Easy Ways to Be Confident In Your Next Interview
After the arduous and often exhausting journey of applying for the role of your dreams, you might just be lucky enough to earn your golden ticket with a company - an interview. While a phone call from a hiring manager can be a reason for celebration in any industry, after a few moments the panic may start to set in when you come face to face with the pressure of an impending conversation about your career.
If the very thought of speaking to your potential new boss leaves your palms sweating and your heart pounding, it's a good idea to have a strategy in place that will allow you to build your confidence in time for your next interview.
The following suggestions will help you to present an image of calm, collected confidence, even if you're still panicking on the inside.
1. Just Keep Breathing
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While you're waiting for your interviewer to enter the room, take a moment to slowly inhale, and exhale. This will help to calm you, get your emotions back in check and bring your body into balance.
To really make the most out of breathing as a calming technique, breathe in deeply through your nose, and then release it slowly through your mouth. Slowly repeat the process at least three or four times, while concentrating on positive thoughts (perhaps about how you're going to nail this conversation). If you feel your anxiety growing during the interview, just take another breath.
2. Make Eye Contact
One of the easiest ways to convince your hiring manager that you're brimming with self-assurance is to maintain natural levels of eye contact throughout the interview. If your eyes are always darting around the room, or you're focused on your lap, this is a clear sign that you're not feeling sure about your abilities.
Remind yourself to make regular eye contact by focusing on a space between the interviewer's eyes. But remember to glance at your notes or adjust your view every so often so that you don't feel you’re awkwardly staring.
3. Stop Fidgeting
Nervous fidgeting is a visible sign that someone is feeling anxious, so it's essential to master the art of keeping complete control over your body when you're at an interview. Consider keeping your fingers laced together on the table, or in your lap so you can avoid subconsciously playing with your hair or tapping your fingertips against the table.
If you're convinced you don't have any nervous habits, don't be so sure. Most people aren't even aware of their own nervous tendencies because they often become an ingrained part of their natural behaviour. Unfortunately, if you spend the entire conversation squirming, this can convince your potential boss that you don't have the right attitude for the role.
4. Use Power Postures
Psychology tells us that our minds control our movements and actions. However, what most professionals don't realise, is that they can use their body to trick their brain, too. Body language is one of the most important tools any candidate can use when appealing to a hiring manager, and slouching or slumping makes you look nervous and withdrawn.
However, if you practice opening your body up by showcasing a confident posture, you can convince your mind that you're feeling more powerful than you are. As soon as you get that phone call from the organisation you want to work for, spend a few minutes each day practising power poses that make you look the part.
5. Practice Makes Perfect
Many nervous job-seekers spend the hours before their interview practising the answers they're going to give to specific questions. However, it's more common to go through these responses in your head, which means that you're walking into the room with your hiring manager without warming up your speaking skills.
Enunciation and speaking out loud are both skills that most applicants need to master. Once the questions begin, it's less likely that you'll trip over words and phrases if you've already practised at home. What's more, listening to yourself speak may mean that you notice any pitch problems or pacing issues that might make you seem more anxious.
About First2Recruit
First2Recruit, are an owner managed recruitment consultancy providing a full recruitment service including; permanent and FTC positions in Accountancy Practice and Insolvency across the UK.