Today’s Most Asked Internet Topic: The Interview Anxiety Eating Us Alive
And how to survive it with your sanity intact
Last week, I sat across from four colleagues—strangers, really—who were interviewing me for a new role inside the university where I already work.
It was my first interview in seven years. My wife had just come home from the hospital. I was drained.
They asked how I’d implement AI in their area. And my mind went completely blank.
Not because I didn’t know the answer—I write about AI—but because I couldn’t find it fast enough under pressure, exhaustion, and the weight of life outside that room.
If you’ve searched “interview questions” on social media lately, you’ll find a digital support group of people unraveling under the same strain. Some are prepping for last-minute UX interviews. Others are begging for ChatGPT prompts to impress their would-be boss. One just writes: “Today I failed Google Phone Interview.”
It’s not just pre-meeting nerves anymore. We’re living through an epidemic of interview anxiety. And it’s hitting even smart, capable, experienced people hard
The New Rules Nobody Explained
The job interview has quietly mutated.
What used to be a conversation about experience and fit is now part quiz show, part psychological obstacle course. You’ll prep for the role—and then get ambushed with questions about AI, prompt engineering, or hypothetical case studies that have little to do with your actual job.
Employers are throwing in cutting-edge questions because they think they should, not because it fits the role. And when you’re already fighting standard nerves, getting tested on rapidly evolving tech you haven’t worked with directly is more than stressful—it’s disorienting.
Why Your Brain Betrays You
Interview anxiety isn’t just nervousness. It’s what happens when your working memory gets hijacked by stress.
You’re performing. You’re trying to make a good impression. You’re hoping they see your value. But your brain is busy managing cortisol instead of surfacing answers.
And if you haven’t interviewed in years? That pressure compounds. Interviewing is a skill. And like any skill, it rusts.
There’s also the deeper layer no one likes to admit: the vulnerability of asking strangers to judge your worth. That opens the door to every fear of not being enough.
The Grief Layer
We rarely talk about it, but job searching often follows grief.
Maybe it’s the loss of a job, the end of a chapter, a personal crisis—like in my case. You’re not just prepping for a conversation. You’re mourning something, carrying invisible weight, and trying to muster confidence while recovering from uncertainty.
The Survival Kit
Reframe the conversation.
Interviews are not interrogations. They’re collaborations. They called you in because they already saw something promising.
Expect the curveball.
If you get an AI question, a strategy case, or a “how would you…” scenario—pause. Breathe. Say:
“That’s a good question. Based on my experience in [related area], I’d approach it like this…”
Connect what you do know.
Tell stories, not scripts.
Keep 5–7 stories ready that show how you solve problems, lead people, or adapt. Stories stick. Scripts fall apart.
Acknowledge the nerves.
This is hard. Especially if you’re carrying grief, exhaustion, or doubt. That doesn’t make you weak. It makes you honest.
Redefine the win.
Not every interview will go well. Not every room will understand you. That doesn’t define your worth. That’s just one moment.
The Bigger Picture
The anxiety so many of us feel points to something bigger: a professional world that’s changing faster than people can keep up.
And maybe it’s time we stopped pretending that interviews are neutral ground. They aren’t. They’re human encounters. Messy, imperfect, sometimes beautiful.
The good news? Some companies are starting to notice. They’re moving away from pressure-cooker interviews and toward real conversations. Not enough of them. But a few.
Final Thought
If your last interview rattled you—join the club.
You’re not broken. You’re just navigating a professional system that often forgets the human on the other side of the table.
Take a deep breath. You’re still in the game.
And you bring more than you think.
Thanks for hanging out with me in your inbox,
Kevin
Kevin writes about leadership, technology, and the human experience at the intersection of both. When he’s not yelling at search engines, he’s helping leaders remember what actually matters. He runs Advisory Table peer mentoring groups, is a consultant, and educator.
You can find me here:
📍 X (Twitter) – @KevinBakerBiz 📍 Threads –@kevinbakerau
📍 Website: www.kevinbakerinc.com 📍 All my links https://linktr.ee/Kevinbaker