A couple of years ago, I was in the midst of job hunting.
Every time I received an interview invitation, I felt nervous. The biggest question in my mind was:
Am I good enough to be selected?
Most companies required candidates to give a presentation in English—often about how much you know about the company, your career goals (both short-term and long-term), and your professional background. Although the task sounded simple, putting all that into one well-organized English presentation was quite challenging.
Not only did I have to research the company and the position, but I also had to rehearse my presentation several times. Presenting in front of interviewers was intimidating—especially when using English, which I don’t speak as fluently as my native language, Mandarin Chinese. That’s what I thought was causing my fear back then.
I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to speak as smoothly as others. To make it worse, I kept imagining scary scenarios—like everyone in the room staring at me as if they were going to devour me after I finished speaking. Even though I spent several days preparing the presentation, I still felt it wasn’t enough.
People often say, “Being well-prepared makes you confident.” Is that true or false?
Looking back now, I realize it wasn’t just the language that made me anxious—it was speaking anxiety itself. I decided to list all the fears that made me nervous, and here’s what I found.
My Fears:
- I don’t have a native English accent.
- I’m asking for a job, which makes me feel like I’m in a weaker position.
- Being in a formal meeting room makes me uncomfortable.
- I don’t know everything about the company.
- I’m not a good public speaker.
Then I created a second column with realistic solutions to counter each fear:
My Solutions:
- Accent: I don’t sound like a native speaker—and that’s okay. I’m Taiwanese, and it’s normal that my English has a different accent.
- Positioning: Feeling inferior isn’t helpful. An interview should be a two-way process—both the interviewer and interviewee are equals.
- Environment: Of course, I feel nervous in an unfamiliar meeting room. But if I remind myself that this might be my future workspace, I feel more at ease.
- Knowledge gap: I might not know the company inside out. That’s expected—I’m still an outsider. But I prepared slides with insights, and that shows effort and initiative.
- Public speaking: The company already knows my background from my resume. They’re not expecting me to perform like a high-level executive—they’re hiring for an assistant role.
So, what was I really afraid of?
I was afraid of not knowing what I didn’t know.
Now, whenever I feel anxious before a presentation or interview, I fold a sheet of paper in half. On one side, I write down my fears. On the other side, I write solutions. If something really needs improvement—like a tricky English term I can’t pronounce fluently—I’ll replace it with a simpler word to keep my delivery smooth.
This method helps me manage my speaking anxiety, no matter the situation.
If you’re facing the same fear, try this simple technique. It might just help you speak with more confidence.
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