The MOST Important Trait That You Can Bring To The Interview Is Self-Confidence: How Do You Demonstrate Confidence?
By Carole Martin, Interview Coach
As you read articles and books about interviewing you will notice that most of the information focuses on “being prepared.” When you look closely at the information provided by “experts,” you will notice that a great many of the tips given concern the external preparation. These are tips ranging from what to “wear to the interview,” to having the “correct body language,” or information on giving a “strong handshake,” and having a “script or stories” ready for the interview. There is much less emphasis or information found on internally preparing for the interview.
Internal preparations starts with your feelings about yourself, as well as your feelings about going out to find a job and interviewing. If you have been having a difficult time finding a job or have been laid off, your self-confidence may be running a little low on fuel. Your feelings about yourself, and your self-esteem, or self-confidence is fragile and can change from situation to situation. Think about the following statement:
Are you prepared to go out and sell yourself, and feel good about what you are selling – YOU?
If your answer was, “No,” there is some work to do on the inside before you can sell on the outside.
Poor Example: I think I am pretty good when it comes to helping people with problems.
Good Example: My strengths are my customer service skills and my ability to get to the root of a problem to help customers.
When you use weak terms like, “pretty good,” you send the message that you are not strong, just ok. Which would you hire? Someone who is “pretty good” at helping people with problems, or, someone who says his strengths are customer service and problem solving?
Not much room for doubt there. But, how exactly do you develop self-confidence? A good way to begin your internal preparation is with an inventory of your capabilities. That means getting in touch with your strengths as well as your areas of weakness. You will find it very empowering to know what you have to offer. It is also a good idea to know what your short and long term goals are. What do you want?
Exercise
A simple exercise that will help you answer these questions will also help you take a look
inside yourself and begin to think about what you want “more of,” and what you want “less of” in your next job. People usually perform at a higher level if they are satisfied with the work that they do and as a result are more motivated to give 100% plus.
Begin by making a list of the tasks at your last job. These would be the tasks that you were particularly proud of, or were energized by. In other words, when your job “turned you on.” Think about the last time you were so involved in a project or task that you woke up thinking about how you could improve the situation. Write those experiences down and try to determine what the factors were that were satisfying for you.
Let’s say you were a “Project Leader.” The tasks list would read something like: “Led a team; coordinated and monitored project progress; assured the flow and completion of work on schedule; monitored expenditures and budget.”
What were the stimulating tasks of this job? Was it the leadership aspect? Or, was it the challenge of coordinating the details and people? Was it completing the project on time or below budget? Were there customers involved (internal or external) and, if so, is that what you found most challenging? What didn’t you like, and hope that you will do less of in your next job?
After you have written this list for your current job, try doing the same thinking about previous jobs. If you recently graduated from college, use the classes that were most stimulating and interesting for you, or the projects you worked on with teams while in school.
By making lists of motivating experiences from your last two or three jobs, you will hopefully begin to see patterns of projects and tasks that stand out. Analyze what you did before. Do you want more of this type of responsibility in your next job? The answers to these questions will give you the answer to what you want and some possibilities for fulfillment in future jobs that have similar responsibilities. Knowing what you want will make you feel more confident about finding the right job.
Thinking about these and other questions about yourself will give you power and knowledge to be able to sell yourself. You will also discover what makes you unique and what differentiates you from the next “guy” who walks through that door.
Only when you believe in yourself can you convince someone else that you are the best person for the job.
About the Author
The Interview Coach, Carole Martin, is a celebrated author, job coach, and speaker on the subject of interviewing and recruiting. Carole is using her proven methods for coaching job seekers on competitive interviewing skills in technical and non-technical industries. www.interviewcoach.com
Follow The Interview Coach on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn at http://www.interviewcoach.com/blog to learn about current workshops and seminars Carole is offering.
Check out the latest Career Insider eNewsletter - April 26, 2012.
