“I never dreamed about success, I worked for it.”
The fear of facing interviews is an U – F – O – Universal Freelancers’ Obstacle. Millions of freelancers who are working all over the world today have faced this fear sometime for sure. Though most freelancers successfully overcome this fear with time and experience, persistent fear of facing interviews may invite rejections and financial doom.
I was always scared of facing interviews because
- I had no idea how many people I was competing with
- I was not sure if I would be able to represent myself properly in the 15-minute call (especially during the first interview)
- I was afraid I would not understand the interviewer’s accent, or he won’t understand mine
- I was concerned about the time difference and whether they would work for clients from different time zones
- Since the interview was not face-to-face, I stressed a lot about sounding credible, like the ‘right person’ for the job.
The 5 Simple Ways of Overcoming the Fear
I began with defeating the dread with a basic inquiry – “Am I The Only One Facing This?” Clearly, the response was ‘No’. From there on, I took after 5 simple principles, and it changed the game completely.
If you are a freelancer and you are confronting a similar obstacle, attempt these simple hacks for addressing your fear.
1. Be Prepared
Treat each interview as a new opportunity. Gather information about the organization and what the job you have been offered. Prepare yourself well beforehand and speak like a professional. The most important thing that you should remember before giving an interview is, you are not an employee or a job-seeker, you are an entrepreneur. Treat yourself likewise and sound assertive.
2. Don’t Lose Perspective
Never rely on one interview. As a professional freelancer, you must keep sending proposals for projects relevant to your niche and keep the process going. Getting rejected in one interview is not the end of it, especially when you have such an abundance of choices in outsourcing. Continue bidding and showing up for interviews as much as you have to.
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3. Visualize
It may sound weird, but it helps a lot. Before you appear for the interview online, envision the whole situation. What are the probable questions you may be asked? What are the odds that you may get rejected?
Prepare yourself by practicing the correct intonation, using the right words, and delivering answers in the right way. Before every upcoming interview, take out at least 30 minutes where you visualize the whole scene and get mentally prepared for it. I found it incredibly helpful when I started recreating the interview situation in my mind and preparing my actions accordingly. The results were immediate and very consistent.
4. Self-Reflection
I have a journal where I note down all my achievements and failures in business. Whenever I have interviews lined up, I go through them and try to reflect my thoughts on why I succeeded in some and why I failed in others.
Before you appear for an interview online, go back to the past contracts that you could complete successfully and/or got a great review. Try to recall what were the things that led to your success and why your client was happy with you – those are the focuses that you have to center around when you are facing the interview.
5. Network well
For a work-from-home freelancer, this can be a challenge. But thanks to the rising popularity of freelancing, there are numerous doors accessible for specialists to coordinate with each other today. Join the online or offline groups that promote freelancing and interact with other freelancers.
For example, Upwork organizes online meetups that are directed by the top-rated specialists who share their experience and offer tips to other people who are taking a shot at building their business. Be as closely associated as you can. Not only will this make you feel like a part of the freelancing community, but you can also gain perspective on how other freelancers handle their fears and come out successfully.
The best part of freelancing is the three precious gifts that it gives us-
- The freedom to choose the work we want to do
- The space to unleash our creativity to the fulles
- The limitless opportunity of earning good enough.
And when you can genuinely recognize these invaluable resources, no fear can hold you back from achieving your goal.
