Strengthening Your Job Interview Mindset Is Easier Than You Think

Can a negative mindset affect your confidence? Absolutely, but we often undervalue how crucial positivity can be while looking for a job. Belief in oneself is the biggest psychological trick that’ll crack your job interview, and in this article, we’ll show you how to strengthen your conviction.

How do Negative Thoughts Affect Us?

Feeling negative emotions is normal and can be beneficial if we’re able to take a negative scenario for what it is. Once we start imagining negative scenarios, even when there’s no valid reason to do so, it can lead to hopelessness, helplessness, and chronic stress or anxiety.

One of the best tips to strengthen your job interview mindset is preparation. Why? Because our brain is hardwired to be afraid of the unknown. By preparing, you’re dismantling that stressor.

However, getting in the right frame of mind can do more for your confidence than any form of prep could. Negativity can act as a self-fulfilling prophecy. When we think we’ll fail an interview, we often stress out and forget the answers we memorized, causing us to fail the interview.

Why do we Think Negative Thoughts?

Out of the 12,000-16,000 thoughts we have every day, 80% of them are negative. It’s not your fault that we perceive the world as an awful place; our brains react more to bad experiences than positive ones. As a result, we tend to avoid bad experiences rather than pursue positivity.

That separation is crucial because our reality is shaped by our thoughts. If a rainstorm happens and it ruins your plans, do you focus on the ruined plans or all the fun you get to have inside? Chances are, your brain goes towards the former because most of us have a negativity bias.

What is a Negativity Bias?

A negativity bias is when a person focuses on the negative aspects of a scenario most or all of the time. In our modern world, the threat of failing can be just as scary as the threat itself.

Our focus on negative things is rooted in how we pay attention to real or perceived threats. Two psychologists, Irvin Rock and Arien Mack, called this concept the “inattentional blindness” that occurs when our information organs (eyes, ears, nose, etc.) are distracted or overloaded.

In reality, a negative bias is simply a negative attention bias. The more we focus on negative things, the more we continue to focus on them. This is often at the expense of positivity. If we don’t reshape or pay attention to our thoughts, we may not notice the positive aspects at all.

Why are Positive Thoughts Important for Your Interview?

The way you approach a situation has an impact on its results. If you walk into an interview with your shoulders slouched, yawning, or shaking, the recruiter may think you’re uninterested. If you also assume the interviewer is your enemy, you may come off as aggressive or stand-offish. 

But, what if you were to think your potential employer is a good person who’s just trying to find the best candidate? What if you focus on new friendships with coworkers and clients? How about the idea that you could walk away from the interview feeling you did your best?

Interviews, by their very nature, are stressful, sometimes uncomfortable experiences. It’s okay to feel nervous, but don’t let that emotion consume you or affect your interview performance.

If you stutter or trip over your words, make a joke about it! Everyone makes mistakes, but it’s the way you handle them that’ll set you apart from other applicants. Failure isn’t determined by whether you got the job; it’s determined by whether or not you showed up and gave it your all.

How to Get in the Right Frame of Mind Before an Interview

Don’t stress those negative thoughts; it’s not your fault you have them. However, you can remain optimistic and self-confident throughout the interview process if you do the following.

1. Do Away With Imposter Syndrome 

Imposter syndrome is the belief that you aren’t as good as others perceive you. If you feel this way, you may experience guilt because you don’t “deserve” the success you’ve achieved. 

But that simply isn’t true. You worked for what you have, even if you received help along the way. The only person who got you where you are now, and the only person who can maintain your momentum, is you. Your success comes down to your effort and competence, not luck.

2. Be Well-Prepared for the Interview

Preparation won’t help your mindset per se, but you can fall back on your knowledge when you’re nervous. For example, you can say, “I prepared for this, and I’m more than ready.”

To prepare for a remote and in-person interview, look up common interview questions and body language courses on YouTube. Remote meetings also have technical aspects that may fail, such as your microphone, camera, or lighting. It’s vital to have a backup plan if that happens.

3. Frame Your Interview as a Practice Run

Big monsters feel impossible to beat, but what about something smaller? While you should take your interview seriously, framing it like it’s a practice run can help you conquer the monster.

If that doesn’t work, approach your interview as an opportunity to grow. That way, you’ll learn from the experience, whether you got the job or not. If the interview didn’t go well, you’ll know what to do next time. If the employer didn’t impress you, you’ll know what not to look for.

4. Don’t Get Absorbed – Get Excited!

Life isn’t all about the job search, but that can be hard to wrap your head around when you’re stressed. If you hyper-fixate on the result of your interview, you’ll have little space for much else.

If an interview is coming up and you’re as prepared as you’re ever going to be, partake in your hobbies and interests. Call up your friends or family and have a fun night out or spend the time inside with your own company. If you’re really stressed, try exercise, yoga, or meditation.

5. Ask for Support From Your Network

If you’re unsure how to prepare for your interview, ask for support from your network. Express how you’re truly feeling, as vulnerability is one part of developing a more positive mindset.

You can even ask the recruiter some questions about the role if you have lingering doubts. For example, you can ask if the position is new, what types of questions they’ll ask, or about the structure of the interview. With this knowledge, you may feel more prepared for the big day.