Confidence is said to be the secret to making yourself come across as the best version of yourself and when it comes to job interviews being, or at least appearing confident, can make you stand out from others. But how do you achieve this?
Here are our tips on how to make yourself look and feel like the best version of yourself to help boost your interview confidence.
How you present yourself (it’s not all about your outfit)
While we don’t suggest this for other aspects of job interviews, ‘fake it till you make it’ is definitely one of our favourite mottos to help boost confidence. Your interviewer is only human, and we guarantee that the way an interviewee presents themselves is the very first thing they notice.
A firm handshake (that is, if we’re not going through a pandemic), shoulders back, and a confident demeanour are all great ways to kick off your interview. Your body language cannot be underestimated, so make sure to keep an open posture, both when speaking and when listening.
Fidgeting is one of the ways that really emphasises a lack of confidence, so be mindful of what you are doing, and always make eye contact. Jodi Schulz has some great tips:
- Establish eye contact for 4 to 5 seconds upon first meeting
- Maintain eye contact regularly while listening and speaking
- Glance away from side to side when looking away – never down
- If nervous, look between the eyebrows (they’ll never know)
Top Tip: Speak with a steady pitch, keeping the pace and volume inline
How you feel about yourself
Job interviews are stressful for anyone, even for some of the best, most qualified candidates. One trait we’ve found in common between interviewees who are confident is how they feel about themselves. Our very first tip is to be kind to yourself. Before an interview remind yourself:
- Why you have applied
- Why you deserve this job
- Why you’re a good candidate
Remind yourself of your best qualities, and don’t let the little things bring you down. A little pep-talk in your car can make a world of difference to your confidence, and if it feels strange doing it to yourself, think of what you might say to a friend. A little bit of kindness goes such a long way – imagine what it could do to your confidence.
Relax
We know this one is easier said than done, but we’ve seen great candidates whose interview performance suffers simply because they are so caught up in the moment that they forget to breathe. The people interviewing you are human. They know things are stressful in your head, so most of them will always try to make you feel at ease.
Breathing techniques, focusing on what’s going on in the moment, and not thinking too much about what you’re saying will help you feel more relaxed. The 4/7/8 technique is a great method and easy to remember. Before you go to your interview, take a few minutes to relax. Inhale for 4 seconds, then hold your breath for 7 seconds, and exhale for 8. Repeat until you feel calm.
Be prepared
We cannot stress this one enough. Prior to your interview, take the time to do the following:
- Read up on the company and gather as much information as possible
- List your accomplishments to the job specifications you are being interviewed for; ensuring that these are validated
- Think of how you can add value to the company, what is unique about this and why you would be great for this job
- List any questions that you might have
By doing the above, you will be better prepared and therefore more confident.
Above all, keep in mind that the people interviewing do not want you to fail – on the contrary, they are there rooting for you. They saw something in your CV that made them choose you.
At Ceek, we match the best people with the right vacancies, making the interview process easier for job seekers and companies alike. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help...