Be Your Confident Self During Your Interview: Beating Anxiety

Stay Confident During Your Interview

Nobody likes interviews, but some people are better at them than others.

For some people, the excitement of actually getting a job interview is usually swiftly followed by panic. And for some people, the panic and anxiety induced by a job interview is sometimes enough to call the whole thing off. But then, it’s a passage we all must go through if we’re going to get to the places we want to go.

However, that doesn’t make them any easier. To help you get through your interview unscathed, we’ve put together some useful tips. Heed our ways and, while you might not quite be your dazzling, confident best, you’ll be closer to that version of yourself than the opposite.

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Become Superman (For Two Minutes)

How would you feel if I told you you could give yourself the gift of confidence?

Well, you can. The ‘Superman Pose’, as it’s known, is a trick of the mind that has shown to chemically give ourselves the boost we need to feel confident. And the best thing about it is that it’s so simple.

Just stand in front of your mirror, put your hands on your hips, and look at yourself as you stand tall and proud.

For reasons yet unknown, after two minutes you’ll have improved your confidence levels. At the very least, it can’t hurt.

Affirmations

Some of the most confident celebrities, including Will Smith, use affirmations to give themselves the confidence they need to attack the day.

On the morning of your interview, loudly proclaim to yourself just what you’re going to achieve that day. “I’m going to nail this interview”, you might say. Ask yourself how, and answer: “because I’m a talented, confident man/woman and I’m more than capable of delivering results”.

Breath Slowly

People with more profound levels of anxiety can feel fearful and uncertain on a daily basis, not just on the days when it comes to job interviews.

For those people, gaining some confidence on the morning of the interview won’t cut it: they’ll need to manage their anxiety when they’re sitting in the waiting room and also during the interview.

One technique is to using breathing techniques to control the anxiety. You’ll be amazed at how quickly breathing can have an impact on our calmness levels.

Before you go into the interview room, take a few moments to prepare yourself. A useful tool is the 4-7-8 rule; breathe in slowly through your nose for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, and then exhale for 8 seconds.

Repeat this for a moment and your stress hormones will have lowered and you’ll feel calmer.

Chew Gum and Avoid Caffeine

Some of the things we feel in the build up to an interview date back to our hunter gatherer days. By cranking up the pressure, we’re keeping ourselves in fight or flight mode at levels that anybody would struggle to cope with.

To combat this, watch what your eat and drink.

Caffeine, for instance, will help you feel alert but will also increase your heart rate and make you more anxious. If you must give yourself a wake up boost before your interview, go on a run – you’ll be surprised just how energising exercise can be.

Additionally, carry some gum with you and chew it on the way to your interview – it’ll link back to your basic, primeval state when, way back when, being able to eat in peace meant we were under no threat from predators.

Not only will you feel more relaxed, your breath will also be fresh!

Fail to Prepare, Prepare to Fail

Article by Gemma Rainford