How to be confident in an Interview

First Job is one of the most important steps we take in the corporate ladder.  Interviewing for your first job is enough to add on to the nervousness and anxiety. Although, feeling nervous in an interview is only human, but if you don't make it this time you will not get a second chance. You need to project confidence in spite of having butterflies in your stomach.

You have worked hard to get that interview. Preparing and updating resume, writing cover letters, applying for jobs, getting references are not easy tasks. Even if you have great ideas, nobody will listen to them if you have a shaky or a cracking voice.

Speaking confidently is difficult at the times it is most required. This could get even worse when you are unemployed, and possibly torn between the urgent pressures of finding a survival job and the hope of finding a fulfilling longer term career position.

Interstingly, even a person of mediocre caliber sounds intelligent when speaking with confidence.

Fortunately, it's not difficult to do well in an interview if you follow these simple rules:

• Do your homework: Have a good look at the Job Description. It will give you an idea about the company's expectations. Visit the company's website, research their history, their products/services, leadership team and the recent news. You could also have a look at their LinkedIn/Facebook/Twitter page.
• Don't be late: And if possible try to reach a little early. It will give you some time to settle down, recheck your appearance, revise what you prepared and chat with other interviewees (if any)
• Stick to the facts: Being overconfident, giving untrue information or exaggerating facts in an interview may become fatal if the interviewer asks follow up questions. Sticking to the facts is always the best practice.  
• Practice: Before the interview, practice the most commonly asked questions by interviewers. Read the job description and revise the subject. Prepare yourself in the best possible way. 
• Speak a little slower than seems natural: It may sound funny to you at this moment, but you should listen to some good orators (including Barack Obama). Many people also express nervousness by talking fast. People with real expertise tend to speak a bit slow, as if they expect their listeners to hang on every word.
• Eliminate your verbal ticks: Some people use verbal ticks ("Uhhh....," "you know...," "I mean..., etc.) while thinking of what to say next. This makes you sound like you're unsure of yourself, so it's better simply to silently pause in mid sentence. Record yourself and practice, if needed.
• Keep an eye on your body language: An interview is much more than a question answer session. How you conduct yourself is a huge part in your success or failure. Your body gestures might affect the outcome of an interview, so you need to be really careful.
• Smile: Interacting with a charming person can make people remember the conversation. Moreover, smiling only makes you more pleasant.