#AtoZChallenge : Breathe
“Take a deep breath. Breathe in, breathe out!”
“It is going to be okay”
No, that isn’t any of my friends or a family member consoling me. Its me, Alana talking to myself like I always do! I’ve a job interview and I’m freaking out.
I stayed up all night to prepare for the interview and I felt pretty confident or so I thought! Why?
Nothing is going right since morning. The power went off and I hadn’t ironed any clothes for the interview. I had to pull out all the clothes in my wardrobe to find something that was okay to wear without ironing but it had to be formal clothing. When I finally managed to find something, it was already late. I’d to skip breakfast and run to catch the bus.
If you are late, then the whole universe conspires against you and ensured that you’ll be more late. It is a fact that you can’t deny. So you know what happened next. I missed the bus and then had to agree to pay an exorbitant price for an auto, so that I wouldn’t be more late.
I ran from the gate to the rooms where the interviews were happening. Luckily for me the interviews hadn’t started.
But just when I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, there arrived another problem.
“We need 3 copies of you resume”, announced one of the persons who was conducting the interviews.
I only had 2 and there was no printing or a photocopying shop anywhere in the close vicinity.
“Are 2 copies enough?”, I managed to ask.
“No! But if the interviewer agrees then we have no problems”
So now that brings us to the present. My kept wondering if the interviewer would agree to take only 2 copies of the resume. The more I kept thinking about it, the more I was worried. While others were discussing the hot topics for interviews for companies like this, I was freaking out even more because I seemed to remember nothing that I had studied for the interview. The skipping breakfast made it even worse because my stomach seemed to growl of hunger and I felt a little dizzy. God help me!
“Breathe, breathe, breathe!”
Life as a twenty something is so stressful isn’t it?
First there are those exams to study for and then in the exam hall you forget something or rather everything!
Then there are those projects to complete in which something has to go wrong at the last moment!
The job interviews are in another league altogether. There is not only your own reputation to take care of but also that of your parents just because Mr. XYZ’s son or daughter managed to get a job in a reputed MNC which offers a highly non-realistic amount as salary.
The situation isn’t better once you get the job. You’ve got to work long hours to make your mark. Everyone is eying that promotion and you need to work extra hard. Stress!
Then there is the stress of broken friendships and relationships to deal with.
So many reasons to be stressed about.
What can we do?
Just breathe!
And finally it my turn for the interview. With sweaty palms and my heart beating faster and louder than ever before, I enter the interview room. I take a deep breath, hoping that I can manage it. It goes on for slightly longer that I expected to.
Then it is over!
No, not the stress, the interview I mean. After a week more of stress and then some more stress finally the results are out.
Selected.
Phew! I take a deep breath!
Does stress bother you too? What do you do? Let me know in the comments.
And yes, listen to this song titles “Breathe” by Michelle Branch.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNHYP7DErh4&w=600&h=360 ]
I’m participating in the #AtoZChallenge . I’m writing about the Life and Times of a Twenty Something.
I do get stressed, but not to the extent of going blank. Some stress is healthy as it keeps us on our toes and alert. Never let it get in the way of doing things. Breathing is a good way to get back to a happy state! Hugs, Reema!
Deep breathing and letting your mind wander away is best in these situations. Wonderful Reems.
Yeah, you do end up with lot of things to stress about when you’re younger. Surprisingly, I’ve never had stress for a job interview. I’ve always been quite collected for them. But the waiting period is the most stressful, till you know the result. I loved your choice of topic today.
I get stressed, which makes me scared then angry then at the end. Rightly said… exams, job then marriage..society…phew…20s are hard!
Took me back to the days of placement interviews in college. Taking deep breaths was never more important than then, I guess. 😀
I could so relate to this… It took me back to my first ever campus interview… There was so much chaos in my mind and I have never felt so nervous in my life. In the end, all went well 😀
I do get stressed but deep breaths or Reiki is what I do. This not only calms the mind but energizes too.
Hehe.. Been there.. Done that.. The only case was that the staff had told me that only If you cross the rounds you’ll need an extra copy.. But looking at me they said, we don’t think that would be a problem.. Hilarious were those days! Cheers to the struggle!
This reminded me of my first interview. I was so stressed that I couldn’t sit in a place and wait for my turn. I was pacing around restlessly and when the interview did happen finally, it was a breeze. Loving your posts Reema 🙂
Brother
This reminded me of my first interview! I got the job like Alana did, but forgot to take my offer letter of the day of joining! *facepalm*
Yep deep breathing does help. I usually have a conversation with God – seems to help each time 🙂
Running late, skipping breakfast, missing to keep extra copies of resume, stressing – been there, done all of that and more!
This reminded me of my first ever interview! Great job with this!
Stress is one thing I have totally won. I never get tensed, even when I have multiple targets ahead. That is something that keeps me going.
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*Menaka Bharathi*
*SimpleIndianMom*
This is so true, and I can tell you, even once u r older, u will stress about that interview, that meeting, that email! So, Yes – Embrace the Fear & Breathe, & I would say, Use Affirmations – which is what i do.
I hate to burst the bubble but the stress continues in your thirties as well! 😛 Different kinds of stress but definitely still there.
Sanch @ Sanch Writes
Taking a deep breath always helps!
I get stressed a lot and get panicked too. it is fun to read about 20 somethings when I am 30 something 🙂
Ah stress is a dear friend who refuses to leave me. Sadly stress causes migraine for me so we need to break up soon.
I try not to panic in any situation, but my heart would be racing. Thanks to the recent events in my life, I have learnt to relax and take it slow a bit. But yeah, breathing slowly is always the first step to tackling stress 🙂
I can so easily relate to it. I’m sure many others do too. Job interviews are stressful but we all go through it at some point or the other. I keep reminding myself to just breathe 🙂
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I guess I have been a little lucky there… never had to struggle during most interviews as a doctor. So few of us that they were happy to take us, provided we work dog hours! 😀
I haven’t faced interviewers yet, but I’ll keep in mind three things 1. Iron clothes well in time 2. Take unlimited copies of all documents possible 3. Deep breathing! 😀
It does work for many people, but when I’m stressed, nothing works and I don’t know why. I’m exceedingly worried in interviews. The only time I was not worried was when I got my current job and that is because I did not want to join the company so I spoke without any fear and surprisingly my Boss loved that :p
I could almost imagine my day back at the time of my placement! I had been exactly like this!