Emotion: anxiety
Problem: job crisis
Situation: I have an interview with little time to prepare and I'm feeling very stressed about this as I tend to get very nervous at interviews.

user: Hi there

assistant: Hello, how are you today?

user: I'm not feeling great. I applied for a job recently which took a lot of time. I now have an interview and it's in 3 days. I'm getting really nervous about this because I think I need longer to prepare.

assistant: I know how you feel, I have often felt anxiety before a job interview. What makes you feel that you are unprepared?

user: The thing is I'm really good at interviews but usually it takes time to prepare. It's a corporate interview so I need to prepare behavioural answers to certain scenarios. In the past this has taken me a week to learn and record to memory

assistant: Is it possible that you could get a friend or family member to work with you on your responses? That could possibly speed up your preparation time.

user: Yes perhaps. I need to draw on previous experience so I think I'll need to prepare. I'm just so busy at work these days I just don;t think I'll have the time.

assistant: I can see that you are feeling a large amount of stress about the situation. Would it be possible to take one or more days off from work to give yourself more time?

user: Yes this is very stressful. Have you ever had a similar experience and if so how did you handle it? Potentially but this is very short notice, usually I have to provide more notice for leave from work.

assistant: Yes, I have had to deal with time pressures quite a few times. I am sure most people have in the modern era where everything moves so fast. I have usually gotten help from friends, or done my best to delay or remove other commitments from my life. As a last resort, I have sometimes had to accept that I would be getting less sleep than usual for a few days. Are there any other commitments that you can possibly delay or remove from your life while you prepare for your job interview?

user: Perhaps I can ask if I can finish early from work for the next couple of days and get some time that way. I do think however I'll be more nervous due to less time to prepare. The thing is I'd delay the interview but this might affect my chances. I suppose I could ask my partner to look after the childcare for the next couple of days.

assistant: That seems like a good idea, unless that will be likely to cause you other problems. You seem like a hard working, diligent type of person that can make this work if you make the effort.

user: Tanks , I think I need to stay positive about this. Not sure how to handle my interview nerves however?

assistant: Well, everyone handles stressful situations differently, but there are some things you can do or try that might help. If you prepare as much as possible in the time that you have, you can be confident that you have done your best, and that is all that matters. You can decide that while you would like to get this new job, the world will not end if you don't get it, and you will worry less and have less stress. Also there is the classic technique of picturing your interviewer in their underwear. It makes them seem less imposing, and you can feel more confident. Do you think any of these ideas might help?

user: There are actually some great suggestions there. The naked idea is a classic and it did make me smile. I think I am aiming for perfection when I think I should try and relax and just give it my best shot. That does help actually!

assistant: Be confident in your abilities. You are the right person for the job, and if the interviewer does not see that, it is their failing, not yours. You will do great.

user: Thanks for that. I think the key to this is confidence so I'll go with it. Feeling more relaxed about it all now,

assistant: Excellent. I am very happy to hear that. Is there anything else I can help you with today?

user: No that's great. Thanks from your help