’s only an interview. If it 
doesn’t work out, there will be other opportunities. Think of the interview 
as a learning experience or an opportunity to improve your interviewing 
skills.
UÊTake time to understand the purpose of the interview, learn who will be 
interviewing you, what the structure of the interview will be, and how long 
the interview will run. If possible, ﬁnd out the interviewer’s name and make 
sure you remember it. If that’s not possible, when the interviewer introduces