I used to be terrible at interviews! So nervous. I failed at a lot of them because my discomfort was obvious. I've done so many now that with experience, it has gotten better.

What I ultimately did was act like I wasn't going to an interview. I don't think ahead unreasonably. I would prepare what I needed right away upon being asked for an interview and drop it out of my mind. Rehashing/rehearsing possibilities and things to say in your head over and over just makes the paranoia and fear of messing up worse. I also pretend like it's not a big deal. It's hard to explain how I do that. I know an interview is important, but I don't let it define or control how I will act in regard to it.

I just learned that maybe I will never come off as an amazing super-employee waiting to improve their business... fine. But even if I come off as silly, imperfect, but nice... that will always look better than nervous, scared and unsure.. every time.

I make myself comfortable by showing up 15 minutes early so I can 1) not worry about being late and feeling any sense of rush and 2) scope out the surroundings and familiarize myself with the environment so I am more at ease in it.

I also look at my interviewer and try to make them my focus, not myself. I note their hair, clothes, way of talking and I look in there eyes, and how they sit, and just the whole 9 yards. I used to avoid too much eye-contact and not really 'inspect' my interviewer because I was so focused on being the one inspected and how I would come off. I learned that reading their behavior and focusing on what they are doing is a lot less stressful that trying to monitor myself how I am being read.. and it also improves my ability to form a basic connection with them because I'm not focusing on my own thoughts and feelings too much.