What Kind of Confidence Do You Need?

When you head into a job interview, a lack of confidence or an overconfident attitude could ruin your chances of success. The first step in improving your interview skills is to figure out how to express your confidence. Use these tips to find out whether you need more positive thinking or a healthy dose of realism.

Not Enough Confidence?

When you have a job interview coming up, your head might be full of negative thoughts, such as "other candidates will be better than me" and "I don't know how I will answer the interviewer's questions." These thoughts suggest you are less confident.

To address negative thoughts ahead of your next job interview, spend some time reviewing your application. Remind yourself of all the qualifications and experiences you have that make you suitable for the role. Think about times in your previous job when you demonstrated your skills. This kind of thinking will not only make you feel more confident but will also help you prepare for difficult questions the interviewer might pose during the job interview.

Being Overconfident

It's important to not get carried away with positive thinking. If you're convinced you'll easily beat the other candidates and walk away with the job, you might not prepare properly for the job interview.

If you catch yourself fantasizing about all the things you'll do after you get the job, stop this line of thought right away. Remember that first you need to ace the job interview. Take the time to think about how you'll respond to the interviewer's questions so you can be sure you're ready when you enter the interview room.

It's More Than Just How You Act

You cannot always control how much confidence you have when you go into a job interview. Some people are naturally more confident than others. Whether you tend toward one or the other extreme, it's important to remember that confidence is not everything when it comes to interview skills. Interviewers are trained to see through the act put on by interviewees during an interview to assess the skills and experiences of the candidate.

If you don't think you have enough confidence, try not to worry. As long as you prepare thoughtful responses to the interviewers' questions, they will be able to assess your suitability for the role. Interviewers expect candidates to be nervous when attending a job interview, so don't assume you need to put on a brash or arrogant act to succeed.

Both not enough and too much confidence can cause problems for job seekers. No matter how confident or nervous you feel in advance of a job interview, be sure to take the time to do your research on the company and prepare responses to common interview questions.

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