During a job interview, you want to project confidence. The issue is that coming across confidently is challenging when you’re nervous about impressing the hiring manager. Fortunately, there are a few things that candidates can do to ensure they make a good impression. Here are some tips that can help you elevate your interviewing skills and strategy to ensure you’re interviewing with confidence.
Practice Your Answers
When you rehearse answers to common interview questions before meeting with the hiring manager, you’re giving yourself a chance to increase your comfort level. Along with familiarizing yourself with the questions, you can figure out what you’d like to share and hone your delivery. Then, when you’re presented with the question, you’ll already know what to say and how to say it, making the situation easier to navigate.
As you rehearse your answers, it’s also wise to picture yourself succeeding in the interview. By doing so, you develop a positive mindset that you can carry with you into the meeting, making it easier to remain confident.
Choose the Right Attire
What you wear to an interview doesn’t just make an impact on the hiring manager; it influences how you feel during the meeting. Select clothing that aligns with the environment, ensuring you’re dressed appropriately based on the workplace’s standards. Also, select attire that’s comfortable and allows you to move freely while still fitting correctly. By doing so, you won’t feel bound up or swallowed by your clothing, and that makes a difference.
Mind Your Body Language
During a job interview, the hiring manager isn’t just assessing what you’re saying; they’re also analyzing your body language. If you want to come across as confident, you need to mind your posture. Sitting up straight with your shoulders back makes you seem more engaged and self-assured, so practice in a mirror to help you get comfortable with the position.
Also, make sure you maintain proper eye contact. Ideally, you want to look the hiring manager in the eye for a few seconds before glancing elsewhere for a beat and returning to eye contact. During the conversation, it’s also wise to smile, as that makes you seem open, approachable, and enthusiastic.
Use Breathing Techniques
During a job interview, many candidates assume they need to respond to the hiring manager’s questions immediately. However, it’s okay to pause for a brief moment and breathe before you reply. Along with creating an opportunity to calm yourself, it gives you a chance to collect your thoughts, and that can help you answer more confidently.
Using a calming breathing technique when the hiring manager is speaking can also keep nerves at bay. Make sure to inhale slowly but deeply through your nose, pause for a second, and then slowly exhale through your mouth. That can help keep you grounded and centered, which makes it easier to come across as self-assured.
Ultimately, all the tips above can help you interview with confidence. If you’d like to learn more or are seeking out new job opportunities, TempStaff wants to hear from you. Contact us today.
