The One Trait You Must Convey to Improve Your Next Job Interview

If you could improve one area of your professional presentation to improve your job interview, what do you think it would be?

You could say experience, there’s that whole catch-22 about needing experience to get a job and needing a job to get experience, but that’s not the focal point. Besides, if you could just get experience like that, you wouldn’t be reading this article… right?

You might think having a better resume would help you get more job interviews and up your chances of getting a job, and that’s true! An awesome resume is a great tool for getting invited to job interviews, but it’s not really going to help you once the interview starts.

No, the trait I’m talking is confidence.

Confidence, which for the sake of this article we’re going to define as acting with certainty, is the number-one most important trait you need to develop before your next job interview!

You must present an image of confidence in everything you do, from your initial contact email to your handshake; to the way you answer questions.

You want to be strong, but not overbearing.

You want to seem like you want the job, but don’t need it.

You want to seem absolutely certain that you are the right person for the job!

So, how do you do this?

Let’s look at 3 areas where you can project confidence to nail your next interview.

1. BODY LANGUAGE.

Your body language and eye contact are going to be your primary tool for displaying your confidence. You want to make strong eye contact and hold it, especially when you are answering questions. Be sure to spread the eye contact around if you are in a group interview. Eliminate any fidgeting or unnecessary movements that make you look nervous – especially hand gestures. The most important thing is to look relaxed and prepared to succeed.

1. ANSWERS.

It’s important to not be too wishy-washy and answer with conviction. Listen to the question that is asked and then answer it. Don’t talk for too long and eliminate pause words like “ummm” and “uh.” Don’t be afraid to pause if you need to think of a word or concept as pauses build response potential.

1. FOLLOW UP.

At the end of the interview, be sure to confidently follow up by asking what the next steps are and when you should expect to hear back. Act as if you have already gotten the job and just need to clear up the details. Be sure to also send a thank-you email the next day and explain how much you enjoyed the interview and would love to work there. Most people don’t follow up because they lack the confidence to ask for the job; don’t be one of those people!

Being a family-owned business for more than 25 years, we have built Madden Industrial Craftsmen on quality, pride and craftsmanship. To join our team, contact our recruiters today to work with a top construction staffing agency in the northwest!