The word "interview" is enough to send some people into high anxiety.

It would be nice if your heart didn't palpitate, and your hands didn't sweat, and your mouth didn't go dry, but most people, even executives, experience one or more of these symptoms when they interview. It's OK to be nervous. Let me repeat that, it's OK to be nervous, in fact it is essential to accept the way you feel. This shift to self-acceptance will help you feel more in control and more confident almost immediately.

Here are a few tips to help you get through the interview process:

Prepare wisely. Know yourself and what you want. If family and time off are high values for you, listen for hints of the company's attitude during the interview. If you get asked a lot of questions about extra hours and overtime you can bet that is the direction of the work program. Some companies value life balance for families and provide extra benefits to accommodate family life.

Develop a sense of your values, strengths, and weaknesses. Be able to relate your success stories when asked about past experiences. Have a two-minute summary about your background and experience ready so that when they ask "Tell me about yourself," you will be prepared. Emphasize your strengths, especially as related to the requirements of the job you are interviewing for.

Change Your Thinking. Begin to think of yourself as a solution rather than a problem. The interviewer has a problem - there is a job that needs to be filled. You are the answer to the problem. The challenge is for you to let the interviewer know you are the solution to the problem through examples or stories of past behavior and successes..

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