8 Tricks To Help You Interview With Confidence (1)

After successfully submitting your application, passing an initial telephone interview with flying colours, you have now landed the golden ticket – a job interview to make your next career move.

After a brief moment of jubilation, you might be left feeling anxious about the interview ahead. If sitting across for a hiring manager leaves you feeling nervous, you are certainly not alone.  Even the most confident among us are faced with self-doubt when it comes to landing a potential new opportunity.

Before you step inside the interview room, we’ve come up with eight steps you can take to give your confidence a boost.  

Take Part In A Dress Rehearsal
Job interviews can be scary prospects, mainly because we feel we are stepping into the unknown.  Take some time out beforehand to practice some common interview questions with a friend. Ask them to observe your body language, eye contact and how you deliver any answers.  This will help you to identify and iron out any bad habits before you take part in the real deal.

Step In With A Positive Attitude
Our confidence can be dashed when we are faced with pre-interview jitters. To boost your mood before the interview, do something which you enjoy,  whether that’s going to the gym, listening to some upbeat music or reading a couple of pages of your favourite book; it will help you to feel-good and it is likely to give you a positive mind-set.

Make Eye Contact
One of the best ways to demonstrate confidence during an interview is to make natural eye contact with all members of the interview panel.   A clear giveaway of nervousness is candidate who looks down, looks away or will do anything not to make direct eye contact with the recruiter. Throughout the interview, try to give equal amounts of eye contact with all members of the recruitment team to further demonstrate confidence.

Take A Second
Some of us tend to ramble on when we are feeling nervous. This can lead to dangerous territory as you are more likely to go off topic and not answer the question fully. Before you respond, take a moment to pause and reflect before giving your answer.  By using this technique, it is likely that your responses will be more focused and you are less likely to go off on a tangent. 

Check Your Body Language
Fidgeting in your seat, rustling papers, tapping your feet; are all tell-tale signs that you are feeling on edge. To avoid any nervous habits surfacing, try your best to place both feel firmly on the floor, put your hands on your lap and sit up straight in your seat to portrayal confident body language.

Aim To Connect
In a job interview, it is just as important to come across as likable as well as being able to express your competence for the role.  Therefore, to maximise your confidence, you should focus on making a real connection with the recruiter rather than trying to constantly impress them. This should leave both you and them feeling more at ease during the recruitment process.

Imagine Success
Before your interview, picture yourself entering the room, making eye contact with the interviewer, shaking hands firmly and answering any questions with confidence.  By using this technique, it is more likely that you are able to envision success. After all, if you have a strong belief that you are suited for the role, you are more likely to relax and feel self-assured.   

Be Kind To Yourself
No matter how you feel the interview has gone, try not to be too hard on yourself or regret not saying a particular point. Whatever the outcome may be, take some solace in knowing you are good enough to reach the interview stage, talk positively about your career and connect well with a recruitment specialist. With that in mind; relax, smile and walk into your next interview feeling confident about the opportunity ahead.