Picture this. You walk into an interview and instead of freezing up or mixing up your words; you actually sound polished, smart, and confident. You might be thinking: who is this body snatcher? Don’t worry, you weren’t abducted by aliens – this could be you after reading this article. So, let’s dive in to my keys to confidence in interviews. 

How many of us have felt imposter syndrome? That feeling that you’re a fraud and you’re going to be found out? I’ve felt this way, and I know it manifests itself at the least opportune times: like in an interview for a new job. My keys to confidence in interviews will help you sound polished and professional in your next interview. I’ve used these keys to help coach my clients through phone interviews, in-person interviews, and panel interviews. So, if you’re facing one of those soon, you’ll want to keep reading.

#1: Approach the interview like a conversation, not an inquisition.

Remember that an interview is not just an opportunity for your future employer to determine if they like you, it’s also an opportunity for you to determine if you like them. So, instead of approaching your next interview like an interrogation, approach it like a conversation. Prepare your own questions ahead of time about the organization’s culture, workplace environment, values, and growth potential. Don’t be afraid to ask questions that relate to the work environment you may be potentially entering.

#2: Capture the vision for the role & paint yourself as the ideal person to execute that vision

One of my favorite ways to determine if I am the right fit for a role is to simply ask the hiring manager what he or she envisions for this role. Most hiring managers have a vision of what their ideal candidate for the role will be like. If you ask, they will often tell you exactly the skills, personality traits, and strengths of their ideal candidate. If what they describes sounds like you, then you know exactly how to paint yourself as the ideal candidate to execute their vision. If their ideal candidate sounds very different from you, then don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know that I’m the right fit for this role,” or “I feel my strengths are X, Y, and Z, do you feel these strengths would be helpful and/or important in performing this role?”

#3: Prepare stories that emphasize your experience addressing issues, pain points, positive outcomes, and the impact of that outcome on your organization

“Tell me about a time when you had to overcome a difficult problem…” 

This question haunts far too many candidates. Instead of being the candidate who comes up with a bad story on the fly, try preparing your stories ahead of time.

I highly recommend sitting down with your Brag Book and identifying key stories that show you’re a problem-solver. Here are my tips for preparing good problem-solving stories:

1. Document and prepare stories that show an issue or problem that you helped solve.
2. Be specific and call out any pain points that your team or organization was experiencing as a result of this problem.
3. Emphasize the outcome you helped achieve.
4. Express how your work and contributions impacted your organization. 

#4: Ask questions to show engagement.