How confidence affects interviews and how to improve
Few are gifted with Mark Antony’s activism or Brutus’ intimidation skills, feeling overwhelmed before a job interview is normal.
To feel confident while talking to employers, you first need to understand what it means to be confident.
We often treat confidence as “nice-to-have” instead of “must-have.” Confidence is meaningless if treated like a noun. A noun never defines who you are as a person, so how do you reflect confidence in your personality? It is by the action or the verb that follows the noun – the way you sit, the straightness of your back.. It’s also the way you talk, are you stumbling over your words or speaking consciously. Are you maintaining eye contact with the employer or looking out of the window?
Employers notice these small things, which can determine whether or not you get the job. It’s important to treat an interview like you would treat a one-on-one, a get to know you session that is nothing to be scared of.
Employers ask you questions to understand your personality and they are interested in knowing what makes you unique. When it comes to behavior-based questions, there is no need to feel overwhelmed, just keep in mind that employers are trying to understand how you solve problems. Candidates often feel they need to impress employers in interviews which puts them under a lot of pressure.. It’s time to let go of that pressure and hold on to a feeling of confidence so that you can project your true authentic self, and trust me, employers will notice.
Now that you know what it means to be confident, you can work on boosting your confidence. Here are three best ways to practice confidence for an interview:
1) Practice in front of a mirror
Prepare questions for yourself and practice them by looking at yourself in a mirror. This will help you improve your body language and facial expressions.
2) Press pause
During an interview if asked a question you are not sure how to answer, don’t let it ruin your entire interview. Pause for a few seconds, take a deep breath, and then answer the question. Don’t let a difficult question stress you out, it will drain your confidence.
3) Give authentic answers
When you are being authentic about your answers, it’s less likely that you will stumble over your words. We all forget who we are while trying to impress someone. Remember employers are trying to get to know the real you!
Get started by checking out our interview preparation resources.
