Confident Candidates Perform Better — and Confidence Comes From Preparation
Interviewers use their gut, even when they try not to. One subjective factor you can legitimately leverage is projecting confidence — and confidence comes from preparation, not bravado.
As a hiring manager I liked to believe I followed an unbiased, objective interviewing process for identifying the best candidate for the job. I could not be swayed by subjective factors.
I had my rubrics, my set of questions I was calibrated on, my HR training, and my years of experience on the hiring side. My decisions were based on concrete data about the candidate’s capabilities.
Well — looking back, I think that was more aspirational than something I regularly achieved.
Interviewers are human. We try, but can’t always escape unconscious biases, and our reasoning can be subjective. We’ll use our gut, even when trying not to.
So no surprise — the interviewers making your hire-or-no-hire decision will use their gut too.
Leverage this.
One of the subjective factors you should leverage is projecting confidence. Confident candidates perform better in interviews. Fortunately it’s not some secret art — confidence just comes from great preparation. Treat interviewing like the separate skill set that it is, and study and practice.
Prepare like you mean it
- Research the job description, the team, the company, the industry.
- Create a 60-second elevator pitch — an answer to “tell me about yourself” and “why should we hire you.”
- Describe the parts of the job listing that resonated with you: the areas where you can contribute at a high level, the areas that fuel your passion.
- Brush up on your functional skills — the things you can be quizzed on that demonstrate you can do the job.
- Create your story bank — the stories describing your career accomplishments, how you operate at a level at least as high as what they’re looking for, how you rise to big challenges, and how you work with others to overcome hurdles.
Then, prepare like you REALLY mean it
Work closely with someone who’s been on the hiring side, making hiring decisions for roles like the ones you’re applying for. Someone who will:
- Guide your preparation strategy
- Run mock interviews
- Evaluate your communication, your problem-solving, and how you describe your accomplishments
- Give you the feedback you need to hear
Hey — that’s what I do. Or if you want a self-paced version, check out my behavioral interview course.
Solid preparation breeds the kind of confidence that works for you in interviews. Faking confidence, knowledge, or skills will backfire — so don’t.
