How do I Build Confidence in Job Interviews?

I just recently worked with a client who had been through countless interviews and was continuously denied which caused her to seek help (hence finding CareerCap). 

As I was asking questions about her experiences in interviews and why she felt that she was being constantly denied, I began to notice that she was feeling that other people were better than her.

When I looked at her resume, it was obvious that she met all the qualifications that were required for each position that she was applying to. So... I quickly realized that her qualifications had nothing to do with her lack of success.

I tested a theory and ran a few mock interviews with her.

Within a few minutes, I realized that my theory was correct. She simply lacked self-confidence.

So, we worked on one thing and one thing only, self-confidence.

I want to share 3 tips on how you can increase your confidence. You may think these are silly and that's okay if so.. But don’t underestimate the power of the mind. 

#1 - Practice. Practice. Practice.
When I say practice, the biggest mistake people make is that they do it without doing it out loud. They read questions online and think “what would I say here”.. But they just say everything in their heads. When you practice, you need to do it out loud and in a silent room. By doing this, you will imitate exactly what the interview room is going to feel like and get a realistic simulation!

#2 - Win the Mental Warfare!
I have done this personally on several occasions to prepare for an interview and won, so take my ways and make them your own. 

Every time I went into an interview, I would get as mentally and physically pumped up as I could. Yes, this meant loud music and rapping lyrics out loud to release as many nerves as I could before the interview. When you bottle everything up, it makes you more nervous vs getting it all out! 

I would then visualize the interview internally. I would do this over and over again in my head so that when I actually got into the interview, I would already be in a familiar environment that I had seen before. I would even tell myself- “You’re the best candidate they have seen” or “You got this”.. Again, this may seem corny - but it would get me in a position mentally where I would walk into the interview like I was the CEO! 

The last thing I would do is put myself in a power pose. What's a power pose you may ask?

A power pose is a position of someone who just won a competition and faces the fan to embrace the cheers of thousands. Both hands in the air with closed fists! A true champion pose. 

When I did this, it would create the same feeling of what I would hope to feel after that interview of success! When you combine all of these together, you create a zoned in focus which makes success inevitable! 

#3 - SMILE to be YOURSELF‍

At the end of the day, the people you are talking to could very well be your friend in the real world! They are doing hundreds of interviews and in all honesty... they don't even want to be there! 

So if you can bring some light to the interview with a bright and open smile, it can genuinely bring confidence through you and also make them smile back to lighten the mood. Remember, your goal is to make the environment allow you to genuinely be yourself and not have to be someone that you are not. When you can be yourself, you will succeed!‍

Take these pointers and see how it goes for you. Remember… if you are truly prepared and you are able to be yourself, there is no denying success.

Let me know how it goes!

Always open to help. Reach me at jordan@careercapresumes.com or 619-370-6687 if you want my support in the journey for a new career.

Let’s goooo!