How to Beat Job Interview Nerves and Be a Confident Candidate

After all the hard work you have done creating your resume, you finally landed an interview. This can be a nerve-racking experience for many individuals regardless of the fact they are ideally suited to the position on offer.

Being questioned by strangers can be daunting, so knowing how to calm nerves and be comfortable in the interview is crucial.

It is easy for people to say just be relaxed, but once the common interview questions have been asked, and the interviewers begin delving deeper into to, this can shake up anyone and get them rattled.

A few possible things that can happen are, cold feet, sweaty palms and stuttering can fall upon anyone, but these are understandable, although when you are being interviewed, it is a little embarrassing.

Here are some things which you can do to help beat the nerves and be comfortable in your interview.

preparation for job interviewPreparation

There is nothing better for beating interview nerves than being prepared. This is easy to say, but when you know as much as you can about the interviewer, it gives you a good idea of what they will ask.

The best way to do this is research company background, who are they, what do they do and what is their company culture like?

When you know this, along with the industry you are aiming to enter, then a lot of questions can be more comfortable on the ears, and you have the confidence to answer.

Dressing appropriately can also fall under this preparation, and you should wear something comfortable. Looking presentable sets a visual image of you without you saying a word.

Being Positive

Keeping a positive attitude can be crucial, and can boost your overall confidence. Hiring managers or interviewers might seek to intimidate interviewees on purpose to see how they handle pressure.

Before entering the interview room, you should give yourself a pep talk, focus on your plus points.

You can also listen to some uplifting music that raises your energy levels and raises good vibes inside you. This positive aura can shine and will be seen by the person sitting in front of you.

confident answer in job interviewPacing Yourself When Speaking

When we are under pressure or nervous, we can mumble or stutter. This shows we are becoming anxious, and that we are uncomfortable.

When asked a question one of the best ways how not to be nervous with your answer is to compose both yourself and the answer to the question.

Speak in a moderate speed because this gives you a chance to think without pausing, and also preventing you from speaking too fast, and not answering the question correctly.

An interviewer might offer a glass of water, make sure you accept it and take a drink, this can prevent your throat from drying up and making you sound croaky.

Feel You are in Control

Although an interviewer might not be nervous at the situation, they are still sat in the room with you. One of the best ways to calm down is to remember an interview is a 2-way street.

With this in mind, you should remember the position you are applying for needs to be the right one for you. You aren’t just going along with everything they say or offer, it is your choice at the end of the day.

It is better to look at your interview as a conversation between two people who are interested in the same thing. This can be a great way to ease the internal pressure.

Just because the person sat across the table is in a senior position inside the company, there is no reason you need to feel intimidated.

Their job is to collect information on possible candidates, and not to criticise. All of the information you divulge is under your control.

Addressing Your Fears

Before attending an interview, you should look at your fears. In most cases these are unfounded, and just a thought inside our head. Our worries can’t hurt us, but they can prevent us from showing who we really are.

One of the best and most simple ways of how to get rid of nerves is to list all of your fears you have about the interview.

Once you have done this, you can go through each one and replace it with positive logical statements.

An excellent example is: “The other candidates will be more qualified than me?” With this, you can change this negative thought into “All of the other candidates are less qualified.”

When you do this, write it down because this enforces it into your mind. Once you do this and address all your concerns one by one, it will reduce their significance.

As it was said at the start, these fears are only “our” thoughts, and without proof, we are just guessing and presuming the worst.

proper posture during job interviewPosture and Sitting Ready to Answer

The way we sit in an interview can affect the results in so many ways. For one, you will have a person, or persons fixed on you for most of the time. If you slump or cower back in your chair, this doesn’t show you in an assertive manner.

Job interviews question and answer sessions should have you sat upright in a dominant posture. This will show you are interested in what the other person is saying or asking, and it also allows you to speak clearly.

Even getting yourself into this mode before the interview can change your overall attitude. This is why you see people in the washroom talking to themselves in the mirror and psyching themselves.

The body chemistry is changed, and you can carry it to your interview, and give the positive attitude the employer is looking for,

One thing you can do to aid this is by tensing and relaxing your muscles for a few minutes. This helps to ease any anxiety which is making you tense.

Summing It Up

We tend to look at interviews like we have done something wrong, or we are not worthy of the position.

When you have reached the stage of having an interview, it shows you are as worthy as the next person, and there was something which caught the attention of the interviewer on your resume.

Use this to your advantage, and just know you are the best person for the position.

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