Glassdoor Team
Interview Confidence 101
A confident interview is all about projection. Many people have doubts about how they measure up against the other candidates for a job, so it’s best to concentrate on presenting yourself in the best possible light — both literally and figuratively — so the interviewers can understand just how great you are.
1. Talk yourself up in the mirror
Before you log on, pick up the phone, or head into an office, look yourself in the mirror and say, “I got this. I am great, and this job is mine,” says Ashley Alvillar, CEO of Monarch Results Coaching. If you feel silly saying it to yourself, then phone a friend or family member for the pep talk.
2. Hype your wins
Prepare for questions like, “What is your greatest accomplishment” by practicing your talking points about your career highs. Remember: Even if you’re feeling nervous now, you are the same person who did all those incredible things. “Call up that feeling, and carry it with you into the interview room,” career coach Alicia Daugherty recommends.
3. Set the stage
For virtual interviews, find a well-lit, quiet, clean space to take the call. Dress as you would if you were interviewing in person—at least from the waist up. Charge your devices beforehand, and check your connection before starting the meeting. Pull up your LinkedIn profile or your website so you can easily reference your top skills and accomplishments.
4. Visualize a successful interview
Imagine what a successful interview will look, sound, and feel like. “Visualization is a powerful tool,” says Thoma. (Studies have shown that visualization has the same effect on the brain as doing the actual activity.) Glassdoor Community participants also stand by the suggestion of visualizing yourself in the role.
5. Meditate
If you tend to feel anxious before an interview, “take five minutes to clear your mind and focus on your breath,” Thoma suggested. She also recommends box breathing: inhaling for four counts, briefly holding your breath, then exhaling for another four counts. “This will help focus and center you, so your confidence can shine in your interview.”
6. Prepare for the easy hits
Glassdoor Community members suggest practicing your responses to the questions you’re most likely to receive. In the minutes before your interview, go back over those prepared points of how you describe your personality, why you’re leaving your current job, and why you want this one.
7. Focus on gratitude
Make a list of things you’re grateful for before your interview. “Allow yourself to bask in the feelings that emerge,” Thoma says. “These moments of gratitude will amplify your tendency toward the positive and will help veer you toward confidence in your interview.”
8. Put things in perspective
While job interviews are important, an interview is still just a conversation. “Remind yourself that on the other side of the desk is a person — a living, breathing human with his or her own doubts and fears, their own story to tell,” Daugherty said.
It’s normal to get nervous when interviewing for a position you really want. But, if these eight tips don’t help you shake off jitters, consider owning up to your nerves. A talent manager in the Glassdoor Community suggested, “Absolutely tell your interviewer you’re nervous, and use it as a reason for why you’re so interested in the role/company… nine out of ten times, it breaks the ice and makes you more human.”