Confidence Tips?

*Beki*

Thanks for being so supportive! It's great to get so many helpful tips.

Lots of research and preparation to do. And then I will try to "act" confident, and hopefully show them why I should get the job!

RexBanner

*Beki* wrote: »

Thanks lama I really appreciate all the feedback.

The part about being conscious of your voice is especially true. I have to give a presentation as part of the interview, and i know that when I'm nervous I talk really fast! So I know I'll have to make a point of breathing and slowing down so that I'm coherent.

Is the presentation on PowerPoint?

If so I'd advise breaking the time given down into approximate chunks for each slide so you can roughly gauge how you're doing timewise as you go along.

Also remember that the info is new to them so give them enough time to digest it. As said above, don't be afraid of pauses.

I've done sessions based on, say, 15 slides, which have been due to do on for 2 hours and flew through the first 5 in 5 minutes, leaving a lot of time to fill.

Also, if its appropriate try keeping text to a minimum on any presentation. I just use pictures as it means they have to pay attention to what I'm saying, rather than reading it off the screen then waiting for me to catch-up. Having been on both sides of the interview table I'd really appreciate a fresh approach (without doing anything ridiculous or wacky:)).

Good luck!

Errata

If your presentation is going to need electricity - take hard copies for every panel member. Blackouts happen, kit refuses to co-operate or stops working.
If every goes ok, give out the hard copies at the end of your interview; it demonstrates you're prepared and thoughtful.
Good luck

*Beki*

That's a really good point Errata thanks! I always take 2 copies electronically but a hard copy is now added to the list!

I absolutely agree about little text on the slides too. Will practise the presentation timing before hand- it's got to be 10-15minutes long, so with nerves making me talk a little faster, if its a bit long in practise should be fine for the real thing!

-sparky-

*Beki* wrote: »

So does anyone have any tips or suggestions as to how I can project this at the interview without coming across as arrogant or desperate?

Some tips from personal experience (I'm in a similar position age and experience wise):

Don't try any of the "confidence building" gimmicks - stuff like body language, changing your voice, NLP, visualisations, and all the other self-help junk. They'll make you even more awkward and nervous than you already are.

Do your research about the company and the market. Knowledge is power - the more you know, the more confident you'll be about what you're talking about.

Make sure your body and mind is sane and well rested before the interview. Get plenty of sleep the night before, leave enough time to get there without having to rush, prepare what you're going to wear the night before. Don't overdo it with caffeine and cigarettes in the morning. If you exercise regularly, don't skip it because you're preparing for the interview. Physical exercise is the best stress/nervousness buster known to man. All very basic advice that your grandmother can give you but you'll be amazed at the difference it makes.

Remember that this is not a life or death situation. Even if this interview doesn't go well you'll have many more opportunities. View it as a learning experience and an opportunity to see if you are a good fit for the company and the role. Avoid the mindset of treating it like the X Factor auditions.

reheat

*Beki* wrote: »

I have an interview for a job next Friday which I am so excited about- it sounds like exactly what I want to progress to, and would open so many doors in the future as well.

However, I'm only 25, 2 years out of Uni and the job advert stated 5-10years experience preferable. They obviously thought I had something worth pursuing seeing as I have an interview, but I'm just very conscious that I will be up against all these older, more mature and experienced people!

I'm not massively confident, but I believe I do have the skills to do the job, and the enthusiasm and determination to learn anything new.

So does anyone have any tips or suggestions as to how I can project this at the interview without coming across as arrogant or desperate?

Thanks

You'd be amazed how many job ads state they want this and that, but actually are far less stringent if they find the right person. The word 'preferable' means they will be more than happy with someone with well under 5 years if they are right in other respects. Which brings us to ...

The 2nd bit I've highlighted is your ticket to a good interview!

I got myself a super new job just over a year ago (and yes I am still in it!), and I found out afterwards why I got it. There were two candidates got to the final stage, and apparently we were both pretty evenly matched technically, but it seems my enthusiasm and interest, and willingness to learn is what swayed the ball into my court.

If you think about the converse, how much use is someone who goes into an interview like Eeyore on a bad day: depressing, unmotivated, uninterested, etc! So when you can go in with healthy enthusiasm, (i.e. not like Tigger!), interest etc, it's a huge plus. You will be seen as a positive benefit to a team, beyond just your individual skills.

I had to do a presentation, and it was this that helped me get immersed in things, and be really enthusiastic etc. Also if there is something you are burning to ask, then do ask at a suitable point - comes across well. But I also showed lots of (genuine) interest in the technology the company specializes in (I'm a techy person), etc. Gen up on the company, so you understand something about it beforehand. Look on their website etc.

Wishing you the very best of luck.

heretolearn_2

You've had some great advice on here. The only things I can add are:

1) the line between confidence and arrogance? When there's an area you haven't got experience in be honest about it but ask some intelligent questions to demonstrate that you are willing and able to learn. We rejected an awful arrogant man once who, after a lot of evasiveness finally admitted his lack of experience in one area but wasn't interested in our discussion on the training we'd provide in it, preferring to insist that he would be able to 'pick it up himself' immediately and quickly, without any recognition that this was a technical and vital area that you DO need to be formally trained in. no one else interviewed had experience in it either, so we went for the candidate who showed some understanding of what would be involved and appreciation for the opportunity to learn by asking about the training and asking for our recommendations of resources he could start looking at to get prepared for this.

2) Powerpoint - there is nothing more boring than looking at a screen full of text with someone reading out the slides. the slides should be used to support what you are saying, not replicate it. So good use of illustrations/graphs etc should be worked in, and other slides just with brief bullet points, that you expand on in your presentation. that's my opinion anyway, and it's always worked well for me, and I learned this from someone who makes a good living making presentations and public speaking.

3) The best confidence boost? Remember that the interviewers are 100% on your side. They are desperate for you to be 'the one' and to be able to give you the job. Interviewing is hard work and at the same time incredibly boring, and your heart leaps when someone turns up that you think 'yes, this is one we can give the job to' and you feel confident about your choice. We so want people to do well.

But so many of your competition won't for quite silly reasons; not being dressed well for interview, being late, not greeting the interviewers, not shaking hands, giving basic yes/no answers or alternatively running off at a tangent and not answering the questions at all, talking to a corner of the room instead of us, slumping right across the table, slagging off previous employers, picking their noses absent-mindedly, speaking so quietly you can't hear their answers, only responding properly to the male interviewers and not the female one, being rude to the receptionist, coming across like Eeyore on a particularly bad day, being clearly under the influence of drugs with no attention span and pupils the size of saucers, stinking of booze, continually playing 'pocket billiards', and other dire behaviours (one very memorable guy spat in the street outside while waiting to come in to the offices and would have spat on my shoes if I hadn't done an emergency swerve round him). All those have happened in our interviews. So just don't do anything really daft like that and you are doing better than a surprising number of candidates.

thomas22

As you have skills required for the job...so no need to worry....be confident and do the best!!

Good Luck!!

reheat

heretolearn's notes about powerpoint (often known as death by powerpoint) is worth heeding.

Powerpoint is like fire: a powerful friend but a terrible enemy. Just keep to brief bullet points - the whole point is for people to listen to you explaining things, not hearing what they are reading anyway. If need be do yourself a hard copy with a few extra clear to read notes on.

When giving a presentation, the worst part is getting the first few words out - so be clear what those first few words are going to be, get them into your head.

If you decide to give out hard copy notes of your presentation, do not give them out before, leave till the end. Otherwise your presentation will be to an audience paying no attention to you, but with heads buried in the handout notes instead!

Allow yourself to enjoy it! Once you get started, providing you've done your preparation beforehand, you will probably enjoy yourself.

You've probably been told how long your presentation should be - if not it's a good idea to ask. Then ensure you tailor the presentation to fit the time. Do some practice runs, at the same measured pace as you are going to do the real thing. And get into the habit of noting the time you start, else it's really difficult to know when to stop!

Edit: realised you do say how long the presentation is. Remember to allow for questions. I found with my presentation the questions bit was where I really got into the swing of it all.

*Beki*

Update: Big thank you to everyone who offered such valuable advice! The interview went really well, and I've since had some great feedback so fingers crossed

I still have a Skype interview/chat with the head of HR to follow- to discuss salary package, benefits, etc- any tips for this?

Thanks again!