Often a candidate will come out of an interview being sure that the s/he has the job “in the bag”, and yet, a week later, a short email notified that unfortunately they are not a fit for a job. Wow, I’m a perfect fit - how is it possible?
To make my point, let’s say following the interviewing process, two equally qualified candidates surfaced to the top of the list. Both of them attended great schools, have an impressive list of relevant experience, show solid going-forward motivation to perform, and moreover, have equal level of chemistry with the hiring manager.
What is the final deciding variable that will get the employer off the fence and chose one candidate over the other? In my opinion, the answer is: a candidate’s projected self-confidence. It’s not about being cocky and/or ego-driven, but about meaning what you say you did and can do, and making the hiring manager sense your self-confidence and therefore internally develop that very settled gut-feeling about your level of confidence and conviction in your abilities.
Next time you prepare for an interview, please pay attention to your delivery, body language/eye contact and make sure you inject it with a few drops of self-confidence that can make a world of difference in your chances of getting the career opportunity you deserve. And if all fails, remember it has nothing to do with you begin confident, and everything to do with you acting as one. Fake it til you make it.
