Cultural upbringing, imposter syndrome, culture, and past work environments all impact how we show up in interviews and talk about our career wins. Landing a job in today’s saturated market requires you to learn how to be confident in interviews.
Thankfully, confidence is a skill that can be learned. While not easy, with enough practice, you can learn to take pride in your accomplishments and be a confident interviewee.
How To Be Confident In An Interview: 6 Tips
Here are six steps you can take to walk into your interviews with more confidence:
1. Document your accomplishments.
First and foremost, you are fabulous. Still, sometimes you need to be reminded of this fact, and one of the best ways to do so is by reflecting on your career accomplishments. The following are a few probing questions to get your juices flowing.
- What are you most proud of from your career?
- How have you delivered value to your employer?
- What makes you fabulous?
If you’re feeling a bit stuck, you can also revisit your performance evaluations, LinkedIn testimonials, and letters of recommendation for some inspiration and an extra confidence boost.
Talking about your accomplishments may not come naturally, so be patient with yourself, and give yourself permission to revisit and expand on your career wins over time.
2. Develop your talking points.
Have you ever wondered how politicians exude so much conviction during speeches and political debates? One of the reasons is that they’ve pre-vetted their talking points. Thankfully, you don’t need to run for office to craft interview talking points and take your confidence to the next level.
Instead, you can simply build off your career wins from the previous step. Like a politician, once you have a half-dozen or so talking points prepared, you can effectively — and confidently — answer nearly any interview question that comes your way.
3. Practice, practice, practice.
Next, you want to practice answering both common and curveball interview questions using your interview talking points. It’s important to respond aloud when practicing, as this will help you build your self-assurance. As I’ve shared in previous articles, I recommend recording your answers, too, then watching them back three times:
- Video only: Watch the video alone.
- Audio only: Listen to the audio alone.
- Audio and video combined: Watch the video while listening to the audio.
Each time you watch yourself, take note of your fabulousness, as well as any areas where you can bolster your confidence, then record yourself again and repeat the evaluation process.
You should see your interview nerves dwindle and confidence soar with each round of practice. Of course, you can also hire an interview coach if you want additional support, guidance, and feedback on your preparation and delivery.
4. Focus on your breathing.
As you practice for your interview, you’ll want to tune into your body and be more mindful of your breathing. Two quick ways to focus on your breath include:
- Taking a breath before responding to interview questions.
- Taking another breath between your sentences.
These simple practices can not only help with your confidence but also make it easier for the recruiter or hiring manager to digest what you’re saying. Additionally, it provides the interviewer with adequate time to take notes as well as interject with any questions.
5. Give EFT a try.
While on the topic of the mind-body connection, you might also consider giving the Emotional Freedom Technique, also known as EFT tapping, a try. This simple yet effective technique can reduce your anxiety and bolster your confidence leading up to the big day. Here is a quick video from Brad Yates on how to reduce anxiety using EFT in the days leading up to an interview.
Moreover, if you get anxious during your interview, you can directly tap your nerves away without the interviewer even noticing by focusing on the “karate chop point” (the outside fleshy part of your hand).
6. Imagine yourself succeeding in the interview.
Before your big day, close your eyes and visualize yourself succeeding in the interview. You can begin to squash negative self-talk by repeating this practice several times.
If you’re a fan of writing (raises hand), or simply love planning (also raises hand), your confidence may also benefit from some manifestation journaling. Get specific and detail each step of the interview process, in addition to the specifics of your job offer.
Conclusion: How To Be Confident In Interviews
Remember that confidence is a muscle you can strengthen with practice. If you’re struggling with interview confidence, begin by documenting the biggest accomplishments from your career. Then, transform these into talking points you can share during your next interview.
Leading up to the big day, carve out ample time for practice, ensuring you focus on your breath. You might also consider hiring a coach to help take the edge off and ensure you make a great first impression. Finally, envision yourself succeeding in your interview. You’ve got this!
