You have gone through the arduous process of applying for jobs but finally landed an interview! This should cause excitement, but now the tension has only risen. You hate interviews; you always find yourself clamming up, stumbling over your words, and constantly fidgeting in your seat. This leads to you shutting yourself off and not showing the interviewer your full personality. On the surface, interviews seem scary, but here are some ways to open up during interviews and conquer your fear!
Be a Little Loose
Posture is key. You do not want to be slouching down since that looks unprofessional, but being too upright has problems. Being too stiff will subconsciously make you feel defensive and even more nervous. Loosening up and lowering your shoulders will ease the pressure off your body and allow you to feel more natural, thus making you more relaxed and confident. During the interview, take note of your posture and ensure you are in a proper position.
Avoid Overreliance on Scripts
As we will go over later, practice for an interview is great! However, it is important not to sound like you are reading off a script since that can easily make you sound like a robot. Sounding too robotic during an interview will be off-putting and lower your chances of being hired. It is good to have answers prepared for specific questions, but relying too much on a script can make it seem like you are giving a speech, not partaking in a conversation. Loosen up a bit and go with the flow of the conversation.
Eye Contact is Critical
This will be hard for introverts, but while making eye contact may seem intimidating, it is vital. It shows confidence, which will win you points for the interview, and also helps with giving you feedback. You can watch the interviewer smile or nod their head throughout the interview, which will help show you that, just like everyone else, the interviewer is just a normal person. Realizing this will allow you to relax and ease your nerves. The interviewer is not out to get you; they want to learn more about you and form a deeper connection!
Practice Makes Perfect
We hope we have given you some good tips to remember, but now it is up to you to do some real-life practice with these tips. If you are struggling with eye contact, you can practice with yourself! Go in front of a mirror and practice maintaining eye contact with yourself. While with conversing with a friend, keep note of your posture and try to maintain proper interview posture as much as possible. Mock interviews are another excellent way to get practice and feedback from professionals. If that sounds interesting, we offer interview coaching!
Want more help with your career? Connect with us at Wrights Resumes and Connections to learn more today!
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