neglect their health<\/strong><\/a>. This may be because they feel unworthy of good self-care, or because they are using food, alcohol or drugs as an emotional crutch.<\/p>\nEven if your self-esteem is pretty normal, you could improve your wellbeing by investing more time in self-care. Depending on your lifestyle, this might mean exercising more, eating healthier, avoiding stimulants, or getting to bed earlier.<\/p>\n
So, try to introduce one \u2018self-care\u2019 habit into your routine from today onwards. If you do, you\u2019ll be showing yourself that you deserve proper self-care.<\/p>\n
4) Practice Being Decisive<\/h4>\n
If you always find it difficult to make decisions, this suggests your self-esteem could do with a boost. Being indecisive indicates low self-esteem because it suggests you don\u2019t trust yourself to deal with the consequences of a \u2018bad\u2019 decision. Also, it suggests that you\u2019re not \u2018in tune\u2019 with your own needs.<\/p>\n
From this moment forward, practice making decisions more effectively in your own life. If you find yourself wavering over which emails to prioritize, where to go for lunch, or what clothes to wear in the morning, go with your gut.<\/p>\n
It doesn\u2019t matter if you make the \u2018wrong\u2019 decision. This should be expected from time-to-time. Once you show yourself you can cope with the consequences of your decisions, you\u2019ll build a healthier self-image and become more decisive.<\/p>\n
5) Accept the Compliment<\/h4>\n
If you find it hard to believe compliments, this indicates poor self-esteem. Accepting compliments from others is important. Not because other people\u2019s opinions should shape how you feel about yourself. But rather, if you don\u2019t believe others\u2019 compliments, you\u2019re indirectly telling yourself you are not worthy of that compliment.<\/p>\n
So, in the days running up to an interview, be sure to thank anyone who compliments you. Most importantly, accept your interview invitation as a compliment. If a company has spent time and resources inviting you to come and meet them, they certainly see some potential in you. If you accept this compliment unreservedly, you\u2019ll feel more comfortable on the day of the interview.<\/p>\n
![\"how](\"https:\/\/phlebotomyexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/how-to-not-sound-arrogant-in-an-interview.jpg\")
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How to Project Confidence in an Interview<\/h3>\n
Once you have tackled your self-esteem, it is time to start working on your confidence. It\u2019s often easier to improve your confidence if you\u2019ve already done the groundwork (i.e., self-esteem training). So, how can you build confidence?\u00a0 Confidence is a skill that can be learned \u2013 through practice and other psychological techniques.<\/p>\n
Confidence is mostly shaped by our accomplishments, accolades, and through feedback from others – so keep these factors in mind when working on your confidence. Here are three beneficial techniques you can use before an interview to help boost your confidence.<\/p>\n
6) Match your Skills to the Job Advert<\/h4>\n
If you know you can perform a particular task very well, you\u2019re going to feel more confident about doing that task. Before any interview, you need to establish what key skills the employer is looking for, and then convince yourself you have these skills in abundance.<\/p>\n
Start by listing out the key skills from the job specification, i.e. \u201ccan supervise a team effectively\u201d or \u201ccan meet competing deadlines.\u201d \u00a0<\/em>Once you\u2019ve got them all written out, think of three clear examples of when you\u2019ve demonstrated each skill. This could be in your professional and personal life.<\/p>\nComing up with real-life examples can be time-consuming because you\u2019ll need to jog your memory. But the more time you can invest in this exercise, the more confident you\u2019ll feel walking into that interview. Also, it will be easier to respond to tricky, unexpected interview questions if you have all your professional experience at the forefront of your mind.<\/p>\n
7) Try the Heart Math Technique<\/h4>\n
The \u2018heart math\u2019 technique is a visualization exercise that uses the power of the heart and the mind to increase confidence. It is currently used by all divisions of the US army to build confidence and resilience. To get the most out of this exercise, you should try using it in conjunction with the previous technique. For example:<\/p>\n
\n- Place your hand on your heart, close your eyes, and feel your heart pumping underneath your hand. Spend 30 seconds \u2013 1 minute focusing on your heartbeat.<\/li>\n
- When you\u2019re feeling relaxed, visualize a time when you felt confident (in this case, you could visualize a time when you demonstrated one of the skills your interviewer will be looking for \u2013 such as confidently leading a team, or meeting a tight deadline).<\/li>\n
- Return to that time in your mind\u2019s eye. Feel what you felt at that time and try to imagine the scene as vividly as possible. What did you hear? What did you see?<\/li>\n
- When you\u2019ve imagined the scene, consider where you feel strongest or calmest in your body (it could be your head, heart, feet, arms, etc.) and give that part of the body color.<\/li>\n
- Now, imagine the color is traveling up and down your entire body \u2013 until your whole body is bathed in your chosen color.<\/li>\n
- Open your eyes slowly and enjoy the new-found sense of strength and confidence.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Some people have benefited from the heart math technique, though others don\u2019t understand what all the fuss is about. If you want to try it, you might find it helpful to follow a guided heart math programme on Youtube<\/em> or a smartphone app. Also, don\u2019t expect to see immediate results \u2013 several sessions are usually required.<\/p>\nIf nothing else, \u2018heart math\u2019 forces you to think of a time when you\u2019ve felt strong and confident in your life. If you\u2019ve faced several rejections in the last few months, revisiting a time when you\u2019ve felt more confident can be helpful.<\/p>\n
8) Rehearsal<\/h4>\n
\u2018Practice makes perfect\u2019<\/em> is an old clich\u00e9, but it is true. \u00a0The more interviews you attend, the more confident you should become. However, if you need to find a job quickly, this is probably the last thing you want to hear.<\/p>\nHowever, \u2018practice\u2019 doesn\u2019t necessarily have to mean attending tons of interviews. Instead, prepare answers to 10 interview questions and rehearse these every day before your next interview. Practice the responses in front of the mirror, with friends, or by videotaping yourself and watching the film back.<\/p>\n
Most importantly, try to start rehearsing as early as possible. It is far better to practice for 5-10 minutes every day than 2-3 hours the night before your interview. This is because sleep helps cement your memories, but also because procrastination (putting things off) is linked to low self-esteem.<\/p>\n
How to Not Sound Arrogant in an Interview<\/h3>\n
When it comes to confidence, you might have heard the phrase \u2018fake it until you make it.\u2019<\/em> This is generally good advice, but make sure you don\u2019t overdo the confidence. Indeed, if you have low self-esteem and you try to fake confidence, this can occasionally come across as arrogance.<\/p>\nConfidence Is not about going in all-guns-blazing, smiling incessantly, and telling everyone how great you are. Those things can come across as a bit creepy or arrogant to potential employers. So, to avoid being too confident in interviews, keep the following tips in mind.<\/p>\n
![\"too](\"https:\/\/phlebotomyexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/too-confident-during-interview.jpg\")
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9) Try Putting Others at Ease<\/h4>\n
Hiring managers aren\u2019t just interested in how good you are, but how well you can build relationships with others. Putting other people at ease is a sign of confidence and high self-esteem because it shows you are not wholly focused on yourself.\u00a0 So, how can you put others at ease?<\/p>\n
\n- Eye Contact \u2013 <\/strong>To build rapport, you should maintain a good amount of eye contact \u2013 but avoid staring. A good tip is to look into the interviewer\u2019s eyes long enough to register what color they are and then briefly look away.<\/li>\n
- Disclose Something About Yourself <\/strong>\u2013 If you tell the interviewing panel something about yourself, it humanizes you. This can help to break down barriers in an otherwise very formal situation. You could mention a family member in passing conversation, talk about your commute, or briefly talk about one of your interests outside of work. Keep it light and don\u2019t share anything too personal.<\/li>\n
- Mirror their Body Language<\/strong> \u2013 If we want other people to view us favorably, we naturally tend to mirror their body language. However, when we are very nervous, our bodies tense up, so we\u2019re less able to modify our body language. Try to relax your body before (and during) an interview and you might find it is easier to build rapport with others.<\/li>\n
- Be Careful with Self-deprecation<\/strong> – Some people make jokes about themselves \u2013 or point out their flaws \u2013 to make other people feel more comfortable. This can be effective in certain situations. For example, if you are teaching someone a new task and they are terrified of giving it a go in case they get it wrong – pointing out your flaws can help to relieve some of the pressure felt by that person. However, if you\u2019re trying to build rapport in a job interview, you should avoid self-deprecation. Even if you\u2019re doing it in a jovial way, you might leave interviewers feeling a bit awkward because you\u2019re not sticking to the normal social \u2018contract\u2019 of an interview.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
10) The Equality Mentality<\/h4>\n
If you want to avoid arrogance, make sure you are treating everyone as your equal. Arrogance occurs when we feel the need to convince others of our status. If we truly believe that no one is fundamentally better or worse than us, we\u2019re less likely to appear arrogant.<\/p>\n
People with an \u2018equality mentality\u2019 will treat everyone the same regardless of their job title. So, during your interview, don\u2019t just try to impress the \u2018decision maker.\u2019 Ensure you are being polite to the receptionist, secretary, cleaner, parking warden or anyone you come into contact with. This will ultimately reflect better on you.<\/p>\n
Funnily enough, according to an article in\u00a0The Independent<\/strong><\/a>, an angry job seeker swore at another passenger while rushing to his interview \u2013 only to find out that the other passenger was the hiring manager in his interview. So, even if you don\u2019t believe in the \u2018equality mentality,\u2019 it still pays to be on your best behavior with everyone you meet.<\/p>\n11) Talk About Managers and Mentors<\/h4>\n
If you try to attribute all of your success to yourself, this can seem arrogant. Most businesses want to hire people who can work well in teams and respond positively to feedback. So, when talking about your past achievements, be sure to mention your mentors and managers.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not to say that you should downplay your achievements. You should still use the personal pronoun \u201cI\u201d to refer to your achievements but be clear about how you used mentoring as one tool to help you succeed.<\/p>\n
So, you should avoid statements like \u201cwe exceeded our sales targets\u201d or \u201cI single-handedly exceeded my sales targets.\u201d <\/em>Instead, you might say \u201cI exceeded my sales targets by doing X Y & Z, and<\/u> by attending regular training sessions with my mentor, and<\/u> acting on feedback provided by my manager.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\nIf you attribute your success to many different factors, you\u2019re less likely to come across as arrogant. It also shows you can reflect on your professional experiences effectively.<\/p>\n
Feeling More Comfortable in Interviews<\/h3>\n
If you want to feel more comfortable in interviews, there are many techniques you can try. As suggested, it\u2019s often helpful to work on your self-esteem first, and then supplement this with some confidence skills training.<\/p>\n
Self-esteem and confidence are similar, but they are not the same. Confidence is the belief you can perform effectively in a particular scenario, whereas self-esteem is more like an insurance policy you can fall back on regardless of what is happening in your life.<\/p>\n
It is possible to be confident (i.e., to function in high-pressure situations) but to have low self-esteem. This is not an ideal combination because it can lead to arrogance, burnout, or you may develop an emotional \u2018crutch\u2019 to help you cope. That\u2019s why working on your self-esteem is considered effective \u2018groundwork\u2019 for becoming more confident.<\/p>\n
Research has shown that people with high levels of self-esteem and<\/em> confidence tend to perform better in their jobs. Not only that, but they also tend to be more satisfied with their career. So, improving your self-esteem and confidence will not only enhance your interviewing skills, but it will also make you more successful in the workplace.<\/p>\n[\/su_list]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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