onion_writer: my sis used to be in journalism and now works for a PR firm. Someone I know has a daughter who recently finished college with a specialization in journalism, and she was looking for work. So I pinged my sister, who replied: get into the hot 'net media, such as Twitter and the like. Companies seem to want people with experience, capable of posting snippets pertinent to the company. (What can YOU say in 140 chars or less?)
My biggest problem is I get very nervous. When I get nervous, I clam up and don't want to talk. Also, when I'm nervous I can't breathe. When I can't breathe, I can't think. Its very problematic. Any tips on that??
A couple:
1. Throw yourself into interviews, even ones you know will suck, or ones you have no interest in. The experience will wear you down, in a good way. Repetition will polish up the short message you want to deliver about yourself, the sales summary, if you will. The post-interview self-assessments should help you work on toning down the things you feel are glaring issues about your typical interview, as well as provide reinforcement for those glimmering moments where you felt you shined. In a way, you're getting yourself tired (fatigued), and it's hard to stay nervous of those things which are old and familiar. Like brushing your teeth: it's old news now, but you no doubt heard more than once about the "right way" to brush your teeth.
2. Take a DEEP breath. Breathe. Answer slowly, and keep answers brief. This was (is?) my classic problem, ie, taking a question and rambling in 27 different fantastic tangents, forgetting what the original question was. Take a deep breath, so you have a moment to ponder the answer.
3. Body language. This isn't just for the interviewer, it's for you as well. Anyone familiar with psychology should know that while a mood may manifest physically (eg, good mood = smile, bad mood = scowl, sad mood = sad face, etc), the reverse is also true. Meaning, if you spend a half hour smiling, that by the end of that half hour, you'll be in a better mood. (If you scowl for half an hour, you'll want to become a tax specialist.
(If you put on a sad face for half an hour, you'll want to give your ex-wife more money for no clear reason.
))
4. Hypnotism: I don't mean going to participate in entertainment hypnotism. Find a professional, one with credentials. Explain your short-term goal (nerves, confidence, etc). A good one should be able to get you moving very adequately with a single visit. This of course depends on your available cash; when I did this, it set me back something like $150. I never needed to do a second visit (at that time; I wouldn't mind going back for a tune up in a different direction).
5. Visualization: Take a tip from Anthony Robbins and the like. Picture yourself dressed so sharply (yet not overdone) that people are automatically swayed by your charisma. Picture yourself getting the job. This is the sort of visualization exercise you'll need to do over and over, likely in a meditative (ie, undistractive) setting. Reinforce the mindset by springing for a professional shoe polish, while-you-wait. (Both 4 & 5 can benefit if you have a CD/MP3 with generic messages which reinforce the message (I still listen to mine periodically, always at bedtime (always conks me out)).
6. Print your resume (and cover) on subtly coloured paper. Nothing garish, nothing which assaults the retinas. But sufficient to stand out in a stack, something to pique the reader's curiosity. Maybe a texture to the paper (again, subtle), so they notice it when they pick it up.
7. Shut up and LISTEN. I can't personally vouch for this, but a) this is a classic sales technique, and b) you're trying to sell yourself. Don't tell them what YOU want, tell them what they want to hear. Maybe shallow, but whatever. Like any sale, it is always ALWAYS a subjective opinion, not based purely on metrics. Soft skills are in, so use interviews to smooth over the rough spots.
8. Eye contact. Not in a psycho stalkerish way.
9. Smile. See #8.
10. Try to relax. If you still feel uptight, start doing things which you think relaxed people might do. Again with the physical body helping to manifest the desired mindset.
Gah. I started this post, thinking it would just be 2 or 3. Seems I rambled a bit. Most if not all of the points are largely the same message, anyway.