How to overcome excitement at a job interview? The secrets of public speaking

It is enough for our brain to look at the cover of a movie or book once to form an opinion and make a verdict on whether we like it or not. Everything around us is fixated on visual design, because it is the key to the first impression. People always evaluate appearance in the first place. That's why it's important to be able to create that first impression - and it's not just about nice clothes or hairstyle, but how you can present yourself.

Searching for a job is often not an easy task, but it becomes even more difficult when at interviews instead of clear speech and presentation of yourself as a specialist the only thing you can do is to ramble, or on the contrary - from excitement not to utter a word on the merits. That's why it is so important to have the skill of public speaking.

Oratory

Oratory implies the ability to competently and clearly convey thoughts to the masses. This skill will add to your confidence in yourself and what you say, it opens doors in your career and basically improves your interaction with society. You may be top-notch in your field, but if you don't know how to sell your skills in the job market, no one will ever know about your capabilities. Employers may be looking for you, but how do they know about it?

Announcers, politicians, actors and, indeed, all public personalities need to be able to competently convey thoughts to the masses. They need to be good orators who know how to present themselves and deliver the desired message to people, because in the case of politicians, the results of an election or a passed law may depend on it. The word is the easiest tool to convey a message, but you need to know how to use it at the right time and in the right place.

Public speaking skills

Even if you are not going to build a career in media or any field where you will always be in the public eye, it will not keep you away from public speaking. Even a job interview is a kind of public speaking, where your goal is to convince the employer that they need you. So in order to feel confident when sitting in front of an employer, do the following:

• Know your worth: Before the interview, collect all your diplomas, analyze your merits in your career, reread letters of recommendation from past jobs. All this is to trivialize your memory and not to be confused when you are asked about your skills and work experience.
• Think about what you will say: You don't need to write down and memorize what you will say verbatim, but you can briefly write down the key points you want to mention, for example: your achievements, qualifications, work experience, strengths and weaknesses, language skills.
• Update your knowledge: It is useful to update your knowledge before moving on to a new job, even if it is directly relevant to your education. Everything is changing very quickly in the world and therefore it is important to keep up to date with innovations in the field you are interested in.
• Buy a chocolate bar: Before the job interview, in order to relieve stress, buy yourself something delicious, it will relax you and give you the opportunity to overcome the excitement.
• Do not treat the interview as a last chance: Very often we can be psychologically pressured by the feeling that if this job does not work out, it is the end. It's even worse when we perceive job rejection as a rejection of our personality and then we give up. So try to set yourself up to believe that rejection is normal and it's not a reason to give up.

Homework

You need to realize that you won't become a skilled master of delivering your thoughts in one go, but you shouldn't stop. Develop, practice telling yourself about your achievements in your work near the mirror, ask friends or family to be your audience, so you will quickly overcome shyness and you will reap the fruits of your work. When practicing, also always keep in mind the basic principles of good public speaking, namely:

• Eye contact: It is important to look into the eyes of your interlocutor or at least do not lower your head, do not hide your gaze and do not run your eyes around the room. Exhale and realize that no one is going to eat you up. If you have a hard time making eye contact, look at some point at the eye level of your interlocutor.
• Volume: Speak in such a way that the person you are talking to doesn't have to ask you back, because your main goal is not to worry, and asking them to repeat what you said can increase your stress level.
• Speed: Don't speak too fast, but don't stretch your speech. Choose an optimal pace that allows you to clearly hear and analyze the thoughts you want to convey.
• Breathing: Simply remember to breathe. Smooth, steady breathing allows your body not to panic.
• Pauses: Don't ramble and pause occasionally to allow employers to ask you questions or ask for a more extended response.

One last thing

Good public speakers are not born but made, so it's all in your hands. With regular practice in public, you can gain full confidence in what you say and how. Try enrolling in a course or going to a group public speaking class. You will be surprised at the results that await you in the future, because a good public speaker can be a good leader, and this in turn can be an opportunity to move up the career ladder.