Job interviews can be the most draining events ever. From the initial “I have an interview?!” to waiting for a response, it’s easy to feel drained, stressed, and irritated throughout the whole ordeal. Confidence in yourself and your abilities may be at an all-time low and it’s easy to freefall into a heavy slump. Luckily, steps do exist to reduce and minimize the feelings of anxiety and worry. As those emotions subside, it’s much easier to be confident again in your skill set, personality, and experiences. Here are a few tips to help you do that.
Be prepared (with all the normal things)
Create a checklist of the essential documents, location, time, and other details. Then, put it away for at least an hour before the interview is due to start. Otherwise, you are doing the adult version of cramming for a test. And scientifically, that’s a bad idea.
Practice with a live person
Ideally, this should happen twice. Once a few days before the interview and once a little closer to the day of the interview is the sweet spot for most people. This way, you can “edit” how you sound and grow in the process. This is a great confidence booster after a few rounds.
Remember that you are interviewing them as well
It’s easy to forget that you have some power in an interview. Do you want to work there or not? This is your time to find this out and remembering this can be a great confidence booster. Faking it until you make it has a time and place and this is one of those times.1
Remember that they want to interview you
You would not be in an interview with these people or this person if they weren’t at all interested into you. Forbes states that skill alignment is what really counts in the market today.
Remember what you are good at, recall your skill set, and explain how it aligns with their needs.
Don’t apologize for any perceived lack of skills or experiences
It’s all right to acknowledge that you may not have everything that an ideal candidate would have. Don’t let this derail you. Instead, view and position it as an opportunity for growth and improvement for yourself and the employer.
Watch your body language and always project confidence
A closed off or scared posture will be picked up, as will a strong, confident poise. The experts say that you have about seven to thirty seconds before first impressions are formed, all through body language. Even if you feel like the world is crashing down, a bit of acting can save the day mentally for you.
Do something positive
Whether it’s for yourself, a loved one, or a favorite cause, take a break and a breath to do something positive. This works particularly well in cases where you may not have had the best interview. Make a difference for someone else.
Be kind to yourself
It’s easy to let the little voices in your head take over at times. However, a good rule of thumb in these cases is “Would I talk to a friend this way?” People make mistakes; not every flaw can be avoided.
Get ready for the next one
Regardless of your personality type and previous experience with interviews, every single interview experience is an opportunity to make the next one better. What worked this time? What didn’t? Arm yourself with that knowledge and go out again.
Building confidence is a slow process that can be derailed at lightning speed if you allow it to be. One step at a time is all that you need to take. Focus, take a deep breathe, and make the next move.
You’ve got this.
