Career Chat // How to appear confident in a job interview // CLOSED

Hi everyone,

Welcome to todays’ forum. The topic is “how to appear confident at an interview”.

Interviews can feel scary and daunting and lots can be going on in our heads in the lead up to the interview, as well as at the interview.

So how can we appear and ideally feel more confident at the interview?

As @NikNik mentioned, some say ‘fake it till you make it’ and others say ‘treat it like you are the one interviewing them’, both of which can work if done right.

Today we will look at different ideas and give you tips to be more confident at your next job interview.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Feel free to join us and share in the discussion.

Debstar 🙂

So what can you do to appear more confident in an interview?

Firstly just breath. Sounds really obvious but it is so important. Whilst waiting to meet the employer, take a few minutes to do deep breathing. This can help to relax you, and release some of the emotion and nerves that are building up inside you. I know from experience that this definitely helps me.

Also, don’t fidget. Whilst it is really tempting to do this when nervous (I know because I have my own little nervous habits), keep your hands in your lap so you avoid any hair twirling, table tapping (often done without awareness) or fidgeting. If you are not sure what you do when you are nervous, it may be worth asking a friend or a family member to observe you and see what you do. And then you can practice controlling it.

What are your thoughts on this topic?

Another strategy (and it ties in with fake it till you make it) is to stand like a positive person stands, sit tall and upright, and notice how you feel when doing this. Does it make you feel more confident? It certainly makes you look more confident.

I find by slightly changing my physical state, my emotional state changes a bit with it too (for the better).

Also making eye contact with the people interviewing you can help you to appear more confident. If you find this hard, practice doing this with those you know first (or looking between the eyes can help). Like anything, the more you practice, the easier it gets.

What do you think of these ideas? Have you tried any of them?

Hi again,

Last Friday in our chat about "handling rejection when job hunting" @Peter_Pan78 shared his view that "interviews are tough. You feel you have to be bubbly and outgoing even if you're not, be someone else"

I am still a believer that the prospective employer wants to see us for who we are, so they get a sense of us and can determine if we are a suitable fit for the culture of the firm/ team. And not all staff at firms are really bubbly, and infact often it is the mix of personalities that make an environment work.

By taking on the suggestions, standing up straighter, using eye contact etc.. we are still being us, just a slightly more confident version of us. I wouldn't suggest you need to be someone else. I know when I interview applicants, I want to see the real person.

And is this an opportunity for you to interview the employer as @NikNik suggests? Absolutely! You are there to make assessments on them just as they are observing you, both determining if the match is a good fit. Of course, ideally it is best to analyse them in a subtle way that doesnt have the interviewer thinking you are taking over the interview, eg asking them questions about the job before they ask us if we have any questions. So still following interview protocols, but looking for signs from them that they are people you want to work with and a company that suits you to work for.

What do you think?

Hi again,

@Peter_Pan78 mentioned last week that he went for an interview four years ago, wasnt sure if he would get the job, got it (huge congratulations), and is still working for this organisation, and loving what he does. Peter_Pan78, you are probably at work, and may or may not be able to respond, but thought I would ask you for any tips you may have on appearing confident in a job interview. If you are not available now, that is totally fine.

Other ideas? Put a smile on your face. It makes such a difference to how you look. You appear so much more friendly and warm and approachable, which links to your overall confidence that comes across.

Also, think about your internal self talk and focus on what you say to yourself as you walk into the reception and into the interview. Instead of saying something like "I will never get this job" or "there is no point" or "they won't like me", you could say something like "they selected me for an interview because I have the skills", "I can do this", "öthers in my situation have found work" etc.. The positive self talk makes a big different to how you stand, communicate, and how confident you appear.

Other thoughts?

Hi @Peter_Pan78,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I totally agree. Confident people do share if they don’t know something, which as you mentioned last week, is exactly what happened in your interview. You are absolutely proof of that.

Yeah great point about researching the company before the interview, and looking at the aspects of your personality/values that would be valued and communicating those at the interview.

On that note, if the interview question comes up “name 2-3 of your strengths” (a very common interview question so I always suggest to my clients to be ready for that one), practice in advance sharing your strengths with conviction. It may even be worth talking to the mirror or to a cushion in your lounge room before the interview. Whilst that may sound strange or even rediculous, sharing your strengths and sounding like you believe them, says a lot about your belief in your personal skills and attributes, and demonstrates overall confidence.

Truly know you have strengths, we all do! It’s just about identifying them and knowing your most suitable ones that relate to the job you are going for. And again, if you can't think what they are, ask your friends or family. They may be able to give you insight into this. More on that next week :).

Hoping today has given you some food for thought, and tips for your next interview.

Looking forward to connecting with you next Friday for our topic “Answering Interview questions”.

Have a lovely weekend.

Signing off for now, Debstar 🙂