by Gilda Bonanno LLC
An interview can be considered a presentation because you are trying to communicate a message about your skills and experience and persuade the interviewers that you are the best candidate for the position. Therefore, confidence also matters in interviews like it does in presentations and it can help you be more effective and successful.
Confident interviewees are prepared and communicate a strong belief in their own abilities without being conceited or arrogant. As a result, interviewers are more likely to listen to and remember them.
Here are 9 tips for interviewing with confidence:
1. Be confident in yourself. Confidence doesn’t mean that you think you’re the best, smartest person on the face of the earth. It means that you believe in your ability to figure things out. Practice developing this belief which will make it easier to communicate confidence to your interviewers.
2. Use confident language. Make use of the strong action verbs that you used on your resume and be clear about the role you played in the examples you are sharing. Did you sit in on the meeting, participate in it or lead it?
3. Cut out your filler words. Words like "um," "ah," and "you know" become verbal crutches and overusing them can make you sound like you're unsure of what to say next. Instead of using filler words, pause and take a breath – and then move on to your next words.
4. Cut out the minimizers. Words like "sorta," "just," or "kinda" minimize the impact of your stated opinion or message. For example, "I'm just responsible for kinda getting the production techs to provide status on the open work orders." Catch yourself saying these minimizers and eliminate them.
5. Use confident body language. Sit up straight, shoulders back, head up and make eye contact with the interviewers. If you’re in person and standing, stand with weight evenly distributed on both feet. Avoid nervous pacing or rocking back and forth on your heels. Use your hands for gestures that visually illustrate your message. Avoid nervous movements like clutching your notes tightly or putting your hands in your pockets and playing with your spare change.
6. Make eye contact. Confident people (in Western culture) communicate while looking people in the eyes. So be sure to make eye contact with your interviewers rather than looking nervously at the table or the ceiling. If the interview is virtual, make eye contact by looking at your camera, not the pictures of people on your screen.
7. Check your virtual set up. If the interview is virtual, make sure your camera is at eye level, you have enough light on your face (ideally from light positioned behind the camera) and your mic allows you to be heard clearly and loudly enough.
8. Prepare. Just looking at the job description and your resume is not adequate preparation. Instead, prepare: specific examples to illustrate your skills and what sets you apart from others, answers to frequently-asked interview questions and questions you can ask about the job to ensure it’s a good fit for you.
9. Practice out loud. It’s not enough to go through your examples, responses and questions in your head or on paper. You have to practice saying them out loud, so you are comfortable and concise, without a lot of filler words or minimizers.
The next time you have to attend an interview, whether virtual or in person, become aware of what message you're sending about your confidence in yourself and your abilities (or your lack thereof). If you project confidence, your interviewers are more likely to listen to you and believe you. And as you feel more confident, you will be better able to access your brain power and share your experience.
© Gilda Bonanno LLC - Gilda Bonanno serves as a trusted advisor to executives and entrepreneurs to transform their communication, presentation and leadership skills. She has worked with companies on 4 continents, from Chicago to Shanghai and Rio to Rome. The instructional videos on her YouTube channel have received over 2 million views and her e-newsletter has reached subscribers in over 45 countries since 2008. For other articles or to receive Gilda's e-newsletter, visit www.gildabonanno.com