13 ms·

I drink before I interview

145 points by aspertun 4y ago

I know some of you can relate, when I have to interview I feel a terror come over me. It's immobilizing. A simple algorithm question becomes impossible because I don't have access to my prefrontal cortex, instead it's all fight or flight, sweaty hands, and panic. I found with covid I can now do the onsite portion with a little wine in my mug and answer the questions with access to my whole brain, since it's all over zoom. When I told this to a friend they said they use beta blockers. Can anyone relate? There doesn't seem to be another way to get work in the tech industry. There is not much relief for those of us with anxiety.

wahnfrieden 4y ago
You can try asking for a take home because of interview anxiety
version_five 4y ago
You could see a doctor. I get anxiety, but I make a point of pushing though it (which I assume means I don't get it badly enough) and don't like the idea of taking anything for it, including alcohol. But if you have to take something, there is probably more targeted medicine you can get that does not have the side effects and dependence problem of alcohol.
- aspertun 4y ago
  The other more targeted avenue is Benzodiazepines which are way more addictive.
hotpotamus 4y ago
Not a doctor. I'm not really aware of ACE inhibitors as anxiolytics, but beta blockers are pretty classicly used off label for performance anxiety because they blunt the effects of adrenaline (your symptoms are pretty on the nose). Benzodiazepines (like Xanax) are actual tranquillizers, and doctors aren't always thrilled to prescribe them because they can be a bit addictive, but job interview anxiety is a pretty good indication for most docs I think. I'd say most options are better than alcohol, but you're far from the first person to choose that option.
- aspertun 4y ago
  I updated to beta blockers. Thanks for pointing that out.
coordinatedone 4y ago
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- aspertun 4y ago
  I do not, it's just interviewing.
  - MrWiffles 4y ago
    I would respectfully suggest that not only is the inherent economic power imbalance at the heart of a job interview the cause here, but it's also an indicator of a deeper issue, that being a latent social anxiety that may be hiding deeper down. It just takes a more exacerbated situation to bring it out (thankfully!). Some of us have it in a more pervasive sense that overrides every aspect of our lives that cripples almost everything we do (or rather, don't do as the case may be) and I'm happy to see that's not the case with you, but still, the same treatment options used for those of us with serious social anxiety situations may be useful for helping to get you through this current situation. Xanax, from what I've heard, can be extremely addicting so I don't really recommend that stuff. One doctor I saw told me that he NEVER prescribes it unless the patient is terminally ill - and that patient was my dad with terminal brain cancer. Was a massive help for him. I'd never touch the stuff myself after that conversation. But there are other options. There's Paxil (see other comment), and even blood pressure medication can be used off-label for anxiety (propranolol is what I'm on right now and while it's not nearly as effective, it does help a little bit). Anyway, the point here is that the condition you may or may not have is irrelevant, your doctor is the one who should be making that call, and whatever tools they've got for treating social anxiety may be useful for you here as well. You may not need to stay on them long term at all - you can assess that later on after the economic uncertainty has passed. But for now, if you can swing it, I strongly suggest seeing a good doctor to help you have some better options beyond a glass of wine. But if you can't, then hey, again, no judgement. Gotta do what ya gotta do.
- symlinkk 4y ago
  “Therapy” is a total joke
MrWiffles 4y ago
I can totally relate to having the condition, but I've never tried alcohol for treating it. When you do eventually get access to healthcare again (assuming you're addled by the failed US healthcare system like I am - healthcare being only accessible via employer provided health insurance...) see a psychiatrist about this and ask about social anxiety medication. Paxil was particularly effective for me at one point in time. It takes a few months to fully kick in but when it does, the effect doesn't really feel all that massive, you just kind of notice a sort of...ease that you may not have had before. May sound somewhat alien to you now, but I encourage you to give that a try as a more long-term solution than using alcohol. It's definitely a hell of a lot safer! That said, I do NOT judge you for using a glass of wine to get you through a pinch in a tough time, and to hell with anyone who does. Use what you've got, get the job done. When you're through hell, THEN you can focus on the better long-term option. But for now, do what you gotta do. That said, IF you have access to a licensed psychiatrist who can prescribe something, you could use goodrx.com as a temporary stand-in for insurance. I'm seeing prices for genric paxil (paroxetine) at 30 tabs of 40mg for about $22 bucks via CVS with GoodRX here in Texas right now, so it may be an option for you. That said, it does take time to kick in, and mixing with alcohol is ill-advised. Still, I do suggest this as your main option, but again, no judgement for doing what ya gotta do. Good luck to you, regardless.
- bergenty 4y ago
  I’d rather have some alcohol in a situation like this that happens a couple of times a year at most and not become dependent on some daily anxiety pharmaceutical.
UncleOxidant 4y ago
I can totally relate. I've been so nervous in an interview that I've had to excuse myself to go to the restroom and splash myself with water because I was sweating so profusely. I've been so nervous in interviews that I've become physically ill. It sucks.
McNutty 4y ago
I got my first job in IT thanks to a bit of Dutch courage. It allowed me to go and talk myself up to the manager that ended up hiring me. The difference with my story is that this was at a recruitment event and the beers were supplied by the employer for all the attendees, but nevertheless yes I can relate.
AccountAccount1 4y ago
Yes, it's actually really common. Not only for interviewing but for important meeting as well. Besides alcohol, there are other alternatives: - beta blockers as you've mentioned (though you really need to know your normal blood pressure and/or consult with a doctor). - L-Theanine works really well (without any coffee). - nicotine (hit-or-miss since it's an upper for some and downer for others, these are cigars no cigarettes, should not contain any additives but tobacco alone).
rocket_surgeron 4y ago
20+ years ago I was a young soldier, a Chinese-mandarin military linguist, preparing for his OPI (oral proficiency interview) for a special job. If I got a high score, I would get the job. That meant leaving the barracks, not having to wear a uniform, and flying around the world pretending to be a serious adult doing serious things. Before the interview, which was held with a panel of two native speakers, my supervisor told me to drink some beer. I had two Tommyknocker Nut Brown Ales. At lunch, about an hour before the interview I just pounded them, didn't even taste them (they're good), because that's all I had. I honestly don't remember the interview (and didn't at the time-- due to stress not intoxication) but apparently words came flowing out from me like water in a fast-moving river. I told jokes. Talked constantly for 30 minutes. I scored a 3, which was high enough to pass, got the job and got to fly around the world pretending to be a serious adult doing serious things. A little, A LITTLE, ethanol goes a long way.
- sgbeal 4y ago
  > Before the interview, which was held with a panel of two native speakers, my supervisor told me to drink some beer. FWIW, i can attest that being slightly inebriated helps one speak a non-native language. My German is much more fluid when i'm tipsy than it is when i'm sober. The difference, in my experience, is that you don't worry about saying everything just right and instead just say things as they come to mind. That leads to more fluid flow of the language rather than pausing every few words to consult one's mental dictionary.
roxgib 4y ago
I take a beta blocker for unrelated reasons, but they do definitely help with this sort of thing and it’s easy to get a prescription, so I’d say there isn’t much harm in giving them a shot. Certainly better than alcohol!
- symlinkk 4y ago
  Beta blockers don’t do the same thing at all. Beta blockers prevent you from exhibiting physical symptoms of anxiety like a shaky voice or pounding heart. They do nothing for mental symptoms of anxiety.
  - TylerE 4y ago
    There’s a big feedback cycle here. A pounding heart certainly won’t improve your mental state.
  - tsol 4y ago
    For some people, that physical feedback is most of the discomfort felt with anxiety. For others, it won't do much. There's a reason it's not always used
  - 1auralynn 4y ago
    That's not correct - adrenaline (which is what beta blockers mess with the release of) absolutely has effects on brain function.
  - mise_en_place 4y ago
    That’s incorrect. The beta in beta blocker refers to the beta adrenegeric receptors in your body , that are sensitive to neurotransmitters like adrenaline. The mental is the physical in this case, it’s why people tend to feel sluggish on beta blockers, you are slowing down your body’s internal clock. That’s why they are also classed as chronotropics.
aspertun 4y ago
It's interesting that there is such bias against alcohol, and pro taking prescription meds instead. I'm not talking about alcoholism here, I'm talking about a little wine in a limited use scenario.
- sneak 4y ago
  It’s possible that the bias is deserved. Alcohol, as a drug, strictly speaking, is one of the worse ones. The idea that “prescription meds” (a group containing everything from antibiotic eyedrops to morphine) should somehow blanket be considered “worse” than alcohol (usually simply because alcohol is available without a prescription) is a little bit of silly and unscientific bias itself. I also know a lot more alcohol addicts resulting from self-medicating for anxiety than I do benzo addicts from self-medicating for anxiety.
  - kelnos 4y ago
    > alcohol addicts resulting from self-medicating for anxiety Sure, but we're talking about OP's "mug with wine in it" during the span of an interview, not a pattern of drinking to excess. > Alcohol, as a drug, strictly speaking, is one of the worse ones. Citation needed? Certainly it's worse than some potential prescription options out there, but... c'mon, it's alcohol. Humanity has been using it for millennia. As long as there's no abuse involved, a mug of wine during an interview sounds like the definition of harmless.
    - encryptluks2 4y ago
      It always starts with wine in the mug here and there to everyday they get stressed. These are definitely signs of alcoholism. People love their alcohol though so a lot of people will defend alcoholics.
      - deleted 4y ago
        [deleted]
    - sneak 4y ago
gnarcoregrizz 4y ago
I wouldn’t be surprised if this were really common. Interviews are cut throat nowadays, you can bet people will do anything they can for an edge. If prepping 200 leetcode questions is common, PEDs likely are as well. I’ve used .25-.5mg clonazepam in interviews, which is a low dose (think 1 beer). Clonazepam is ideal since it has a long half life and will last an entire day of interview rounds. Benzos can leave you pretty sharp without dulling you down or leaving you silly or clumsy like alcohol. Also, people won’t be able to smell them on you. They remove the background noise and allow me to focus on the task at hand. I haven’t tried beta blockers. The whole interview song and dance is ridiculous nowadays.
- nolevels 4y ago
  I would advise strong caution against this unless you have used any benzo before. I remember I tried one once before a long, 4 hour interview. I literally don't remember a thing I said or did the rest of the day including the interview.
  - mh- 4y ago
    How long did you work there?
  - gnarcoregrizz 4y ago
    Which one did you use? Some are fast acting and intense, clonazepam not so much. One of the worst things about generic drugs is that the dosages (maybe even the molecules) can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. The FDA rules are that drugs need to be within 80% of the stated dose, but in my experience that's not the case. Maybe you got one of the "good" batches. It's a serious problem for people with diseases that require precise dosing, epilepsy for example, since they depend on medicines like benzodiazepines that can have serious withdrawal effects.
    - nolevels 4y ago
      I used a friend's xanax. Admittedly I should've trialed it beforehand, mistake on my part. I just remember feeling a really strong relaxation and nothing afterwards. I did get an offer but I still wonder today if I said anything questionable during the interview.
baltimore 4y ago
Related: alcohol is prohibited as a performance-enhancing substance in most archery and shooting competitions.
- NotYourLawyer 4y ago
  I assume that’s a safety thing, not a level-playing-field thing.
  - twobitshifter 4y ago
    Performance-enhancing indicates it makes shooting easier.
    - georgemcbay 4y ago
      I'm sure only to a certain point of consumption. There's surely a "Ballmer Peak" equivalent. https://xkcd.com/323/ https://xkcd.com/323/
      - Tao3300 4y ago
        Of course: if you're seeing double, you went too far!
      - rspeele 4y ago
        Of course. I compete in pistol shooting at an amateur level. I have never been even slightly intoxicated when shooting a firearm. But I shoot 10m air pistol[1] at home for practice, and I've tried it while a little tipsy. So I can tell you that for sure, 3+ drinks will have you thinking you're doing well when in fact your vision is so delayed from reality that you cannot call your shots accurately. You'll think it was a good shot and it was a 7. But one or two drinks in, there is a small performance boost. It comes from not 2nd-guessing yourself. You just hold on target and watch it happen. Pistol shooting is a lot about quieting the mind because nobody can hold the gun perfectly steady. You get the best results from accepting a little bit of natural wobble, and smoothly operating the trigger during the smallest part of that wobble pattern. If you try to shoot the gun right as the sights cross the bullseye you will typically throw the shot off badly. Even if you don't yank the trigger, your reaction time is such that the wobble has moved on by the time you react to it looking perfect, so you end up grouping all around the 10 ring instead of in it this way. The other thing you'll do in pursuit of perfection is hold too long on the target, not happy with how large your wobble is. You end up holding for 10+ seconds and by the time you break the shot your vision is suffering from the Troxler effect[2] and your hold has gotten worse, not better -- you just think it's good because you aren't seeing it as clearly. It is best to steadily break the shot not at a specific instant, but anytime within your mostly 9-ring ideal wobble area. You settle into this good wobble zone for a few seconds, perhaps from 3 to 7 seconds after putting the gun on target. By Gaussian distribution you will shoot a lot of 10s, a fair amount of 9s, and a scarce handful of 8s. But I cannot tell you how hard it is to convince yourself to do this! The mind thinks it can make the gun fire when it touches the 10. It also thinks that the wobble is way, way bigger than it really is, and that you'll shoot 7s if you let it happen. You'll even panic subconsciously right before the shot breaks when it looks "imperfect" and twitch to try to fix the alignment at the last moment -- always terrible. A little depressant makes it much easier to relax and confidently break the shot in that "good enough" zone. Don't get me wrong, it'll never turn an amateur like me (520 - 550, depending on the day) into a top shooter (580+). But it does make it easier to perform on the 540+ side of my average. [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSF_10_meter_air_pistol https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSF_10_meter_air_pistol [2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troxler%27s_fading https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troxler%27s_fading
throaweyprimy 4y ago
Yeah, I can relate. I found I performed much better after taking a hit of weed. Got myself into a new career, increased my salary 30%. Something about being high made me listen more carefully. I could actually pay attention, block anxiety, and think properly. Just don’t slip into dependency. It’s a very slippery slope…
- dieselgate 4y ago
  Did a ctrl-f for keywords starting with "smoke" and then "weed" - relate with both you and OP. Different strokes for different folks, it could be adderall, beta blockers, some psych. microdose, or whiskey. Indeed, tread responsibly. Zooming out a bit though, maybe "work" or "making money" could be considered a drug or similar - don't want to overdo it there either.
tsol 4y ago
I used to do that(w/ beta blockers). Now I exercise, take a cold shower, and do wim hof breathing. It's just about as effective, while making me more mentally sharp rather than less
- bergenty 4y ago
  I honestly think depriving your brain of oxygen for that long is not good for you. There’s a reason yoga explicitly restricts this particular breathing exercise for only a few moments and that’s where wim hoff picked it up. I know the study with him exists but unless they do it on a large control group it’s meaningless imo. Also wim hoff sounds pretty… slow when he’s speaking and I don’t mean in a relaxed way.
  - tsol 4y ago
    I've considered that, but it's been used for some time by a large amount of people and I've yet to find reports of common problems. There's not much real evidence for that. Contrary to that, I tend to feel better after moderate practice. I wish there was more study but I don't feel uncomfortable about it really
DontchaKnowit 4y ago
Just dropping a comment here because this is so interesting to me: I am the absolute opposite. I am extremely calm in interviews. For whatever reason when I am under pressure my brain just "turns on" and I'm immediately at my best. This has served me extremely well for interviewing and test taking. I've always felt bad for people that describe having nerves for important things like tests and interviews. Sounds like it honestly really sucks. If I'm not stressed though, I am basically a complete fucking mess mentally. I can only really function at a high level if the stakes are high. This is why I graduated with a 2.9 GPA, but scored in the 94th percentile in my exit exams. I guess nobody gets it all, lmao
- perfect_wave 4y ago
  I relate to this. Turns out it was undiagnosed ADHD for me.
  - brassattax 4y ago
    same, and I think the same. how did you go about getting diagnosed?
    - schreiaj 4y ago
      (US Based Answer) - Talk to your GP and they can likely recommend a local specialist who does the testing.
      - ycombobreaker 4y ago
        What was the value that you saw in getting it diagnosed? I'm sure many people live their whole life without having a label for some of the stuff going on in their body/mind. If they're halfway through life and not obviously suffering, is it worthwhile?
        kgabis 4y ago
        You can get a treatment if you’re diagnosed with ADHD. Being halfway through life doesn’t mean you should just idly wait for death.
DoesntMatter22 4y ago
It's a very stressful hazing thing companies do. It's pretty annoying. I have a different philosophy. I assume I will NOT get the job so therefore I'm not very stressed. Let's me feel very free during interviews and I'll say whatever I think. I'll make jokes and I'll even call out the interviewer if they ask something crazy "okay I'll answer but did you just Google that question?". I once had an interview where the guy said "we only hire the best and brightest here, and you might be a good fit, what do you think about that?" I said "I don't think this a good fit for me". The guy was bewildered. I said "yeah I want to work with the dumbest and laziest people. I think I'm pretty good but if I'm competing against the best it's going to be harder to stand out. I'd rather work with the worst" He was really floored and laughed and told me he really respected my view though. Idk, if I had worried about doing a good job I wouldn't have said that. I'm not sure what my point is but I guess it's just that if you don't worry about getting it you won't be as nervous.
- mrleinad 4y ago
  > I assume I will NOT get the job I apply that philosophy as much as I can. I get good results. But from time to time I get excited about some prospect of a job (or anything else) and thinking that doesn't feel so good.
  - DoesntMatter22 4y ago
    I counter that feeling by assuming that the job will probably not be that great in the end. It tempers my expectations. My gf would do this a lot, she'd get so excited for a possible job but then when she got it she got brought back to reality, and many times ended up hating it. Yet every time she's optimisitic. I'd rather just say "It's a job, I might like it for a while, it might have some big benefits, but even if I really enjoy it it won't fix everything in my life". This allows me to be excited but not overly so.
- Sateeshm 4y ago
  This works for me in most scenarios. I always assume things won't go my way. Makes my life easier, less unexpected/unwanted surprises. It does make me less social though, since I automatically assume people don't want anything to do with me and I won't initiate any contact, even in cases it's likely not true. This would have been a problem if it mattered a lot to me.
b20000 4y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_blocker#Performance-enhancing_use https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_blocker#Performance-enhan... This post is an alarming data point showing that leetcode style interviews are damaging to people's health and need to be removed as soon as possible. I personally dealt with the same issues but have refused to use any medication or alcohol to deal with the stress of performing under time pressure. None of this should be necessary.
- ugh123 4y ago
  How do you recommend we do interviews going forward?
  - devoutsalsa 4y ago
    Assume people are smart, tell them about the actual job & and it’s responsibilities, tell them about the challenges of the job, ask them if it actually sounds like an interesting position, and then test them a bit on relevant things to see if they sounds reasonably competent.
    - xkqd 4y ago
      Absolutely preposterous. Are you suggesting we interview folks for the job at hand? Sarcasm aside, I’ve started interviewing people with “mock work day” style materials and it’s been pretty effective at determine who has been doing this for a decade, who can do this with a couple months to ramp up, and who is entirely faking it. I’ll have folks combing through mock stacktraces, creating a new endpoint, connecting to a local database, and even doing a little bit of multithreaded design. I’ll assess completion against quality of the solution and factor in how long it takes someone to complete it.
      - 7speter 4y ago
        Can you tell whose doing it for the first time or are they lumped into fakers?
NotYourLawyer 4y ago
I’ve taken 2-3 shots of vodka before a job interview. Helps me loosen up and not act like such a weirdo.
ronreiter 4y ago
I think it’s perfectly fine if it’s mild drinking. If you are having issues with anxiety then definitely consider psychiatric drugs.
throwaway5959 4y ago
If it ever gets to this point for me I’m leaving the industry. Some of the comments here are insane. It’s a job interview, if there’s that much complexity and pressure involved…
- chitowneats 4y ago
  This will always be the case for high compensation positions. In any human society, at any point in human history. Look for lower pay at smaller companies outside of major markets if you're looking for something without that aspect. You can often set the terms.
- hotpotamus 4y ago
  People have drunk alcohol for thousands of years for some reason or other. barbituates and amphetamines go back nearly a century now (they were pretty popular by WWII). Barbituates were pretty unsafe and were pretty much replaced by the benzodiazepines by the 90's I think. That is to say that these drugs, pressures, and medical issues predate the software industry.
- Gigachad 4y ago
  Ask what kind of jobs these people are applying for. I apply for low 6 fig jobs and I have never been asked to write an algorithm or any kind of live coding. The most complex stuff I have been asked were things like “what’s your process for improving application performance” or “what’s an n+1 query” I assume if I was asking for $250k at a mega tech company, it gets a lot harder.
  - 7speter 4y ago
    I’ve applied for $60k online chat support jobs and was asked how to check the if you could make a connection to a remote server (I said use ssh and was told the correct answer was telnet), and asked by an executive how much I experience I had as a freelance developer. I explained the crud app I was working on and where it could go and the reasoning why I used certain tools and that apparently wasn’t enough. Great you had such easy questions for your 6 figure interview though.
noduerme 4y ago
I drink before I post on HN, so I appreciate the honesty. It's gotten me rate limited more than once, though. I think some of us, especially caffeine addicts with high social anxiety, can benefit from a drink before making that business call we don't want to deal with. I often think better and am more lucid (and way chiller) after one or two beers. Self medicating isn't the end of the world; other medications for anxiety are a lot harder to dial in correctly. But you do have to watch out and make sure you haven't overmedicated, which is difficult. Alcohol has a way of driving your gauge for yourself out of whack very slowly in a way you don't notice. An anecdote from my father, who was a lawyer in the 1960s. He never ate breakfast or lunch. He just drank coffee. He let himself get ramped up all day and waited until 3pm to start calling opposing lawyers to negotiate settlements. By that point, he said, they'd all had a martini or two at lunch and just wanted to go home, giving him the edge. Of course, at 5pm sharp he was a regular alcoholic like everyone else. To him, though, this represented a very high level of self control.
jiggliemon 4y ago
I’ve not interviewed under a high stakes situation for a very long time. So it’s hard for me to relate directly. I’m sure if I really needed a job, or I was really excited for a position it would be different. All the interviews I’ve taken in the last 10 years have been with passing interest on my part. And I go into it more as an interview of the company, and much less care about if they think I’m hitting some arbitrary bar. For me its been a pretty freeing approach. If they pass on me, I can respect that I wasn’t a good fit (and the feeling was probably mutual). And like someone else posted in the comments it allows for me to completely disregard stupid questions. I recognize that it’s a luxury to have that kind of approach. Additionally I think drinking prior to an interview is completely fine.
- starky 4y ago
  >All the interviews I’ve taken in the last 10 years have been with passing interest on my part. And I go into it more as an interview of the company, and much less care about if they think I’m hitting some arbitrary bar. This is honestly how I've treated every interview. I'm mostly concerned about whether the position is a good fit for me. I treat the questions they ask me as if I was chatting with a coworker since I figure that shows them what I'm like to work with.
mattnewton 4y ago
I don't do this but I believe it. I always interview best when I don't care about the job because I have an offer I am ready to accept in hand already. I do feel like asking someone to do 2 medium questions in 45 minutes is primarily testing their cramming abilities and their lack of nervousness about the process. My strategy to combat this is to interview at places I really want to work at close to the end of the batch when I feel I have the most practice and already have an offer in hand because otherwise the anxiety from wanting to do well and excitement from caring about the position can really degrade my performance. It's like the interviewer can sense the anxiety and interprets it as incompetence instead of really caring about the role.
tjpnz 4y ago
I've noticed a similar effect with LeetCode although it's more than just a "little wine". Almost feels cruel given how much I struggle with the same problems when sober.
nanomonkey 4y ago
I can totally relate, although I've yet to try drinking alcohol prior to an interview. I guess one would have to know how to hit the Balmer Peak [0] reliably. Lately I've been using breathing to control my autonomic responses. Breath in for a count of 4, hold it for 7, and then exhale for 8. This seems to work well. Box breathing (breath in for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4 and hold for 4) is sometimes easier to do and not be noticed, but I don't find it as effective unless I'm doing more strenuous activities. I have mild PTSD and can't always rely on normal responses to stress, when I'm feeling verbally attacked. Sadly I've never had an interviewer believe me when I've told them I'm having a panic attack and need a moment. They always assume that I'm stalling, or don't have an answer, which is sad, because I've always been a star employee once hired. [0]https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/323:_Ballmer_Peak https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/323:_Ballmer_Peak
- Nursie 4y ago
  Closely related - Mitchell and Webb's Inebriati sketch - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Zj50DmBFp0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Zj50DmBFp0
kweingar 4y ago
I don’t get nervous with leetcode interviews because to me it’s just a coin flip. I feel that I have essentially no control over the outcome of the interview. I was much more stressed about exams in school because I felt that I “ought to know” these things, and I’d feel awful if I failed. I wouldn’t feel bad if I failed a leetcode interview because it’s all arbitrary anyway. (I should disclose that I’ve only ever done two coding interviews and I took the job both times, so I don’t have the most relevant experience.)
iamthepieman 4y ago
I take phenibut. All the social inhibition removal but none of the mental impairment of alcohol.
- jobs_throwaway 4y ago
  shhhhhh
- caeril 4y ago
  Fluorophenibut, both HCL and FAA, is the only thing that works for me, at something like 200mg. Regular Phenibut HCL gives me virtually no help, even at some ridiculous dosage like 5g. And I still get withdrawals the next day. Not worth it. Go with the F-Phenibut.
aaron695 4y ago
havblue 4y ago
So I'm assuming you only mean one drink? Because I would think more alcohol would run the risk of people figuring out. Another issue is the anti anxiety effects of alcohol wear off before the interview is over. You're left with a muddy, inattentive feeling.
ThrowawayTestr 4y ago
I got my current job at a job fair. I was fucking loaded as I talked to the recruiter.
samorozco 4y ago
Semi relatable. Marshawn Lynch "Beast Mode" of the seattle seahawks said that he would take a shot or two before the games to calm his nerves and things just flow.
- dieselgate 4y ago
  professional baseball has its amphetamine era too. honestly a shot or two seems logical far as pain management goes - but ibuprofen could potentially be comparable
1auralynn 4y ago
You should definitely try beta blockers instead. Just ask your doctor, say it's for public speaking - they'll probably give it to you, it's a very common issue. Very few side effects for occasional use and completely dampens the adrenaline response
bugfix-66 4y ago
HERE IS THE ANSWER, ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES: Take 20 milligrams of propranolol, 1.5 hours (90 minutes) before your first interview. It works for presentations and speeches, too. Propranolol is a beta blocker and you can easily get a prescription for "performance anxiety" if you ask your doctor. It has a long history of chronic use at higher doses for blood pressure control, so it's very safe at the 20mg dosage. Just ask your doctor and you'll get the prescription. It has negligible direct effect on the brain. It is NOT a tranquilizer. But your body will be dead calm -- no adrenaline at all. And indirectly this will calm your mind.
jmpman 4y ago
Adderall.
dilyevsky 4y ago
+1 for beta blockers. A lot of professional musicians use it for auditions and what not
lovich 4y ago
I have similar anxiety and my approach has been to take on a 10-20 interviews for jobs I don't care about and put little effort into, and keep getting rejections until I've become emotionally numb to the anxiety. After I reach that point I normally get 1-3 offers in the next 2 weeks once I start applying to places I want
daxfohl 4y ago
Drank a ton the night before, hung over and bloodshot as all hell the day of, but apparently did well enough. Did this four nights in a row back when I was binge interviewing five years ago. Of course I was marginally alcoholic back then too so....
thomasjudge 4y ago
Beta blockers are the dirty little open secret of classical music auditions
- sagarpatil 4y ago
  Can you explain how does it actually work and how does it help with the audition?
  - 55555 4y ago
    Stops circulating adrenaline from being used. Aka no fight or flight response.
jkmcf 4y ago
My professor, Hi Dan!, once recommended I drink (get drunk?) before exams, but I never took his advice. I didn't have much anxiety in his classes, but I did for every other Physics class.
ilrwbwrkhv 4y ago
Leetcode and Hacker Rank are some of the most dehumanizing processes of the tech industry. They are directly responsible for killing people.
- throwbigdata 4y ago
  Literally Hitler?
joshenders 4y ago
I can relate completely. This has cost me countless jobs and I have resorted to treating with beta blockers before interviewing. I may be using too low of a dosage because it doesn’t seem to be that effective in my experience.
cat_plus_plus 4y ago
Sure? Went on a snowboard weekend getaway once, instructor recommended a beer as a class in the bottle because then you are relaxes. But just one beer. Since you probably interview no more than couple of times a year on average, don't see anything problematic. Now if you found yourself relying on liquid courage in your daily life, you would want to make some adjustments. If you are looking to relax a bit without impaired judgement or calories, try Kava instead of alcohol for example.
sitkack 4y ago
Whatever it takes, interviewing is basically a gladiator match. Also, you may have ADHD, while it has attention in the name, it is mostly an issue with executive function and emotional regulation.
white_dragon88 4y ago
Congrats you have stage fright. Join a toastmasters nearby and work on your public speaking and presentation skills and build your confidence. After just a few sessions you’ll be interviewing the interviewer and impressing the shot out of them.
- nolevels 4y ago
  This a good a solution that extends to other aspects of a job as well. It also doesn't lead to possible dependence like other solutions.
hannasm 4y ago
I seem to have a low conversion ratio with interviews but at no point was drinking a strategy. Would this be considered a performance enhancing drug and do employers even care or is that encouraged?
overgard 4y ago
I don't want to lecture anyone, but as a person that until recently used alcohol way too much as a crutch in their life, it's really not a good solution. The problem is when it wears off, the anxiety will return but extra. Think maybe 1.2x what it was before, but if you keep using it then to address that anxiety that multiplier gets ugly. If you're getting really nervous for interviews, you might consider why you're investing so much importance to the interview itself. It's just a job, and their opinion of you should not impact your opinion of yourself. If they choose not to hire you (which is, generally speaking, most likely), or you choose not to accept, that's really a blessing. It means you both figured out it was the wrong fit before anyone got too invested. I just left a job after only a couple days because I realized it was the wrong fit, and I feel awful about it, I wish I had grilled them more during the interview process and vice versa. It's much better to get a "no" than a "yes" that isn't right.
cercatrova 4y ago
I've done something similar but with CBD. It does not dull your senses as alcohol does, and it doesn't lead to (even the possibility of) alcoholism.
jasaloo 4y ago
I find my interview anxiety is directly connected to how much sheer preparation I do. There is no substitute for this. Spend several hours: scouring the internet for common AND uncommon interview questions. Draft strong responses to all of them. Map out your values and reasons why they are what they are. Specific professional qualities you exhibit PLUS multiple anecdotes explaining those qualities. Then- research the damn company. Hard. Train yourself in their tone and the story they tell about themselves. WHY DO YOU WANT TO WORK FOR THEM? Mostly importantly: Draft up thoughtful interview questions to ASK. Both general role questions and questions about the industry etc. This takes time, and practice. But man, when you do it, you feel like a fucking boss going into an interview. And that unlocks the most important part. Mindset. (For developers and other highly specialized roles, this isn’t exhaustive because you have steps to test your technical skills, but hopefully that helps. I gotten several jobs I’m under-qualified for by using this method)
- thenoblesunfish 4y ago
  Totally agreed - I interviewed with the same company twice, first without preparing enough, and then again after lots of prep. The first time, very anxious, got mentally blocked. The second time, better!
- briga 4y ago
  Ironically in my latest job search the interview I prepared the least for was the one that led to an offer. Put aside the pressure you put on yourself to succeed and you'll probably end up doing alright. I think it's similar to dating--the more effort you put into being liked by the other person the more desperate you seem and the more likely you are to be rejected. If the interviewer detects that you desperately need the job and are just saying what they want to hear, they'll probably be more likely to reject you. Not a hard and fast rule by any means, more like a quirk of human psychology.
  - jasaloo 4y ago
    Sure. Some people can pull that off. Doesn’t sound like OPs problem. Also there’s a difference between over-preparing and coming in with a desperate attitude. You’re right that if you have the latter, you’re fucked. Going in with confidence, curiosity, and detachment are important too.
petesergeant 4y ago
Beta blockers like Propanalol are a good choice. They’re not addictive and they’re not intoxicating. Your doctor will probably be willing to prescribe you some.
nothrowaways 4y ago
Hi Raj
bigbacaloa 4y ago
This suggests you're an alcoholic and your problems are more serious than simply getting nervous before interviews.
dudeinjapan 4y ago
The Ballmer Peak works a lot better with alcohol than cocaine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGwgMeO5cF4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGwgMeO5cF4
atfzl 4y ago
Reminds me of the danish movie "Another Round". > Four high-school teachers consume alcohol on a daily basis to see how it affects their social and professional lives.
- c80e74f077 4y ago
  Exactly. "[A Norwegian philosopher] claims humans are born with a blood alcohol content that's 0.05% too low." A movie directed by Thomas Vinterberg. The trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj8Jmz_srDg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj8Jmz_srDg
SCAQTony 4y ago
Tylenol is cheaper and safer as an anti-anxiety solution: "... One of the most ubiquitous is Tylenol, one of many options available for general relief of pain and headaches. What differentiates Tylenol from other options, like Advil or ibuprofen, is the ingredient acetaminophen. And while acetaminophen provides a good fix for a stubbed toe, it may also offer psychological relief for feelings of anxiety and social rejection. Not bad for an OTC..." drug. https://www.healthline.com/health-news/mental-tylenol-ingredient-may-treat-psychological-stress-041813 https://www.healthline.com/health-news/mental-tylenol-ingred...
- jossclimb 4y ago
  Interesting, I have never found Tylenol to change my emotional or mental state.
  - zackoverflow 4y ago
    The active ingredient acetaminophen is anti-inflammatory which is where the reduced anxiety effects come from, perhaps you're not suffering from inflammation enough for it to take effect
mamidon 4y ago
Modern software interviews are really testing how you handle stress. I've just done enough interviews to not freak out anymore. Sometimes I get presented with a puzzle and crash & burn, but most of the time I work through the problem. I get maybe 50-50 reject or offer if I get an initial interview. When you realize a decent software dev can easily get 4-6 interview loops going (TYVM monthly who is hiring/wants to be hired threads) it really helps to put it in perspective.
jefurii 4y ago
In my college linguistics class the prof told us about a study involving adult language learners that measured foreign language fluency against number of drinks consumed. Fluency went way up with one drink, peaked at two drinks, and rapidly fell off after that. Outside academia, I once played in a band where the singer got nervous before every show. Things went a lot better once we persuaded her to start having a drink (one drink) before going onstage. I always go into a performance or an interview fine but then have a panic halfway through. The trick is to recover from that and keep things moving.
- nolevels 4y ago
  Interesting idea. Many years ago when I was learning French I seemed to speak it much better after a drink or two with a French speaking neighbor. Maybe it was less worry over grammar though I can't say I felt nervous speaking to them when sober - my communication just seemed faster and smoother with a drink.
bensonn 4y ago
I have no issues with the wine before hand but here is an alternative. I wear a leopard print thong to interviews, they are my interview man-panties. (I do wear pants over them) I am a large, hairy, ugly man with no reason to wear this under normal circumstances. No matter how much wine my wife drank she would not be impressed. On the day of the interview, I feel special. Not sexy, but special. I know something the interviewers don't know. The pinching of my ding and dongles reminds me of this. It also makes it hard to take the interview too serious. Bonus, when you get home and take them off, any stress is instantly relieved. This may sound like a joke but I am serious. I think the reason it works for me is because it reminds me that I am in charge. I do what I want. I am literally not dressing to impress. An interview is often perceived as a candidate trying to impress the employer. BS. It is two (equal) parties trying to find if they are a good match. I don't want to work in a place if I am not a good fit, not skilled enough, or not wanted. If I don't get offered a job then I am not wanted there or valued by the company- well I wouldn't want to work at that place. If I don't get the job, I didn't want it anyway- I see this as truth. Perhaps a mental trick on myself but if so, I fall for it every time. I think the wine solution would mesh well with my man-thong technique. I may add wine to my system. I am currently drinking Keystone (piss-water) beer. If I drank a couple glasses of fancy-pants 2022 refreshing white Franzia while donning my undergarments I would be unstoppable. Your mileage may vary. I am currently unemployed but happy as hell so... whatevs, grain of salt. Best of luck.
- ramblerman 4y ago
  There was a character that did this in the HBO show (Oz). A high functioning executive, brokering big deals and on the outside looked the part perfectly. Except for that one little secret. Thanks for sharing, it's an interesting life hack. But one of those things you have to try I suppose to understand. I'm still on the fence though :)
- andrewedstrom 4y ago
  How did you first discover this technique?
  - Markoff 4y ago
tutorialztech 4y ago
[flagged]
Markoff 4y ago
Whatever works for you and makes you relaxed whether it's alcohol, drugs or anything else. I'd rather look for cause of anxiety, I mean if you are financially independent and you don't need the job you ara applying for, you don't need to worry about outcome at all and should be relaxed anyway because who gives a F whether they hire you or no. But I understand sometimes rational approach doesn't work, even when nothing is at stake body can be nervous. I'm worrier and still ocassionally worry about meaningless things, but I think I improved over years, though not sure how, I think living in China for years hardened my skin considering how many times they try to F me over, so I am more relaxed in general.
dreanbach 4y ago
Hello kindred soul. I can relate. I have done interviews drunk myself. I have anxiety peaks at ANY minimally, potentially dangerous situation. If my landlord sends me a message. If my boss says we need to talk. If someone has the slightest negative reaction to anything I said (I have severely low self-steam). Even if I receive mail or email from any place that can be any danger (like about taxes) it triggers my anxiety. Unfortunately, alcohol is a god-sent medicine to this problem. And because of that, I have drunk at least a bit in probably 90%+ of all the nights in the last 15 years. I have a serious case of alcoholism. Someone in this thread mentioned that you are probably an alcoholic and I do agree. But you are probably an alcoholic because of your mental disorders. Of course, I can't be sure but I can speak for myself.
caeril 4y ago
Not before interviewing, public speaking, business meetings, or any other interaction in which the rules and topics are predefined and understood. Those are very easy to handle. But socializing? Meeting random new people? Parties and mixers? Yes, six drinks at an absolute minimum to start. Usually more, with periodic BAC maintenance drinks for the entire duration of the interaction or event. Alcohol is an absolute godsend for those of us who don't know what to say when interacting with normies.
wombat-man 4y ago
I've had some success dancing before a virtual interview. Get your favorite guilty pleasure song on, crank it up, and dance for the last 5 minutes or so right before the interview. Shake those nerves out.
taternuts 4y ago
I've heard some people use propranolol to help with their anxiety for things like this as well. I used to drink before interviews as well, I've also tried xanax, and shit sometimes even a combination. It helped me get through them at the time but I don't know how overall helpful it was. I recently went through the interview process as a sober guy and found that while I did get anxiety, it was a more healthy anxiety and not a crippling one. I'm on a low dose of an anti-anxiety medication (Buspirone) which I think helped; though I attribute it mostly to a better overall healthy state I've been in due to consistent exercise, healthy eating, and sleep. Not a super sexy answer outside of maybe the medication part.
yoav 4y ago
I get this stressed in a whole set of meeting types that are uncomfortable or complicated socially and started doing a shot before those meetings and it made them a lot more bearable. It’s been life changing actually and really positive.
huqedato 4y ago
I am the same, in a way. Not only I do bad in interviews but in general when relating with foreign people. I've been diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder. Taken treatment and therapy. It improves in time... not so much.

145 points by aspertun 4y ago

wahnfrieden 4y ago

You can try asking for a take home because of interview anxiety

version_five 4y ago

You could see a doctor. I get anxiety, but I make a point of pushing though it (which I assume means I don't get it badly enough) and don't like the idea of taking anything for it, including alcohol. But if you have to take something, there is probably more targeted medicine you can get that does not have the side effects and dependence problem of alcohol.

aspertun 4y ago
The other more targeted avenue is Benzodiazepines which are way more addictive.

hotpotamus 4y ago

Not a doctor. I'm not really aware of ACE inhibitors as anxiolytics, but beta blockers are pretty classicly used off label for performance anxiety because they blunt the effects of adrenaline (your symptoms are pretty on the nose). Benzodiazepines (like Xanax) are actual tranquillizers, and doctors aren't always thrilled to prescribe them because they can be a bit addictive, but job interview anxiety is a pretty good indication for most docs I think. I'd say most options are better than alcohol, but you're far from the first person to choose that option.

aspertun 4y ago
I updated to beta blockers. Thanks for pointing that out.

coordinatedone 4y ago

aspertun 4y ago
I do not, it's just interviewing.
- MrWiffles 4y ago
  I would respectfully suggest that not only is the inherent economic power imbalance at the heart of a job interview the cause here, but it's also an indicator of a deeper issue, that being a latent social anxiety that may be hiding deeper down. It just takes a more exacerbated situation to bring it out (thankfully!). Some of us have it in a more pervasive sense that overrides every aspect of our lives that cripples almost everything we do (or rather, don't do as the case may be) and I'm happy to see that's not the case with you, but still, the same treatment options used for those of us with serious social anxiety situations may be useful for helping to get you through this current situation. Xanax, from what I've heard, can be extremely addicting so I don't really recommend that stuff. One doctor I saw told me that he NEVER prescribes it unless the patient is terminally ill - and that patient was my dad with terminal brain cancer. Was a massive help for him. I'd never touch the stuff myself after that conversation. But there are other options. There's Paxil (see other comment), and even blood pressure medication can be used off-label for anxiety (propranolol is what I'm on right now and while it's not nearly as effective, it does help a little bit). Anyway, the point here is that the condition you may or may not have is irrelevant, your doctor is the one who should be making that call, and whatever tools they've got for treating social anxiety may be useful for you here as well. You may not need to stay on them long term at all - you can assess that later on after the economic uncertainty has passed. But for now, if you can swing it, I strongly suggest seeing a good doctor to help you have some better options beyond a glass of wine. But if you can't, then hey, again, no judgement. Gotta do what ya gotta do.
symlinkk 4y ago
“Therapy” is a total joke

MrWiffles 4y ago

I can totally relate to having the condition, but I've never tried alcohol for treating it. When you do eventually get access to healthcare again (assuming you're addled by the failed US healthcare system like I am - healthcare being only accessible via employer provided health insurance...) see a psychiatrist about this and ask about social anxiety medication. Paxil was particularly effective for me at one point in time. It takes a few months to fully kick in but when it does, the effect doesn't really feel all that massive, you just kind of notice a sort of...ease that you may not have had before. May sound somewhat alien to you now, but I encourage you to give that a try as a more long-term solution than using alcohol. It's definitely a hell of a lot safer! That said, I do NOT judge you for using a glass of wine to get you through a pinch in a tough time, and to hell with anyone who does. Use what you've got, get the job done. When you're through hell, THEN you can focus on the better long-term option. But for now, do what you gotta do. That said, IF you have access to a licensed psychiatrist who can prescribe something, you could use goodrx.com as a temporary stand-in for insurance. I'm seeing prices for genric paxil (paroxetine) at 30 tabs of 40mg for about $22 bucks via CVS with GoodRX here in Texas right now, so it may be an option for you. That said, it does take time to kick in, and mixing with alcohol is ill-advised. Still, I do suggest this as your main option, but again, no judgement for doing what ya gotta do. Good luck to you, regardless.

bergenty 4y ago
I’d rather have some alcohol in a situation like this that happens a couple of times a year at most and not become dependent on some daily anxiety pharmaceutical.

UncleOxidant 4y ago

I can totally relate. I've been so nervous in an interview that I've had to excuse myself to go to the restroom and splash myself with water because I was sweating so profusely. I've been so nervous in interviews that I've become physically ill. It sucks.

McNutty 4y ago

I got my first job in IT thanks to a bit of Dutch courage. It allowed me to go and talk myself up to the manager that ended up hiring me. The difference with my story is that this was at a recruitment event and the beers were supplied by the employer for all the attendees, but nevertheless yes I can relate.

AccountAccount1 4y ago

Yes, it's actually really common. Not only for interviewing but for important meeting as well. Besides alcohol, there are other alternatives: - beta blockers as you've mentioned (though you really need to know your normal blood pressure and/or consult with a doctor). - L-Theanine works really well (without any coffee). - nicotine (hit-or-miss since it's an upper for some and downer for others, these are cigars no cigarettes, should not contain any additives but tobacco alone).

rocket_surgeron 4y ago

20+ years ago I was a young soldier, a Chinese-mandarin military linguist, preparing for his OPI (oral proficiency interview) for a special job. If I got a high score, I would get the job. That meant leaving the barracks, not having to wear a uniform, and flying around the world pretending to be a serious adult doing serious things. Before the interview, which was held with a panel of two native speakers, my supervisor told me to drink some beer. I had two Tommyknocker Nut Brown Ales. At lunch, about an hour before the interview I just pounded them, didn't even taste them (they're good), because that's all I had. I honestly don't remember the interview (and didn't at the time-- due to stress not intoxication) but apparently words came flowing out from me like water in a fast-moving river. I told jokes. Talked constantly for 30 minutes. I scored a 3, which was high enough to pass, got the job and got to fly around the world pretending to be a serious adult doing serious things. A little, A LITTLE, ethanol goes a long way.

sgbeal 4y ago
> Before the interview, which was held with a panel of two native speakers, my supervisor told me to drink some beer. FWIW, i can attest that being slightly inebriated helps one speak a non-native language. My German is much more fluid when i'm tipsy than it is when i'm sober. The difference, in my experience, is that you don't worry about saying everything just right and instead just say things as they come to mind. That leads to more fluid flow of the language rather than pausing every few words to consult one's mental dictionary.

roxgib 4y ago

I take a beta blocker for unrelated reasons, but they do definitely help with this sort of thing and it’s easy to get a prescription, so I’d say there isn’t much harm in giving them a shot. Certainly better than alcohol!

symlinkk 4y ago
Beta blockers don’t do the same thing at all. Beta blockers prevent you from exhibiting physical symptoms of anxiety like a shaky voice or pounding heart. They do nothing for mental symptoms of anxiety.
- TylerE 4y ago
  There’s a big feedback cycle here. A pounding heart certainly won’t improve your mental state.
- tsol 4y ago
  For some people, that physical feedback is most of the discomfort felt with anxiety. For others, it won't do much. There's a reason it's not always used
- 1auralynn 4y ago
  That's not correct - adrenaline (which is what beta blockers mess with the release of) absolutely has effects on brain function.
- mise_en_place 4y ago
  That’s incorrect. The beta in beta blocker refers to the beta adrenegeric receptors in your body , that are sensitive to neurotransmitters like adrenaline. The mental is the physical in this case, it’s why people tend to feel sluggish on beta blockers, you are slowing down your body’s internal clock. That’s why they are also classed as chronotropics.

aspertun 4y ago

It's interesting that there is such bias against alcohol, and pro taking prescription meds instead. I'm not talking about alcoholism here, I'm talking about a little wine in a limited use scenario.

sneak 4y ago
It’s possible that the bias is deserved. Alcohol, as a drug, strictly speaking, is one of the worse ones. The idea that “prescription meds” (a group containing everything from antibiotic eyedrops to morphine) should somehow blanket be considered “worse” than alcohol (usually simply because alcohol is available without a prescription) is a little bit of silly and unscientific bias itself. I also know a lot more alcohol addicts resulting from self-medicating for anxiety than I do benzo addicts from self-medicating for anxiety.
- kelnos 4y ago
  > alcohol addicts resulting from self-medicating for anxiety Sure, but we're talking about OP's "mug with wine in it" during the span of an interview, not a pattern of drinking to excess. > Alcohol, as a drug, strictly speaking, is one of the worse ones. Citation needed? Certainly it's worse than some potential prescription options out there, but... c'mon, it's alcohol. Humanity has been using it for millennia. As long as there's no abuse involved, a mug of wine during an interview sounds like the definition of harmless.
  - encryptluks2 4y ago
    It always starts with wine in the mug here and there to everyday they get stressed. These are definitely signs of alcoholism. People love their alcohol though so a lot of people will defend alcoholics.
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
  - sneak 4y ago

gnarcoregrizz 4y ago

I wouldn’t be surprised if this were really common. Interviews are cut throat nowadays, you can bet people will do anything they can for an edge. If prepping 200 leetcode questions is common, PEDs likely are as well. I’ve used .25-.5mg clonazepam in interviews, which is a low dose (think 1 beer). Clonazepam is ideal since it has a long half life and will last an entire day of interview rounds. Benzos can leave you pretty sharp without dulling you down or leaving you silly or clumsy like alcohol. Also, people won’t be able to smell them on you. They remove the background noise and allow me to focus on the task at hand. I haven’t tried beta blockers. The whole interview song and dance is ridiculous nowadays.

nolevels 4y ago
I would advise strong caution against this unless you have used any benzo before. I remember I tried one once before a long, 4 hour interview. I literally don't remember a thing I said or did the rest of the day including the interview.
- mh- 4y ago
  How long did you work there?
- gnarcoregrizz 4y ago
  Which one did you use? Some are fast acting and intense, clonazepam not so much. One of the worst things about generic drugs is that the dosages (maybe even the molecules) can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. The FDA rules are that drugs need to be within 80% of the stated dose, but in my experience that's not the case. Maybe you got one of the "good" batches. It's a serious problem for people with diseases that require precise dosing, epilepsy for example, since they depend on medicines like benzodiazepines that can have serious withdrawal effects.
  - nolevels 4y ago
    I used a friend's xanax. Admittedly I should've trialed it beforehand, mistake on my part. I just remember feeling a really strong relaxation and nothing afterwards. I did get an offer but I still wonder today if I said anything questionable during the interview.

baltimore 4y ago

Related: alcohol is prohibited as a performance-enhancing substance in most archery and shooting competitions.

NotYourLawyer 4y ago
I assume that’s a safety thing, not a level-playing-field thing.
- twobitshifter 4y ago
  Performance-enhancing indicates it makes shooting easier.
  - georgemcbay 4y ago
    I'm sure only to a certain point of consumption. There's surely a "Ballmer Peak" equivalent. https://xkcd.com/323/ https://xkcd.com/323/
    - Tao3300 4y ago
      Of course: if you're seeing double, you went too far!
    - rspeele 4y ago
      Of course. I compete in pistol shooting at an amateur level. I have never been even slightly intoxicated when shooting a firearm. But I shoot 10m air pistol[1] at home for practice, and I've tried it while a little tipsy. So I can tell you that for sure, 3+ drinks will have you thinking you're doing well when in fact your vision is so delayed from reality that you cannot call your shots accurately. You'll think it was a good shot and it was a 7. But one or two drinks in, there is a small performance boost. It comes from not 2nd-guessing yourself. You just hold on target and watch it happen. Pistol shooting is a lot about quieting the mind because nobody can hold the gun perfectly steady. You get the best results from accepting a little bit of natural wobble, and smoothly operating the trigger during the smallest part of that wobble pattern. If you try to shoot the gun right as the sights cross the bullseye you will typically throw the shot off badly. Even if you don't yank the trigger, your reaction time is such that the wobble has moved on by the time you react to it looking perfect, so you end up grouping all around the 10 ring instead of in it this way. The other thing you'll do in pursuit of perfection is hold too long on the target, not happy with how large your wobble is. You end up holding for 10+ seconds and by the time you break the shot your vision is suffering from the Troxler effect[2] and your hold has gotten worse, not better -- you just think it's good because you aren't seeing it as clearly. It is best to steadily break the shot not at a specific instant, but anytime within your mostly 9-ring ideal wobble area. You settle into this good wobble zone for a few seconds, perhaps from 3 to 7 seconds after putting the gun on target. By Gaussian distribution you will shoot a lot of 10s, a fair amount of 9s, and a scarce handful of 8s. But I cannot tell you how hard it is to convince yourself to do this! The mind thinks it can make the gun fire when it touches the 10. It also thinks that the wobble is way, way bigger than it really is, and that you'll shoot 7s if you let it happen. You'll even panic subconsciously right before the shot breaks when it looks "imperfect" and twitch to try to fix the alignment at the last moment -- always terrible. A little depressant makes it much easier to relax and confidently break the shot in that "good enough" zone. Don't get me wrong, it'll never turn an amateur like me (520 - 550, depending on the day) into a top shooter (580+). But it does make it easier to perform on the 540+ side of my average. [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSF_10_meter_air_pistol https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSF_10_meter_air_pistol [2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troxler%27s_fading https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troxler%27s_fading

throaweyprimy 4y ago

Yeah, I can relate. I found I performed much better after taking a hit of weed. Got myself into a new career, increased my salary 30%. Something about being high made me listen more carefully. I could actually pay attention, block anxiety, and think properly. Just don’t slip into dependency. It’s a very slippery slope…

dieselgate 4y ago
Did a ctrl-f for keywords starting with "smoke" and then "weed" - relate with both you and OP. Different strokes for different folks, it could be adderall, beta blockers, some psych. microdose, or whiskey. Indeed, tread responsibly. Zooming out a bit though, maybe "work" or "making money" could be considered a drug or similar - don't want to overdo it there either.

tsol 4y ago

I used to do that(w/ beta blockers). Now I exercise, take a cold shower, and do wim hof breathing. It's just about as effective, while making me more mentally sharp rather than less

bergenty 4y ago
I honestly think depriving your brain of oxygen for that long is not good for you. There’s a reason yoga explicitly restricts this particular breathing exercise for only a few moments and that’s where wim hoff picked it up. I know the study with him exists but unless they do it on a large control group it’s meaningless imo. Also wim hoff sounds pretty… slow when he’s speaking and I don’t mean in a relaxed way.
- tsol 4y ago
  I've considered that, but it's been used for some time by a large amount of people and I've yet to find reports of common problems. There's not much real evidence for that. Contrary to that, I tend to feel better after moderate practice. I wish there was more study but I don't feel uncomfortable about it really

DontchaKnowit 4y ago

Just dropping a comment here because this is so interesting to me: I am the absolute opposite. I am extremely calm in interviews. For whatever reason when I am under pressure my brain just "turns on" and I'm immediately at my best. This has served me extremely well for interviewing and test taking. I've always felt bad for people that describe having nerves for important things like tests and interviews. Sounds like it honestly really sucks. If I'm not stressed though, I am basically a complete fucking mess mentally. I can only really function at a high level if the stakes are high. This is why I graduated with a 2.9 GPA, but scored in the 94th percentile in my exit exams. I guess nobody gets it all, lmao

perfect_wave 4y ago
I relate to this. Turns out it was undiagnosed ADHD for me.
- brassattax 4y ago
  same, and I think the same. how did you go about getting diagnosed?
  - schreiaj 4y ago
    (US Based Answer) - Talk to your GP and they can likely recommend a local specialist who does the testing.
    - ycombobreaker 4y ago
      What was the value that you saw in getting it diagnosed? I'm sure many people live their whole life without having a label for some of the stuff going on in their body/mind. If they're halfway through life and not obviously suffering, is it worthwhile?
      - kgabis 4y ago
        You can get a treatment if you’re diagnosed with ADHD. Being halfway through life doesn’t mean you should just idly wait for death.

DoesntMatter22 4y ago

It's a very stressful hazing thing companies do. It's pretty annoying. I have a different philosophy. I assume I will NOT get the job so therefore I'm not very stressed. Let's me feel very free during interviews and I'll say whatever I think. I'll make jokes and I'll even call out the interviewer if they ask something crazy "okay I'll answer but did you just Google that question?". I once had an interview where the guy said "we only hire the best and brightest here, and you might be a good fit, what do you think about that?" I said "I don't think this a good fit for me". The guy was bewildered. I said "yeah I want to work with the dumbest and laziest people. I think I'm pretty good but if I'm competing against the best it's going to be harder to stand out. I'd rather work with the worst" He was really floored and laughed and told me he really respected my view though. Idk, if I had worried about doing a good job I wouldn't have said that. I'm not sure what my point is but I guess it's just that if you don't worry about getting it you won't be as nervous.

mrleinad 4y ago
> I assume I will NOT get the job I apply that philosophy as much as I can. I get good results. But from time to time I get excited about some prospect of a job (or anything else) and thinking that doesn't feel so good.
- DoesntMatter22 4y ago
  I counter that feeling by assuming that the job will probably not be that great in the end. It tempers my expectations. My gf would do this a lot, she'd get so excited for a possible job but then when she got it she got brought back to reality, and many times ended up hating it. Yet every time she's optimisitic. I'd rather just say "It's a job, I might like it for a while, it might have some big benefits, but even if I really enjoy it it won't fix everything in my life". This allows me to be excited but not overly so.
Sateeshm 4y ago
This works for me in most scenarios. I always assume things won't go my way. Makes my life easier, less unexpected/unwanted surprises. It does make me less social though, since I automatically assume people don't want anything to do with me and I won't initiate any contact, even in cases it's likely not true. This would have been a problem if it mattered a lot to me.

b20000 4y ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_blocker#Performance-enhancing_use https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_blocker#Performance-enhan... This post is an alarming data point showing that leetcode style interviews are damaging to people's health and need to be removed as soon as possible. I personally dealt with the same issues but have refused to use any medication or alcohol to deal with the stress of performing under time pressure. None of this should be necessary.

ugh123 4y ago
How do you recommend we do interviews going forward?
- devoutsalsa 4y ago
  Assume people are smart, tell them about the actual job & and it’s responsibilities, tell them about the challenges of the job, ask them if it actually sounds like an interesting position, and then test them a bit on relevant things to see if they sounds reasonably competent.
  - xkqd 4y ago
    Absolutely preposterous. Are you suggesting we interview folks for the job at hand? Sarcasm aside, I’ve started interviewing people with “mock work day” style materials and it’s been pretty effective at determine who has been doing this for a decade, who can do this with a couple months to ramp up, and who is entirely faking it. I’ll have folks combing through mock stacktraces, creating a new endpoint, connecting to a local database, and even doing a little bit of multithreaded design. I’ll assess completion against quality of the solution and factor in how long it takes someone to complete it.
    - 7speter 4y ago
      Can you tell whose doing it for the first time or are they lumped into fakers?

NotYourLawyer 4y ago

I’ve taken 2-3 shots of vodka before a job interview. Helps me loosen up and not act like such a weirdo.

ronreiter 4y ago

I think it’s perfectly fine if it’s mild drinking. If you are having issues with anxiety then definitely consider psychiatric drugs.

throwaway5959 4y ago

If it ever gets to this point for me I’m leaving the industry. Some of the comments here are insane. It’s a job interview, if there’s that much complexity and pressure involved…

chitowneats 4y ago
This will always be the case for high compensation positions. In any human society, at any point in human history. Look for lower pay at smaller companies outside of major markets if you're looking for something without that aspect. You can often set the terms.
hotpotamus 4y ago
People have drunk alcohol for thousands of years for some reason or other. barbituates and amphetamines go back nearly a century now (they were pretty popular by WWII). Barbituates were pretty unsafe and were pretty much replaced by the benzodiazepines by the 90's I think. That is to say that these drugs, pressures, and medical issues predate the software industry.
Gigachad 4y ago
Ask what kind of jobs these people are applying for. I apply for low 6 fig jobs and I have never been asked to write an algorithm or any kind of live coding. The most complex stuff I have been asked were things like “what’s your process for improving application performance” or “what’s an n+1 query” I assume if I was asking for $250k at a mega tech company, it gets a lot harder.
- 7speter 4y ago
  I’ve applied for $60k online chat support jobs and was asked how to check the if you could make a connection to a remote server (I said use ssh and was told the correct answer was telnet), and asked by an executive how much I experience I had as a freelance developer. I explained the crud app I was working on and where it could go and the reasoning why I used certain tools and that apparently wasn’t enough. Great you had such easy questions for your 6 figure interview though.

noduerme 4y ago

I drink before I post on HN, so I appreciate the honesty. It's gotten me rate limited more than once, though. I think some of us, especially caffeine addicts with high social anxiety, can benefit from a drink before making that business call we don't want to deal with. I often think better and am more lucid (and way chiller) after one or two beers. Self medicating isn't the end of the world; other medications for anxiety are a lot harder to dial in correctly. But you do have to watch out and make sure you haven't overmedicated, which is difficult. Alcohol has a way of driving your gauge for yourself out of whack very slowly in a way you don't notice. An anecdote from my father, who was a lawyer in the 1960s. He never ate breakfast or lunch. He just drank coffee. He let himself get ramped up all day and waited until 3pm to start calling opposing lawyers to negotiate settlements. By that point, he said, they'd all had a martini or two at lunch and just wanted to go home, giving him the edge. Of course, at 5pm sharp he was a regular alcoholic like everyone else. To him, though, this represented a very high level of self control.

jiggliemon 4y ago

I’ve not interviewed under a high stakes situation for a very long time. So it’s hard for me to relate directly. I’m sure if I really needed a job, or I was really excited for a position it would be different. All the interviews I’ve taken in the last 10 years have been with passing interest on my part. And I go into it more as an interview of the company, and much less care about if they think I’m hitting some arbitrary bar. For me its been a pretty freeing approach. If they pass on me, I can respect that I wasn’t a good fit (and the feeling was probably mutual). And like someone else posted in the comments it allows for me to completely disregard stupid questions. I recognize that it’s a luxury to have that kind of approach. Additionally I think drinking prior to an interview is completely fine.

starky 4y ago
>All the interviews I’ve taken in the last 10 years have been with passing interest on my part. And I go into it more as an interview of the company, and much less care about if they think I’m hitting some arbitrary bar. This is honestly how I've treated every interview. I'm mostly concerned about whether the position is a good fit for me. I treat the questions they ask me as if I was chatting with a coworker since I figure that shows them what I'm like to work with.

mattnewton 4y ago

I don't do this but I believe it. I always interview best when I don't care about the job because I have an offer I am ready to accept in hand already. I do feel like asking someone to do 2 medium questions in 45 minutes is primarily testing their cramming abilities and their lack of nervousness about the process. My strategy to combat this is to interview at places I really want to work at close to the end of the batch when I feel I have the most practice and already have an offer in hand because otherwise the anxiety from wanting to do well and excitement from caring about the position can really degrade my performance. It's like the interviewer can sense the anxiety and interprets it as incompetence instead of really caring about the role.

tjpnz 4y ago

I've noticed a similar effect with LeetCode although it's more than just a "little wine". Almost feels cruel given how much I struggle with the same problems when sober.

nanomonkey 4y ago

I can totally relate, although I've yet to try drinking alcohol prior to an interview. I guess one would have to know how to hit the Balmer Peak [0] reliably. Lately I've been using breathing to control my autonomic responses. Breath in for a count of 4, hold it for 7, and then exhale for 8. This seems to work well. Box breathing (breath in for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4 and hold for 4) is sometimes easier to do and not be noticed, but I don't find it as effective unless I'm doing more strenuous activities. I have mild PTSD and can't always rely on normal responses to stress, when I'm feeling verbally attacked. Sadly I've never had an interviewer believe me when I've told them I'm having a panic attack and need a moment. They always assume that I'm stalling, or don't have an answer, which is sad, because I've always been a star employee once hired. [0]https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/323:_Ballmer_Peak https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/323:_Ballmer_Peak

Nursie 4y ago
Closely related - Mitchell and Webb's Inebriati sketch - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Zj50DmBFp0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Zj50DmBFp0

kweingar 4y ago

I don’t get nervous with leetcode interviews because to me it’s just a coin flip. I feel that I have essentially no control over the outcome of the interview. I was much more stressed about exams in school because I felt that I “ought to know” these things, and I’d feel awful if I failed. I wouldn’t feel bad if I failed a leetcode interview because it’s all arbitrary anyway. (I should disclose that I’ve only ever done two coding interviews and I took the job both times, so I don’t have the most relevant experience.)

iamthepieman 4y ago

I take phenibut. All the social inhibition removal but none of the mental impairment of alcohol.

jobs_throwaway 4y ago
shhhhhh
caeril 4y ago
Fluorophenibut, both HCL and FAA, is the only thing that works for me, at something like 200mg. Regular Phenibut HCL gives me virtually no help, even at some ridiculous dosage like 5g. And I still get withdrawals the next day. Not worth it. Go with the F-Phenibut.

aaron695 4y ago

havblue 4y ago

So I'm assuming you only mean one drink? Because I would think more alcohol would run the risk of people figuring out. Another issue is the anti anxiety effects of alcohol wear off before the interview is over. You're left with a muddy, inattentive feeling.

ThrowawayTestr 4y ago

I got my current job at a job fair. I was fucking loaded as I talked to the recruiter.

samorozco 4y ago

Semi relatable. Marshawn Lynch "Beast Mode" of the seattle seahawks said that he would take a shot or two before the games to calm his nerves and things just flow.

dieselgate 4y ago
professional baseball has its amphetamine era too. honestly a shot or two seems logical far as pain management goes - but ibuprofen could potentially be comparable

1auralynn 4y ago

You should definitely try beta blockers instead. Just ask your doctor, say it's for public speaking - they'll probably give it to you, it's a very common issue. Very few side effects for occasional use and completely dampens the adrenaline response

bugfix-66 4y ago

HERE IS THE ANSWER, ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES: Take 20 milligrams of propranolol, 1.5 hours (90 minutes) before your first interview. It works for presentations and speeches, too. Propranolol is a beta blocker and you can easily get a prescription for "performance anxiety" if you ask your doctor. It has a long history of chronic use at higher doses for blood pressure control, so it's very safe at the 20mg dosage. Just ask your doctor and you'll get the prescription. It has negligible direct effect on the brain. It is NOT a tranquilizer. But your body will be dead calm -- no adrenaline at all. And indirectly this will calm your mind.

jmpman 4y ago

Adderall.

dilyevsky 4y ago

+1 for beta blockers. A lot of professional musicians use it for auditions and what not

lovich 4y ago

I have similar anxiety and my approach has been to take on a 10-20 interviews for jobs I don't care about and put little effort into, and keep getting rejections until I've become emotionally numb to the anxiety. After I reach that point I normally get 1-3 offers in the next 2 weeks once I start applying to places I want

daxfohl 4y ago

Drank a ton the night before, hung over and bloodshot as all hell the day of, but apparently did well enough. Did this four nights in a row back when I was binge interviewing five years ago. Of course I was marginally alcoholic back then too so....

thomasjudge 4y ago

Beta blockers are the dirty little open secret of classical music auditions

sagarpatil 4y ago
Can you explain how does it actually work and how does it help with the audition?
- 55555 4y ago
  Stops circulating adrenaline from being used. Aka no fight or flight response.

jkmcf 4y ago

My professor, Hi Dan!, once recommended I drink (get drunk?) before exams, but I never took his advice. I didn't have much anxiety in his classes, but I did for every other Physics class.

ilrwbwrkhv 4y ago

Leetcode and Hacker Rank are some of the most dehumanizing processes of the tech industry. They are directly responsible for killing people.

throwbigdata 4y ago
Literally Hitler?

joshenders 4y ago

I can relate completely. This has cost me countless jobs and I have resorted to treating with beta blockers before interviewing. I may be using too low of a dosage because it doesn’t seem to be that effective in my experience.

cat_plus_plus 4y ago

Sure? Went on a snowboard weekend getaway once, instructor recommended a beer as a class in the bottle because then you are relaxes. But just one beer. Since you probably interview no more than couple of times a year on average, don't see anything problematic. Now if you found yourself relying on liquid courage in your daily life, you would want to make some adjustments. If you are looking to relax a bit without impaired judgement or calories, try Kava instead of alcohol for example.

sitkack 4y ago

Whatever it takes, interviewing is basically a gladiator match. Also, you may have ADHD, while it has attention in the name, it is mostly an issue with executive function and emotional regulation.

white_dragon88 4y ago

Congrats you have stage fright. Join a toastmasters nearby and work on your public speaking and presentation skills and build your confidence. After just a few sessions you’ll be interviewing the interviewer and impressing the shot out of them.

nolevels 4y ago
This a good a solution that extends to other aspects of a job as well. It also doesn't lead to possible dependence like other solutions.

hannasm 4y ago

I seem to have a low conversion ratio with interviews but at no point was drinking a strategy. Would this be considered a performance enhancing drug and do employers even care or is that encouraged?

overgard 4y ago

I don't want to lecture anyone, but as a person that until recently used alcohol way too much as a crutch in their life, it's really not a good solution. The problem is when it wears off, the anxiety will return but extra. Think maybe 1.2x what it was before, but if you keep using it then to address that anxiety that multiplier gets ugly. If you're getting really nervous for interviews, you might consider why you're investing so much importance to the interview itself. It's just a job, and their opinion of you should not impact your opinion of yourself. If they choose not to hire you (which is, generally speaking, most likely), or you choose not to accept, that's really a blessing. It means you both figured out it was the wrong fit before anyone got too invested. I just left a job after only a couple days because I realized it was the wrong fit, and I feel awful about it, I wish I had grilled them more during the interview process and vice versa. It's much better to get a "no" than a "yes" that isn't right.

cercatrova 4y ago

I've done something similar but with CBD. It does not dull your senses as alcohol does, and it doesn't lead to (even the possibility of) alcoholism.

jasaloo 4y ago

I find my interview anxiety is directly connected to how much sheer preparation I do. There is no substitute for this. Spend several hours: scouring the internet for common AND uncommon interview questions. Draft strong responses to all of them. Map out your values and reasons why they are what they are. Specific professional qualities you exhibit PLUS multiple anecdotes explaining those qualities. Then- research the damn company. Hard. Train yourself in their tone and the story they tell about themselves. WHY DO YOU WANT TO WORK FOR THEM? Mostly importantly: Draft up thoughtful interview questions to ASK. Both general role questions and questions about the industry etc. This takes time, and practice. But man, when you do it, you feel like a fucking boss going into an interview. And that unlocks the most important part. Mindset. (For developers and other highly specialized roles, this isn’t exhaustive because you have steps to test your technical skills, but hopefully that helps. I gotten several jobs I’m under-qualified for by using this method)

thenoblesunfish 4y ago
Totally agreed - I interviewed with the same company twice, first without preparing enough, and then again after lots of prep. The first time, very anxious, got mentally blocked. The second time, better!
briga 4y ago
Ironically in my latest job search the interview I prepared the least for was the one that led to an offer. Put aside the pressure you put on yourself to succeed and you'll probably end up doing alright. I think it's similar to dating--the more effort you put into being liked by the other person the more desperate you seem and the more likely you are to be rejected. If the interviewer detects that you desperately need the job and are just saying what they want to hear, they'll probably be more likely to reject you. Not a hard and fast rule by any means, more like a quirk of human psychology.
- jasaloo 4y ago
  Sure. Some people can pull that off. Doesn’t sound like OPs problem. Also there’s a difference between over-preparing and coming in with a desperate attitude. You’re right that if you have the latter, you’re fucked. Going in with confidence, curiosity, and detachment are important too.

petesergeant 4y ago

Beta blockers like Propanalol are a good choice. They’re not addictive and they’re not intoxicating. Your doctor will probably be willing to prescribe you some.

nothrowaways 4y ago

Hi Raj

bigbacaloa 4y ago

This suggests you're an alcoholic and your problems are more serious than simply getting nervous before interviews.

dudeinjapan 4y ago

The Ballmer Peak works a lot better with alcohol than cocaine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGwgMeO5cF4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGwgMeO5cF4

atfzl 4y ago

Reminds me of the danish movie "Another Round". > Four high-school teachers consume alcohol on a daily basis to see how it affects their social and professional lives.

c80e74f077 4y ago
Exactly. "[A Norwegian philosopher] claims humans are born with a blood alcohol content that's 0.05% too low." A movie directed by Thomas Vinterberg. The trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj8Jmz_srDg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj8Jmz_srDg

SCAQTony 4y ago

Tylenol is cheaper and safer as an anti-anxiety solution: "... One of the most ubiquitous is Tylenol, one of many options available for general relief of pain and headaches. What differentiates Tylenol from other options, like Advil or ibuprofen, is the ingredient acetaminophen. And while acetaminophen provides a good fix for a stubbed toe, it may also offer psychological relief for feelings of anxiety and social rejection. Not bad for an OTC..." drug. https://www.healthline.com/health-news/mental-tylenol-ingredient-may-treat-psychological-stress-041813 https://www.healthline.com/health-news/mental-tylenol-ingred...

jossclimb 4y ago
Interesting, I have never found Tylenol to change my emotional or mental state.
- zackoverflow 4y ago
  The active ingredient acetaminophen is anti-inflammatory which is where the reduced anxiety effects come from, perhaps you're not suffering from inflammation enough for it to take effect

mamidon 4y ago

Modern software interviews are really testing how you handle stress. I've just done enough interviews to not freak out anymore. Sometimes I get presented with a puzzle and crash & burn, but most of the time I work through the problem. I get maybe 50-50 reject or offer if I get an initial interview. When you realize a decent software dev can easily get 4-6 interview loops going (TYVM monthly who is hiring/wants to be hired threads) it really helps to put it in perspective.

jefurii 4y ago

In my college linguistics class the prof told us about a study involving adult language learners that measured foreign language fluency against number of drinks consumed. Fluency went way up with one drink, peaked at two drinks, and rapidly fell off after that. Outside academia, I once played in a band where the singer got nervous before every show. Things went a lot better once we persuaded her to start having a drink (one drink) before going onstage. I always go into a performance or an interview fine but then have a panic halfway through. The trick is to recover from that and keep things moving.

nolevels 4y ago
Interesting idea. Many years ago when I was learning French I seemed to speak it much better after a drink or two with a French speaking neighbor. Maybe it was less worry over grammar though I can't say I felt nervous speaking to them when sober - my communication just seemed faster and smoother with a drink.

bensonn 4y ago

I have no issues with the wine before hand but here is an alternative. I wear a leopard print thong to interviews, they are my interview man-panties. (I do wear pants over them) I am a large, hairy, ugly man with no reason to wear this under normal circumstances. No matter how much wine my wife drank she would not be impressed. On the day of the interview, I feel special. Not sexy, but special. I know something the interviewers don't know. The pinching of my ding and dongles reminds me of this. It also makes it hard to take the interview too serious. Bonus, when you get home and take them off, any stress is instantly relieved. This may sound like a joke but I am serious. I think the reason it works for me is because it reminds me that I am in charge. I do what I want. I am literally not dressing to impress. An interview is often perceived as a candidate trying to impress the employer. BS. It is two (equal) parties trying to find if they are a good match. I don't want to work in a place if I am not a good fit, not skilled enough, or not wanted. If I don't get offered a job then I am not wanted there or valued by the company- well I wouldn't want to work at that place. If I don't get the job, I didn't want it anyway- I see this as truth. Perhaps a mental trick on myself but if so, I fall for it every time. I think the wine solution would mesh well with my man-thong technique. I may add wine to my system. I am currently drinking Keystone (piss-water) beer. If I drank a couple glasses of fancy-pants 2022 refreshing white Franzia while donning my undergarments I would be unstoppable. Your mileage may vary. I am currently unemployed but happy as hell so... whatevs, grain of salt. Best of luck.

ramblerman 4y ago
There was a character that did this in the HBO show (Oz). A high functioning executive, brokering big deals and on the outside looked the part perfectly. Except for that one little secret. Thanks for sharing, it's an interesting life hack. But one of those things you have to try I suppose to understand. I'm still on the fence though :)
andrewedstrom 4y ago
How did you first discover this technique?
- Markoff 4y ago

tutorialztech 4y ago

[flagged]

Markoff 4y ago

Whatever works for you and makes you relaxed whether it's alcohol, drugs or anything else. I'd rather look for cause of anxiety, I mean if you are financially independent and you don't need the job you ara applying for, you don't need to worry about outcome at all and should be relaxed anyway because who gives a F whether they hire you or no. But I understand sometimes rational approach doesn't work, even when nothing is at stake body can be nervous. I'm worrier and still ocassionally worry about meaningless things, but I think I improved over years, though not sure how, I think living in China for years hardened my skin considering how many times they try to F me over, so I am more relaxed in general.

dreanbach 4y ago

Hello kindred soul. I can relate. I have done interviews drunk myself. I have anxiety peaks at ANY minimally, potentially dangerous situation. If my landlord sends me a message. If my boss says we need to talk. If someone has the slightest negative reaction to anything I said (I have severely low self-steam). Even if I receive mail or email from any place that can be any danger (like about taxes) it triggers my anxiety. Unfortunately, alcohol is a god-sent medicine to this problem. And because of that, I have drunk at least a bit in probably 90%+ of all the nights in the last 15 years. I have a serious case of alcoholism. Someone in this thread mentioned that you are probably an alcoholic and I do agree. But you are probably an alcoholic because of your mental disorders. Of course, I can't be sure but I can speak for myself.

caeril 4y ago

Not before interviewing, public speaking, business meetings, or any other interaction in which the rules and topics are predefined and understood. Those are very easy to handle. But socializing? Meeting random new people? Parties and mixers? Yes, six drinks at an absolute minimum to start. Usually more, with periodic BAC maintenance drinks for the entire duration of the interaction or event. Alcohol is an absolute godsend for those of us who don't know what to say when interacting with normies.

wombat-man 4y ago

I've had some success dancing before a virtual interview. Get your favorite guilty pleasure song on, crank it up, and dance for the last 5 minutes or so right before the interview. Shake those nerves out.

taternuts 4y ago

I've heard some people use propranolol to help with their anxiety for things like this as well. I used to drink before interviews as well, I've also tried xanax, and shit sometimes even a combination. It helped me get through them at the time but I don't know how overall helpful it was. I recently went through the interview process as a sober guy and found that while I did get anxiety, it was a more healthy anxiety and not a crippling one. I'm on a low dose of an anti-anxiety medication (Buspirone) which I think helped; though I attribute it mostly to a better overall healthy state I've been in due to consistent exercise, healthy eating, and sleep. Not a super sexy answer outside of maybe the medication part.

yoav 4y ago

I get this stressed in a whole set of meeting types that are uncomfortable or complicated socially and started doing a shot before those meetings and it made them a lot more bearable. It’s been life changing actually and really positive.

huqedato 4y ago

I am the same, in a way. Not only I do bad in interviews but in general when relating with foreign people. I've been diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder. Taken treatment and therapy. It improves in time... not so much.