5 Necessary Techniques to Prepare You For Your Next interview.
Don’t just prepare your content, prepare your entire self so that you “show up” at your best. How do you do this? Here are some practical tips that you can put to work during your next interview.
1. Take 10 deep, diaphragmatic breathes in the car on the way to your interview:
Put a hand on your belly to make sure that you are breathing as low as possible. Inhale through your nose, to the count of four, filling up your lungs from the bottom to top. Let your belly push out to create the space for more air and let your chest be the last thing to inflate. Exhale all of your air to the count of four, and hold your exhale for an additional count of two.
2. Show enthusiasm with facial expressions:
Even a low level of fear or anxiety causes our facial muscles to tighten making us lose our ability to communicate excitement and enthusiasm through facial expressions. Take a few minutes before your scheduled time to go into the bathroom, or into the privacy of your car, and stretch and move your face around. Practice a few authentic smiles.
3. When you sit for your interview, find your center and stay there:
Often during an interview one might lean forward to try to look engaged or lean back to look confident. Don’t do either. Stay in your center. Plant your feet beneath you, knees over heels, and sit up straight and tall, with your sits bones rooted firmly in the middle of your chair.
4. Use a relaxed, lower pitch in your voice:
When we’re nervous our voices tend to jump a pitch, often because tension centers in our throat. A deep resonance adds authority and weight to your ideas. It also sends a message to your interviewer (and your nervous system) that you are relaxed and confident.
5. Place your hands where the interviewer can see them:
Somehow when we enter stressful situations, our hands become awkward appendages that don't feel comfortable anywhere. Allow your hands to rest comfortably in your lap or on the arms of your chair. When there’s an opportunity, gesture in an upward direction and with an open palm.
There are many other tools and techniques that I can teach you. These are just a few…
Using any tool or technique by itself can come across as inauthentic or forced. Your ultimate goal is congruity in your voice, body, and message. There is a specific "shift" that is right for you and I can help you find it.
As a one-on-one coach, I tailor our work together to your individual communication style, helping you to make the unique shifts that you need to make to reach your career goals.
About Rebecca Martin
I am an energetic, enthusiastic, and caring public speaking and communication coach who knows how to achieve positive results for my clients. I am passionate about helping you to show up as your best self and to achieve your communication goals. More about me, here.