Use it before or after a mock interview to map how anxious thoughts, body sensations, feelings and coping behaviours can feed into interview nerves. The example focuses on a job interview, so it is especially relevant for job seekers, students, adults returning to work, employment support workers and CBT-informed practitioners helping someone understand why anxiety keeps building.
The Vicious Circle of Anxiety in Job Interviews Worksheet is a one-page PDF that helps make interview anxiety easier to understand. It shows how anxious thoughts, feelings, body sensations and coping behaviours can link together and keep nerves going. The worked example includes common job interview worries, such as “I am no good at interviews”, fear of sounding nervous, dry throat, heart pounding, butterflies, dizziness, shallow breathing, sweating and difficulty concentrating.
This worksheet can be used as a CBT-informed anxiety cycle handout, interview preparation activity or discussion prompt. It may support job seekers, students, adults returning to work, careers advisers, employment support workers, counsellors and wellbeing practitioners. It is also useful for identifying avoidance and safety behaviours, such as looking away, gripping a water bottle, over-preparing, cancelling, or wanting to leave the situation.
Use the worksheet before an interview to explore what might happen, after a mock interview to reflect on patterns, or during a support session to plan small changes. It can help someone notice how anxious predictions affect behaviour, and how those behaviours may accidentally make the next interview feel more frightening. View, download or print the worksheet for use in lessons, one-to-one support, revision, home learning or interview confidence work. This resource was created by MindWell Leeds.
