I hate job interviews. I worry about how the interviewer will see me, what they will think, whether they will see “through” me or just outright reject me.
The thing is 8 out of 10 interviews result in a second interview for me. That’s not bad for guy who is very shy and soft-spoken. Here are my tips for improving your confidence for a job interview:
- Prepare for the interview. When I was going to job interviews, I realized that I went through this ritual of researching the company and its products/services and its industry.I also prepared my answers to common interview questions so I wouldn’t sit there looking like a fool trying to come up with answers to questions that I knew they would ask.Being prepared and knowing your answers beforehand makes you come across as confident with your answers and less wish-washy.
- Breathe. Sounds simple but I find that when I get nervous, especially before an interview I find my breathing very shallow and my body tenses up which causes me have involuntary movements.Being nervous also makes me talk very quickly and come off very nervous. Breathe deeply and slowly through your stomach. Relax your shoulders.
- Arrive early. Being late adds to your stress and nervousness that you already have. If you arrive more than 15 minutes early, find a place to calm down and gather yourself before going in.
- Stand up straight. When you slouch, you give an impression of low self-esteem and that you can’t do the job. Show them you want it by standing tall.
- Smile. Interviewers can immediately see your nervousness. They understand it’s common but by smiling, you end up relaxing yourself and hiding your nervousness.
- Believe that you are worthy for the job. If you can’t convince yourself you are worthy of the job then how can you convince the interviewer that you are worthy of it?
- Practice, practice, practice. Go to more interviews, even ones that you don’t think will be right, treat it as practice.The more you do it, the more comfortable you’ll feel. Or practice in front of a mirror so you can see how you look when answering interview questions.
These are just 7 tips that I’ve learned over the last 10 years of being interviewed and interviewing people for jobs.
Hopefully, these will help you out too.
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