Confidence Building

Here are some tips to build confidence for an interview:

★ Conduct Research

★ Locate Sample Interview Questions

★ Practice Often

★ Make Sure You Have No "Skeletons"

★ Decide What The Job Is Worth

Applicant should know that confidence is an essential life-affirming character trait, while arrogance is a poor, frightened, and inadequate self-image parading as confidence.

Watch the applicant's body language and non-verbal responses, especially eye movement. Does he/she sound and look convincing when answering this question?

Does the job seeker appear to be able to deal with all the diverse situations he/she will meet in your organization? Do they appear to be able to handle issues in a calm and confident manner?

An attitude, which allows individuals to have positive yet realistic views of themselves and their situations. A candidate who trusts her own abilities, has a general sense of control in her life, and believes that, within reason, she will be able to do what she wishes, plans, and expects.

There are many sample interview questions floating around the Internet that can help you gauge the types of questions you could be asked. Take time to review those questions-and come up with great answers-to ensure the actual interview flows fluidly.

Applicant should answer the question instantly and forcefully while maintaining full eye contact. Also pay close attention to body language: Is the applicant's body language congruent with his answer?

One great way to build your interviewing confidence is by conducting plenty of research on the company you're applying with and the position it's offering. A common question interviewers ask is, "Do you know anything about our company?" Most times, candidates are forced to answer "No."

If you're able to share the company's background information and showcase knowledge of its future goals for the position in question, you'll undoubtedly catch the interviewer off-guard, in a great way!

A great way to build your confidence for the interview is to practice before the big day. You can do this by answering questions in front of the mirror to read your own facial expressions and body language, or have a friend act as the interviewer to help you simulate the actual environment.

Self-confidence, the combination of self-efficacy and self-esteem, is an essential part of humanity. Self-efficacy is the internal sense, or belief that we can accomplish a variety of tasks or goals throughout life. Self-esteem, is similar, but more related to believing we are generally competent in what we do, and that we deserve to be happy in life.

An important step in preparing for your interview is being able to recall your own career history and discuss prospective goals with the company and in your professional life as a whole.

But as you look back over your career, be sure to research yourself online to ensure there are no skeletons on the Internet that could be brought up in your interview.

Remember, companies conduct background checks often via search engines, so it's up to you to ensure your social networking profiles are professional, or private.

Not only should you feel proud of your talents or your skills, but you should also think about the things that make your personality great. It can be your sense of humor, your sense of compassion, your listening skills, or your ability to cope under stress. You may not think that there's anything about your personality worth admiring, but if you dig deep, you'll realize that you have plenty of admirable qualities. Focus on them by writing them down.

As you pay attention to your negative thoughts, turn them around to positive thoughts. This may take the form of positive affirmations, such as "I am going to try it," "I can be successful if I work at it," or "people will listen to me." Start with just a few positive thoughts a day.

Try to change your negative thoughts into a corresponding positive thought by "twisting" the way that you are thinking. For example, change "I feel fat" to "I have awesome curves and I'm taking steps to live a healthier lifestyle."

Perfectionism paralyzes you and keeps you from accomplishing your goals. If you feel like everything has to be done perfectly, then you'll never be truly happy with yourself or your circumstances. Instead, work on learning to be proud of a job well done instead of wanting everything to be absolutely perfect. If you're in the mindset of a perfectionist, then you'll only be getting in the way of a more confident version of yourself.

Your negative thoughts might sound like this: "I can't do that," "I will surely fail", "no one wants to hear what I have to say." This inner voice is pessimistic and unhelpful and will hold you back from achieving high self-esteem and greater self-confidence.

When you do feel fear, acknowledge the feeling, then ask yourself whether you want that fear to stand in the way of your goal. As you become more confident, you will begin to feel less paralyzed by fear.

Don't let one wrong turn make you think you don't have what it takes to achieve your dreams. Maybe you weren't a great boyfriend and your last relationship ended in failure. This doesn't mean you're not capable of turning your act around and finding love in the future.

Take the time to sit down and think about all of the things that are bringing you down, from mean friends, a career you don't much care for, or a living situation that is almost unbearable.

What does that voice in the back of your mind say? What makes you uncomfortable or ashamed of yourself? This could be anything from acne, to regrets, friends at school, or a past traumatic or negative experience. Whatever is making you feel unworthy, ashamed, or inferior, identify it, give it a name, and write it down. You can then tear or burn these written pieces to start feeling positive on those points.