Stop Overthinking Your Interview Answers! Try This Simple Exercise Instead
Turn Post-Interview Anxiety Into Your Secret Weapon
We've all been there. The interview is over, you're back home, and suddenly your mind starts racing. "Why did I say that?" "I should have mentioned..." "If only I had answered that question differently!" That post-interview anxiety can be overwhelming, but what if I told you there's a way to transform those worried thoughts into something productive?
The Reality Check
First, let's acknowledge something important: obsessing over what you can't change isn't helping anyone, especially not you. Those answers are in the past. But here's the exciting part—while we can't change what happened, we can absolutely use this experience to become an even stronger candidate for future opportunities.
The Power-Reclaiming Exercise
Instead of letting anxiety run wild, try this exercise I learned from our CEO and head career coach, J.T. O'Donnell. Grab a notebook or open your favorite note-taking app, and let's turn those worries into wisdom:
Write down everything you said well during the interview (yes, there were good moments!)
List the answers you wish you could improve
Here's the magic part: Rewrite those "improvement" answers exactly how you'd want to deliver them
This isn't just about making yourself feel better—it's about active learning and professional growth. When you physically write out better versions of your answers and read them back to yourself, you're literally programming your brain for success in future interviews.
Why This Method Works
Think of this exercise as creating your personal interview playbook. Every interview, whether it went perfectly or not, is an opportunity to expand your repertoire of strong answers. By documenting and improving upon your responses, you're building a mental database of polished, professional answers that you can draw from in future interviews.
The Celebration Factor
Here's something crucial that most people miss: You should actually celebrate after completing this exercise. Yes, celebrate! Why? Because you just did something incredibly powerful—you turned an anxiety-inducing situation into a learning opportunity. That's not just professional development; that's personal growth.
Moving Forward With Confidence
Remember, every successful professional has been exactly where you are now. The difference between those who advance quickly in their careers and those who stay stuck often comes down to how they handle these moments of uncertainty. By using this method, you're already putting yourself ahead of the curve.
Instead of letting post-interview anxiety drain your energy, use it as fuel for improvement. Each interview becomes not just a chance at a new job, but an opportunity to become an even more impressive candidate than you were before.
The next time you feel that familiar post-interview anxiety creeping in, remember: you're not rehashing your mistakes—you're gathering intelligence for future success. Pull out that notebook, start writing, and watch as those anxious thoughts transform into valuable insights that will serve you well in your career journey.
After all, the most successful professionals aren't the ones who never make mistakes—they're the ones who learn from every experience. And that's exactly what you're doing with this exercise. So give yourself some credit, celebrate your growth, and keep moving forward with confidence.
Your future self will thank you for it.
You’ve got this!
Cassidy O’Donnell
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