MBA blog

Prepare for Interviews with Positive Imagery

Facing an interview and nervous about it? Imagine that you are a tennis player and have just sent a smashing ball which your opponent couldn’t catch – and you’ve won.

With this feeling, go to your interview and win there, too.

Why are we comparing acing an interview with a successful tennis game? Wouldn’t it be better to talk about your job experience and examples of leadership you’ve shown?

Actually, such kind of preparation at the last minute is never beneficial, Accepted reports. If you think about sports, though, it will give you positive emotions and will be eventually much better for your interview than trying to memorize every single detail of your resume in the last evening before the big day.

Positive imagery has been proved to be essential during preparation for interviews. It helps in a lot of spheres, actually: when you want to do good at some sport, when you want to get rid of bad habits, even if you are preparing to have a baby. Anyway, positive, or guided, imagery, can even help you cope with illnesses, from heart diseases to allergic reactions.

How do you put that into practice? What is the right way to use positive thoughts for your grad school, college or job interview?

1. First, try to see yourself doing something that you are very good at

Surely, there is at least one thing you can do flawlessly and with satisfaction. It can be a kind of sport, a school subject, knitting, cooking, writing poetry – literally anything. The trick is to imagine yourself doing this thing you can do excellently, with all the minute details like where you are, what you are doing, what tools you are using, what results you get, what other people say about them.

2. Then, imagine yourself doing equally well in your interview

It’s even better if you’ve already had some interviews you nailed. You can use your memories of these instances to make your positive imagery even better. Think of yourself greeting your interviewer, shaking hands, giving thought-out and precise answers to all questions posed. Imagine how the interviewer smiles and nods while listening to you talk. Think of the good feedback you’re going to get after the interview.

The positive emotions coming with this imagery are more important than trying to guess what kind of questions they’re going to ask or what exactly you’re going to answer. 

 

3. Positive affirmation is the key

Usually, people don’t know how to say good things to themselves. You can even think it’s laughable or too corny. Still, try saying loudly in your mind: “Everything will be great” or “I will do very well” or “I deserve getting admitted to my dream school”. Research has shown that people who used these positive affirmations could actually lift a bigger weight or do better at sports than people who didn’t give themselves these affirmations.

Try to experiment with positive thoughts.

 

Seeing yourself doing things you excel at – like sports, cooking or singing – gives you a real sense of proficiency and ability to accomplish any difficult task. It helps you cope with unfamiliar ground and situations that make you nervous, like what you might expect from an interview. Don’t forget to practice this method. If you make that a habit of yours, along with relaxation techniques, your interview will be spectacular.

Learn more about preparation for MBA on MBA25 even in Almaty!

Sign up for newsletters

Subscribe
We respect your privacy. Your email and other contact information is safe with us.

Upcoming MBA events

Meet Admissions Officers at an event near you.

View all events

Want to know more?

FAQ

If you have a question or a suggestion, please read our FAQ.

Read event FAQ
Back to top Back to top