5 awesome confidence building tips

You’re about to step into the interview room and your palms are sweating, your throat is dry and you can’t remember the interviewers name. You didn’t read our awesome top 10 and now you really wish you had! Read on for 10 effective ways to cure your interview nerves and show the employer why you’re the perfect candidate!

1) Nervous and shy people are generally not entertaining, captivating and certainly not memorable.  On the other hand – a loud, obnoxious and egotistical individual whilst being memorable, it will be for all the wrong reasons.  Match your volume to that of the interviewer – be clear, and don’t trail off at the end of sentences.

Practice talking into a mirror or recording yourself speaking. It really helps!

2) Your body language isn’t only noticed by therapists and psychology students – the way you sit, stand and arrange your limbs.  Make a conscious effort to keep your arms uncrossed, your body ‘open’. Talking with your hands can really help you to explain yourself (oddly) whilst taking the attention off of your face.

Go to some kind of public/networking event – even if it’s just an art gallery. Notice how people act, and who gets more interaction with others. Copy some – see who comes to talk to you.

3) Be yourself. Do you know why acting is hard? Because you’re leaving behind everything you know, to take on the traits of someone you don’t associate with. If you’re not the right person, they’ll realise this when you’ve settled in to your job, and you’ll realise why they wanted to be so sure you WERE the right person. If you’ve got nothing to hide, you’ve got nothing to fear.

Take a long hard think about what YOU’RE great at – not what you should be great at.

4) Dress like you mean it. You’re bound to be nervous if you’re worrying about your appearance. If you’re constantly tugging at your jacket because it doesn’t fit, or trying to hide the nails you only half painted.

Take the time to prepare yourself fully, and walk in there knowing you look great.

5) Remember that the person interviewing you is exactly that – a person. Just like you! They’re human beings just like you would see down the pub, out shopping or who you’d honk at in your car. Don’t let the power scare you, because a good employer will be looking to see your best side, not your brownest side.

Try and find out information about the interviewer. Look up their name – LinkedIn is great for that. If you can place them, mentally, as a ‘real’ person with real interests and hobbies, then you’re way more likely to feel at ease.

Good luck!