Nervousness, stress, and anxiety are all normal emotions to feel before heading into an interview. You may feel scared of unexpected questions, drawing a blank, or letting your nerves get the best of you. The good news is, you’re not alone! All these emotions are totally normal, but it is important to get them under control before an interview. There are many tips out there to calm nerves, however, everyone is different! Hopefully, we can help find the right strategy for you. This blog will teach you how to build confidence before an interview.
This might sound simple, and a bit crazy, but it works. Instead of running through all of the stressful scenarios in your head, try speaking confidently out loud. Say nice things about yourself, and you’re halfway to believing them! So instead of harping on negativity, try thinking of a more positive outcome. This can build confidence and ease nerves before you attend the interview. When you change your mindset, you will feel much more prepared and relaxed.
Example: I have prepared to the best of my ability and I am ready to have a great interview. I am dressed well and excited to see what happens.
The better prepared you are for the interview, the more relaxed you will feel. Try going over practice interview questions and crafting responses. Having a few key points in your back pocket might come in handy when prompted with an unexpected question. If you’re looking to prepare for your next interview, check out our blog on the STAR technique. Give it a read to gain some great tips! Rehearse sample interview questions with a friend or roommate, and ask for feedback on your responses. Constructive criticism can be the key to improvement.
Taking a moment to yourself to decompress can sometimes be the best way to relax yourself. Practicing yoga or doing a guided meditation before you leave the house for your interview can really help, we promise. These are great techniques to stop your mind from racing and slow yourself down. Mind and body exercise can be very grounding before entering a stressful situation. Check out this video on a guided meditation to collect your thoughts, or this yoga routine to get your body moving. If you are less stressed, you are much more likely to nail your interview.
To build confidence before your interview, prepare yourself to make it as much of a conversation as possible. Your interviewers are people too, so chatting with them in a genuine, yet professional way can make the process seem less scary. Keep it relaxed! Answer their questions with honesty and let your personality shine through.
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: one of the most important things to remember about a job interview is that it goes both ways. You are interviewing the company just as much as they are interviewing you. Remembering this will help you to feel more confident going into the interview by making it less intimidating. Your interviewer will get to know you better this way and assess how you’ll fit into the company.
Familiarize yourself with the job and its responsibilities before the interview. Do your research! Find out fast facts about the company you’ll be interviewing for. What is the organization known for? Have they made any major recent accomplishments or transitioned to new management? Get comfortable with talking about the job. This will make you better prepared for specific company-related questions your interviewer may ask. The more tricks you have up your sleeve, the better. You can never be too prepared. You might even want to prepare questions to ask your interviewer to show off your knowledge.
Example: I know that all Texas Roadhouse restaurants have extended their hours. How has this located adapted to the change?
When answering questions during your interview, it is beneficial to provide examples. This can also help to make the meeting more conversational, too. Add in a story when discussing your recent successes, challenges, and goals. Keep it brief, but real. Talking about past experiences lets your mind relax because you won’t have to make up a conversation on the spot. Interviewers will love your real-world examples of situations and how you overcame them. Preparing these examples beforehand will also remind you how qualified and experienced you really are! Storytelling might just be your secret to building confidence before your next interview.
Example: On a previous team I managed one of our members was underperforming. I decided to implement an improvement plan for this employee and work diligently to support them.
When you are interviewing for a job, there are two possible outcomes. You get the job, or you don’t! Sometimes reminding yourself that is is just a job, the world is not going to end if you don’t do as well as you’d hoped, can help you relax a little bit. The age-old adage – there are plenty of fish in the sea – also applies to job-hunting. There are hundreds of open positions that might just be the perfect fit for you. Maybe this one wasn’t a good fit for some reason, but the next one just might be it! We have an article to help you with those post-interview blues.
How do you gain confidence before an interview? If you try any of these tips, let us know!
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