Think about the most nerve-wracking parts of your life. There’s your first day of school or college, the first time you ever go on a date, the moment you sit your driving test, and so on. Most of these situations are “first-time” things, so we’re only really nervous when they happen once. After that, we no longer feel the same anxiety – most of the time anyway.
However, there is one thing that remains nerve-inducing no matter how many times we experience it. That’s right, we’re talking about a job interview. Whenever you attend an interview, you’re a bundle of nerves. It’s a big problem as you need to be confident. If you don’t have confidence in yourself, how will you secure the job?!
Endless factors come into play during a job interview, many of which are out of your control. You’ve got no way of dictating the format of the interview or how nice the interviewers are. This is usually what causes a lot of nerves, which is why you should focus on things you can control.
Most notably, yourself!
There are ways to make yourself feel more confident before job interviews, and they all revolve around your appearance and how you carry yourself. If you find that inner confidence, you’ll smash any interview you attend. With that in mind, here are some simple beauty hacks that’ll give you the confidence boost you need:
Work on your posture
Your posture says a lot about you as a person; it’s a reflection of your inner confidence! At the same time, it can make you feel better about yourself.
In summary, it’s all about standing upright and making yourself as tall as possible. This is called power posing; you make yourself look like someone with a lot of power and confidence. Relax your shoulders down and back, opening up your chest and lifting your head high. You literally ooze confidence with this posture – and people will recognize it.
This is a great way to make an instantly good first impression when walking into your job interview. You’ll certainly look a heck of a lot better than anyone sitting slouched over. The interviewers will immediately feel like you’re competent and ready for the job.
Pull back your hair
The way you wear your hair also impacts your inner and outer confidence. Everyone is different, but the most common power hairstyle is the pulled-back look. You tie your hair up or back in a bun or ponytail. The whole idea is that it’s pulled back and creates that nice sleek look.
Mentally, this gets you in a more confident mood. Why? Because it’s the way you style your hair when you mean business. If you’re looking to get something done, the hair goes back so it’s not in your face causing a distraction. You do it all the time without even realizing it – whether it’s when you study, do some DIY, etc. The hair always gets pulled back, so it’s almost like you’re telling yourself it’s time to rock ‘n roll.
Moreover, people respond to this hairstyle in a similar manner. When you see a woman walk in with her hair tied back all slick, you know she means business. She creates a very powerful and confident atmosphere; it feels as though she knows what she’s doing. The interviewers at your job interview will think the same thing, which further enhances your confidence!
Practice your smile
Smiling gives us a huge confidence boost as it releases endorphins in our bodies. Try it now; smile and think about what it does to you. It’s almost impossible not to feel good about yourself when you smile.
The trouble is finding your smile before a job interview. You don’t want to walk in there with a forced grin that looks too much like a grimace. This can have the complete opposite effect you’re after! Instead, you need to work on your natural smile; it should come with ease and be so effortless for you to flash at everyone in the room.
Some of you may struggle more than others with this. You may have all sorts of problems that make it hard for you to smile with confidence. More often than not, it comes down to your lips and teeth. Some of us hate smiling because we have really thin lips and it makes us self-conscious. That’s perfectly natural, and you can do things to make your lips look fuller and better. Try different lip gloss products to see if they aid you. If not, you could always consider some subtle fillers – just make sure you get them done by someone like lip filler expert Arash Akhavan, M.D. rather than doing them yourself or going to a dodgy clinic. Having them done by an expert ensures you get the natural plumpness you’re after.
If your teeth are the problem – perhaps they’re wonky or stained – see your dentist for solutions. You can get retainers to straighten your teeth, veneers to cover them up, or teeth whitening to make them pop.
The point is, you address the issues with your smile so you feel more confident using it. Now, you can attend job interviews with a natural smirk that banishes your confidence issues and gives you a boost. 
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Wear what makes you feel good
It’s always important to dress to impress when going to a job interview. Unfortunately, we often go too far and end up wearing things that don’t make us feel good. We’re in unflattering suits just because we think it’s what we need to wear. As such, self-consciousness kicks in, and the confidence drops.
Look, if you’re not comfortable in your outfit, you’ll never be confident. It’s time to wear what makes you feel good to a job interview – within reason. Don’t show up in sweatpants and a hoody, or in a really skimpy dress with the girls out on display. That’s taking things a step too far!
It’s all about finding the right balance. Dress professionally, but in a way that makes you feel good. It’s okay for things to hug your figure and be flattering, as long as the outfit remains professional. You want to look at yourself in the mirror and think damn she looks good!
While we’re on this topic, don’t neglect the importance of shoes. Some women wear high heels to interviews, while others don’t. It doesn’t really matter, as long as the shoes match the outfit and make you feel good. Don’t wear heels if you can’t walk in them as it gives you something to worry about! Opt for a professional shoe that gives you the confidence boost you need. Perhaps you just need something with a wedged heel to provide extra height, making you feel better about yourself. It all comes down to personal preference; try on as many shoes as you can until you find the pair that feels right.
Look after your skin
Skin concerns are one of the biggest causes of confidence issues in women. You hate looking at your skin and noticing dry patches, blemishes, oiliness, and so on. It makes you feel bad about yourself, which leads to the urge to cover it up. You end up plastering on layers of foundation and concealer, which probably doesn’t help your skin in the long run.
There’s nothing wrong with wearing makeup to a job interview – in fact, some of you may gain a lot of confidence from doing so. But, you don’t want to go too far. If you’re wearing too much, it might make you feel less confident. You start getting anxious worrying if your foundation is starting to smudge or if you’ve blended everything incorrectly.
Avoid all of this by doing one simple thing: look after your skin. Follow a skincare routine for your skin type to ensure it looks clear and natural. When this happens, you won’t have to put on too much makeup before an interview. Instead, you can let your skin glow naturally and enhance this natural look. Trust me, when your skin looks good, you feel ten times more confident in yourself.
Use cold spoons in the morning
The final beauty hack is really one of the best out there. When you wake up on the morning of your job interview, place some cold spoons over your eyes and face. This does a wonderful job of reducing puffiness and making you look and feel more awake.
It counters any black bags you have under your eyes, which may be making you feel tired and worn. You can buy rollers that do the same thing, and it’s a wonderful way to start the day. You’ll immediately feel better as there’s one less thing to worry about.
Try these tips if you want to feel more confident going into job interviews. You can’t control every element of an interview, but you can control the way you look. Focus on making yourself feel good, and this will translate into more success during your interviews. You’ll also notice that interviewers treat you differently when you’re confident, which has the ironic effect of making you feel even more confident!
