So you have received an email notifying to attend an interview for your dream job, great news, right? But then you start to panic, millions of questions start crossing your mind, and your heart starts racing. You start asking yourself, what will I wear, what questions will they ask me, and how should I answer.
Worry not because we got you covered. This post is a lesson on how to be confident in an interview.
Relax! Feeling anxious in a job interview is perfectly normal, and you are not alone. Whether you are a first-timer or a seasoned professional, job interviews can be extremely stressful. However, you can’t let nerves get the better of you; otherwise, you will jeopardize your chances of getting hired.
Here are simple exercises that will help you stay relaxed and confident in a job interview.
Prepare
Failure to prepare is preparing to fail. Preparing everything in advance helps you stay calm in an interview. Prepare your outfit, answers, prepare and everything else you may think. Entering an interview room knowing you got everything right helps to keep your nerves at bay.
Having everything else in order keeps you mentally prepared for the interview. For instance, assume you are preparing for an interview with a Chinese employer or a job that would require you to relocate to Hong Kong or Singapore. How would you prepare?
Apart from preparing your outfit, answers or presentation, it would be prudent if you had some basic knowledge of the Chinese language. It is, however, easy to prepare with online Chinese lessons, and it would not take long before you gain some basic Chinese knowledge. This applies to other cases where learning a second language might be useful. It is easy to learn a language online. You just need to connect with an online tutor and learn at your own convenience.
Just breathe
Yes, breathing techniques can help boost your confidence. Staying present and focusing on your breathing can help calm your nerves. When we are in panic mode, our blood tends to get away from the brain, and our cognitive functions can suffer. Deep and slow breathing helps the blood to flow back to your brain, helping you to relax and think clearly.
Watch your posture
A good sitting posture and attentiveness boost your interview confidence. You should keep your back straight and your chin parallel to the ground. It makes you feel comfortable and prevents you from fidgeting or shuffling around until you finish the interview.
Try to calm your shaky hands
It is very likely that you will feel your hands shaking in an interview. It is perfectly normal. If it happens, don’t fold your arms or clamp your hands. Instead, clench your thigh muscles and try to strike a power pose. A power pose is whereby you take up a lot of space and keep your legs and hands away from the body. Striking a power pose makes you feel more confident and powerful. Is there anything better than your showing your potential employer confidence?
Maintain eye contact with the interviewer(s)
If you keep looking down, looking around and just avoiding eye contact with your interviewer, they will realize you are either hiding something from them or extremely anxious.
Even if you try very hard, sometimes you may not find confidence. But in case you are extremely nervous and unconfident, a perfect way to fake it is by maintaining eye contact. Maintaining a steady, natural eye contact is a great way to show self-assurance and confidence.
Give yourself a pep talk
Pep talks are a great way to motivate ourselves. They are most common in locker rooms, but they can be helpful just before you enter the interview room. Using the pronoun ‘you’ or your first name in pep talks is a great way to deal with a stressful situation.
‘Hey you, you are great, you are qualified and you gonna kick some ass today!’
Just ensure you are not within earshot of anybody during your ‘self-talk.’
Arrive early and relax
Arrive at the interview early and have some time to sit, relax and focus on yourself.
Think positively
Picture yourself succeeding. Sounds a bit silly, right? It does sound somehow silly but reminding yourself that you deserve to be there, and you’ll make it helps to calm the nerves and makes you more confident. Would they have invited you for the interview if they didn’t seriously consider you as a candidate?
There you have it, a great lesson on how to be confident in an interview. Most importantly, remember as much as you need to prepare, plan and stay calm, a job interview is not a do-or-die situation. Think of it as a conversation and remember the interviewers are on your side. They will understand if you make some minor nervous blips.
Written by Susan Craig
