***Displaying Confidence in Your Interview Is a Strength -- Being Overly Confident Is Not!

There is no doubt that potential employers are looking for confidence in those whom they will hire. Seeing assuredness in how you handle yourself, how you dress, how you answer questions and even the way you sound says a lot to the person determining your future. Do you handle yourself confidently? While believing in yourself is a wonderfully positive trait, if you are overly confident, you will be looked upon negatively. You may believe that you are the best candidate for the position you are seeking and you can even say that if is tempered with humility.

Let me give you an example: Wrong: “You will not find a better person for the job than me.” Yes, if they look long and hard enough, they probably can find someone who is more qualified or better educated or more outgoing, etc. Right: “I know that I am the right person for your job because I will do my best.” These words tell the employer that you are confident in your own abilities; but, it is not saying that you are the only one who can do the job. If you can approach the employer with the confidence that you know you are qualified for the position, you stand a much better chance of getting hired than if you are overly confident. Future employers do not want you thinking that you are smarter or better qualified than they are. Telling them that there is no one better for the job is an unfair assessment and does not speak well of you. What you need to learn to do is to straddle the fence. This is an important skill in the interview process. Yes, you must be able to voice your strengths with confidence but you must also be aware of your limitations. We all have them in one way or another. Telling them that you are the only person who is right for the job is telling them that you have no weaknesses. They are not looking for perfection; they are looking for someone who is eager to learn and will strive to do the best job possible. Being too confident tells them that you have nothing to learn. That is what a future employer most definitely does not want to hear. Without confidence, you will not get the job; however, with too much confidence, you are not likely to be invited back for the 2nd interview. Believe in yourself; temper your confidence with humility; and, be honest with those who hold your future in their hands.