Why Confidence Is The Game Changer In Job Interviews
Ita John, PhD
To help you create all your job application documents to outsmart your rivals & land more interviews this month, we created a smart resume/CV creator app, cover letter maker & LinkedIn profile builder, CVJury, Visit Us
Job interviews can be extremely nerve-wracking for most people.?
You need self-confidence in everyday life to succeed.
For job interviews, however, you need even more oodles of interview confidence to nail it, thus getting your dream job.
In this post, you’ll learn the?nine?simple, practical tips that will increase your confidence in your next interviews astronomically.
Did you know that confidence in interviews goes hand-in-hand?with increased success in landing the job?
Hiring managers are looking for applicants who are confident in their set of skills. That means those who are 100 per cent sure they can do the job.
And it’s not enough to know that you can do the job – you have to make sure the interviewer also knows it.
If you appear uncertain and fearful, the recruiter might notice this.
Confidence in interviews comes with experience and a track record of achievements.
We understand that you might lack experience, but these are not the only factors that bring interview confidence.
Even if you have no prior experience in similar positions, if you research the company adequately to know what they are looking for, it will be easier for you to be more confident during the interview.
In other words, adequate preparation is the key to confident behaviour, precisely what the recruiter wants.
How To Boost And Maintain Interview Confidence
Recent statistics from?CVJury?show that most young graduates looking for jobs lack confidence in interviews, which would prevent them from landing jobs.
It does not matter how many certifications and knowledge you have if you cannot answer questions confidently.
On paper, you could be the most qualified candidate in the world.
If you do not appear convincing in an interview, you will still have difficulty getting the job.
Lacking confidence during the interview could affect your career advancement.?
Recruiters usually judge candidates’ overall suitability by their confidence during the interview.
Lack of interview confidence can easily give you away, making the interviewers underestimate your real skills and genuine interests.
Once the hiring manager detects uncertainty in you, he might start to test you more closely. He may ask questions that leave you stumped.
1. Find Creative Ways To Connect With Interviewers
Being likeable is the silver bullet that gets you hired. If you achieve this, you will guarantee virtually 70 per cent of your success. It’s that significant.
Likability, however, isn’t an exact science. Still, try this?advice.
You can’t predict for sure what will make you loved by the interviewers. Nevertheless, focusing your energy on building rapport with the interviewers is essential.
As?Gary Wood,?PhD, a chartered psychologist, said, “We often get the idea that confidence is about holding court whereas it’s more to do with putting people at ease.
It helps to focus on connecting with people rather than focusing on the performance,”
Here’s an example of something a successful candidate did that electrified the panellists.
In her PowerPoint, the first page had her topic and photo. She started the conversation along the lines of, “I’ll be addressing… that photo is me. I hope I’m not too ugly there…”.
Everyone burst out laughing.
Later, the interviewers informed her that she had endeared herself to them with that singular phrase which made her come across as self-deprecating and friendly.
2. There’s A Science Of Breathing Techniques For Boosting Confidence. Use It!
When you feel relaxed, it can boost your confidence. This is where breathing and mindfulness come in.?
Gelong Thubten, Oxford University-trained mindfulness teacher and author of ‘A Monk’s Guide to Happiness, said: “Staying present by focusing on your breathing just before an interview should help calm nerves.”
Experts believe that slow, deep breathing brings more oxygen into your lungs.
This means that, in turn, more oxygen reaches your brain cells and helps you think clearly.
This exercise can help you project confidence in interviews.
3. Communicate Clearly
Instead of dry answering every question, feel free to ask questions when you don’t understand something.
Asking questions intelligently will boost your confidence during the interview.
Also, asking clearly and unapologetically for clarification is a sign of confidence that your interviewers will notice.
If you reach the point in the interview where it’s clear that you are doing well, do not waste it! Show interest and ask questions related to what’s next.
Try to spin the conversion as if you are already their employee and try to get information about your duties.?
Here are some?questions to ask the interviewers.
If you are anxious about an upcoming interview, a reliable way of building interview confidence is sitting/standing in front of a mirror.
Then, rehearse how to go about handling the expected questions.
It might seem hilarious, but preparing several answers suitable for a wide range of questions is an excellent idea that will contribute to your confidence during the interview.
领英推荐
For instance, try to imagine that you are on an exam. With interviews, it is the same scenario.
The more you know about the company, position, and duties, the more confident you will feel.
It is important to avoid asking the recruiter obvious and stupid questions. You can ensure that by checking their web page and the job description to better understand their nature.
This way, you can be sure that your questions will be valuable and confident. For interesting interview tips, make sure to check?CVJury Interview Tips.
5. Splash Yourself With Extra Doses Of Pure Love Before The Interview
Don’t be too hard on yourself. Whisper some encouraging words to your mind. Say, for example, “My mind, you will be okay”, just as a friend would pat you on the back.
Be compassionate with yourself. Practise self-love before the interview, and you’ll go in feeling relaxed and confident.
6. How About Power Poses And Relaxing Exercises?
Experts have shown that these can put your anxieties in check.
You can use?power poses,?too, before you walk into the interview. Claire Jenkins, the founder of?121 Interview Coaching, corroborated that this can help calm your nerves.
Focusing on the present moment, either by directing your breathing or body sensations for a few moments, also says Thubten.
Another tip is to speak slowly since people are inclined to rush when they are nervous. Be silent for a few seconds.
Pause occasionally. These can support you in assessing the situation more clearly.
7. Visualise That You’ve Scaled Through The Interview Already
Visualisation is a longstanding aspect of psychology. Before you go in, picture yourself as having aced the interview. It can build up your confidence and self-esteem.
Hear what Margaret Buj, an?interview coach?and author of?Land That Job,?said: “Before you go in, start visualising a successful interview: imagine how you walk to the room, shake the interviewer’s hands and answer the questions with confidence.”
Doing this before an interview will settle your nerves and help you act with confidence during the interview.
Thubten concurs: “If you have a strong belief that you are the best person for the job, and then you relax into that confidence, it should help.”
8. Rather Than Think About Your Answers, Prepare, And Rehearse Them Out Loud Instead
Top performers commonly write down their answers to the key questions that interviewers would ask. This practice takes the pressure off you.
You’ll be walking into the room confidently, prepared, and firmly believing that you know your stuff. You can organise practice interviews with your sibling or loved one.
It would help if you learned to relate your answers to practical situations.
For example, how you used your skills, experience, knowledge, and personal qualities to save or generate money for your organisation. Or how you?managed a process efficiently.
9. Befriend Your Anxiety ─ Smile At It
A Mindvalley coach and teacher,?Charlie Morley, believes that one of the failproof interview confidence strategies is to “make friends” with your anxiety.
For example, 60 minutes before your interview, think to yourself, ‘Ah, my old friend, anxiety. Thank you so much for coming. I know that you are there, and I acknowledge you fully.’
At first, this might sound a bit silly.
However, it can calm your nerves over time because rather than trying to suppress your anxiety or overpower it with so-called positive thinking, you ‘befriend’ it.
When you acknowledge anxiety, it loses some of its pangs or powers over you.
Factors To Consider When Building Self-Confidence
Here are the five factors you should work on to contribute to your overall self-confidence.
Working on how you carry yourself physically can boost your confidence without even saying a word.
“Our nonverbals govern how we think and feel about ourselves. Our bodies change our minds,” says?Amy Cuddy.
Each of these factors builds up to a confident?persona?that will most likely succeed in interviews. Here is how you can ensure you:
“Strike a power pose, picture your success and ‘make friends’ with your anxiety to exude confidence”,?Amy Cuddy.
Bottom Line
If one thing is for sure, you should aim to be confident in your interview. Apply all the tips and recommendations in this post to boost your interview confidence. You will win the job.
The most important thing remains your preparation before the actual encounter. That is key to ensuring your confidence during the interview.
Prepare questions and answers that will put you in a positive and confident state of mind.
Avoid obvious questions and show the recruiter that you have prepared for the interview.
I wish you the best of luck and success with your future interviews.
Keep Reading:?
On showing confidence in interviews?─
Compliance and Risk Management, Chartered Secretary (ACIS), Legal Advisory, Contract Drafting, and Trusteeship.
3 年Thanks for sharing.