You’re certainly not alone if you feel a bit nervous and under-confident before an interview. Your nervous energy can be a real asset when channelled positively by giving that adrenaline boost which helps you to make a great impression. But this is not always the case!
So, if this applies to you, what can you do to turn this situation around? Preparation is the key to interview success but there are also a number of techniques which can help you feel more relaxed on the day. A recent article in the Guardian newspaper “Seven ways to boost confidence at a job interview” offers some great tips:
- Aim to connect with interviewers, not impress them
- Use breathing techniques to boost confidence
- Be kind to yourself before the interview
- Use power poses and relaxation exercises to curb anxiety
- Imagine yourself succeeding
- Prepare and rehearse your answers out loud
- Make friends with your anxiety, and smile
With all this in mind let’s come back to that all important interview preparation. Allowing enough time to prepare thoroughly for an interview will make huge difference to your confidence. Ensure that you gain a really good insight into the job you are being interviewed for and the organisation you are applying to. You also want to be absolutely clear about your motivation for applying for this particular role and what you will bring to the organisation.
Anticipating the sorts of questions you are likely to be asked and preparing how you’ll answer them will help you to feel in control on the day. You can expect questions asked to focus on the requirements highlighted in the vacancy details but it’s good to reflect on what else you know about the role and organisational culture. Don’t worry about formulating word perfect answers at this stage. What you need is a clear idea of the skills, experience, knowledge and personal qualities you possess which are relevant to this role … and to identify specific examples of when you have developed and used these. Having these examples in the forefront of your mind will help you provide convincing evidence of your suitability at the interview.
You’ll find more information on interviews, what to expect and how to prepare, on the Careers Service website.
Good luck with your next interview!