Job interviews, while necessary, can often be very stressful. Even if you feel confident in your ability to do the job well or fit into the business that you’re hoping to work for, having people judge everything you say and do during a job interview is enough to make even the most confident person feel a little self-conscious. However, if you want to land the job, you’ve got to have at least a reasonable amount of confidence in your self.
So to help you strike this balance, here are three ways you can feel more confident when in a job interview.
Control Your Breathing
For many people, feeling stressed or being in a stressful situation can cause them to have physical reactions as well as mental or emotional reactions. One of these common reactions is to feel like you can’t breathe as well as normal.
To combat this, Elizabeth Lowman, a contributor to The Muse, recommends that you practice breathing before you head into your interview. Think about taking big, slow breaths in through your nose and releasing them out through your mouth. The more you practice this, the better you’ll be able to use this skill when you’re actually in your interview and are feeling more pressure. And the more in control of your body you are, the more confident you’ll be able to feel.
Get Comfortable In Your Body
One thing that can make people feel less confident than they ought to is if you don’t feel comfortable in your body.
Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to lose weight or undergo plastic surgery before a job interview—although, if this does make you feel more confident, then go right ahead. Rather, Louis Efron, a contributor to Forbes.com, recommends that you do things like exercise in the few days leading up to your interview and pick out clothes that you feel comfortable in. By doing both of these things, you’ll have more energy as well as feeling better about yourself and your body.
Strive To Put Everyone At Ease
People tend to feel nervous when going through a job interview because they feel like it’s their role to really sell themselves. However, it’s precisely this way of thinking that can make you tank an interview.
As opposed to thinking in this way, Charlotte Seager, a contributor to The Guardian, advises that you make your goal to connect with the interviewer and put him or her at ease. If you can make everything in the room feel comfortable with you, you’ll be able to feel a lot more comfortable and confident in yourself as well.
If you’re worried about a job interview you have coming up, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you feel more confident.