Be Prepared... Be Confident in the Interview

Check out this Blog from "The Wise Job Search" Blog.

Not being assertive in an interview or being a "milk-toast" in a meeting that could turn into a job lead is all too easy if you're not prepared and lack confidence in yourself. Face it you're selling a product, YOU! If you're not confident then, why should someone buy the product. 


People want to believe that they are getting the best deal and there is a lot of competition out there today. Be yourself and be prepared. That doesn't mean you need to get in someone's face during the interview, in fact, that would be even worse than having no confidence. Sell your product by sharing the benefits that you will bring with you after they hire you. Help them to see you doing the job by telling success stories that show your value. 


Harry Urschel's Blog is called, Being "Assertive" in Job Interviews. The word "Assertive" can be misleading however. Don't make the mistake of being aggressive in the interview or the mistake of attempting to take control from the interviewer. Both of these behaviors are 99% effective at killing your chances in the interview. Mr. Urschel offers a list of other things to avoid in an interview... I totally agree with his list.

Remember you are there and it's your time to connect and win the job offer. Like Goldilocks and the Three Bears... you cannot be too hot, too cold, but you need to be just right!


Review and practice telling your success stories every day. Then, review them right before the interview and you'll smile, endorphins will release in your body; calming and relaxing you, helping you to appear more confident. 

Choking in an interview, no way!!!

I heard a story on the news a couple of weeks ago and then found an article that further detailed the story. As I read the article I realized that this would work for people who get nervous before an interview.   In the article, the author cites “Students who are the biggest worrywarts before taking a test might calm their nerves -- and improve their results -- by writing about their fears for 10 minutes before the exam.”

I thought, I wonder if that will work for my clients who are having anxiety about an upcoming interview. I can see a hopeful job candidate sitting in his or her car ten minutes before going into the company’s building. Just writing down how they are feeling and putting the note paper away and walking into the interview with their head held high, smile on their face with a bounce in their step.  

If you are willing to give it a try and would like to comment on how it works for you, I’d be happy to hear about your experience and thoughts.

One of the things I advise my clients to do to relieve stress and anxiety before an interview is to review their success stories. I like how the brain works... our mind’s eye doesn’t distinguish between new experiences and remembered/relived events. If you are thinking about and reliving an event, positive or negative, you body chemistry will react the same way as it did when the event first occurred. Namely, your brain will release those same endorphins as it did when you actually experienced the events of your success the first time.

How does it work? I don’t know, I only know it does... think about a dream where you’re being chased by a monster of some kind. It’s a dream right? But when you wake up,  you’re sweating, your heart is pounding and you’re flush full of adrenaline. Your mind/body is responding as if you had just been chased by a real live monster. So, we can use this phenomenon in a more beneficial role, for example, calming ourselves before an interview.

Review, remember and relive the success story. Remember the people who were around you, remember the temperature of the room, remember the smell in the air and remember the feelings you had when your were recognised, praised or congratulated. You’re brain will release endorphins, your anxiety will lessen and you’ll be smiling, feeling confident, and you’ll be ready for the interview.