To be successful, you need to know how to present yourself well to your potential employers. It is vital that you start feeling good about the entire interview process to get rid of any anxiety. Here are 5 ways to boost your confidence right before an interview:
Quit the negative internal dialogue
We all know our brains can be our bodies' own worst enemy, especially in situations fraught with unknowns. A job interview is the perfect setting for your mind to go into overdrive with the negative speak like I don't have enough experience, I won't get the job. What if I don't know how to answer to one of the questions and the HR manager hates me? We could go on, but what's the point with? We all know this dialogue well—too well. So what do you do to quash this contrary chitchat in its tracks?
Recall a moment when you were most confident
We can all have those moments when we feel super shy and doubtful, but what if you could push pause in that moment and press play on a time when you were feeling your best?
The trick to returning to confidence is by going back and remembering a point in time when you felt on top of your game and really alive. Don't let anxiety replace your confidence. Next time you're feeling pessimistic or fearful, Forbes says to try this exercise: "Sit and close your eyes and dive into how it feels when you’re firing on all cylinders. Check in to see where that feeling lives in your body—maybe in your stomach or your chest or your fingertips. Imagine that place in your body is the source of this energy, this flow, this power, this ease. Then, when you need it, just focus on that place in your body and you’ll return to your best."
Straighten up
The next time you find yourself slumping in your chair or slouching your shoulders, sit up straight! According to research, doing so can lead to more confidence in your own thoughts. Plus, sitting with good posture can keep both your self-esteem and mood lifted. Try it: Experts recommend opening up your chest and keeping your head level to look—and feel—assured and poised.
Crack a smile
If there’s one, instant way to boost your confidence, it’s cracking a smile. Flashing those pearly whites will make you appear both confident and composed, according to Christine Clapp, a public speaking expert at The George Washington University. But the effect isn’t just external: Science suggests that smiling can help nix feelings of stress, which may pave the way for happier and more relaxed feel.
Deal with failure
The great Michael Jordan once said, “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” And it’s that kind of mentality—being able to live with failure and learn from it.
Sometimes we like to make out things are far worse in our minds than they really need to be. Rejection isn't a great experience, it doesn't feel great, but by normalizing it and understanding that it's simply part of the roller coaster of life, you won't see it as some big scary thing you need to be afraid of. If that second interview doesn't happen, don't stress out or think that it's because you weren't good enough; it just wasn't meant to be after all. The right job for you hasn't happened yet, and sometimes you need to weed out all the roles that aren't right before you finally find "the one." The lesson here is not to take it personally or let it lessen your value personally or professionally.
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