Self-Presentation: Being Your Best Self at a Job Interview

Every year countless students upon graduation move on and seek employment. A key criterion in deciding an individual’s employment is the interview process. Having positive self-esteem with good impressions and eloquent self-presentation in an interview is paramount in getting hired for the dream job or any job. Self-esteem, as according to Heatherton and Wyland (2003), is related to personal beliefs about competence, abilities, social relationships, and future outcomes. Hence it is a mindset of one’s self and having a positive or negative mindset could significantly affect an individual’s well-being and employment chances. Heatherton and Wyland support this view and similarly state that self- esteem has a positive impact on outcomes such as academic and career success. Therefore, one’s self-esteem does influence employment success. Read on for two key tips on how to portray good self-presentation and impression during interviews!

There are different ways to display a good impression and build rapport with your interviewer during a job interview. Miller, Catt, and Slocombe (2014) highlights that aside from being knowledgeable, the first thing all interviewees should learn is to be comfortable and confident with the idea of an interview. To be confident, individuals need to first visualize that interviews are not an intimidating test but an engaging and enjoyable process. By rejecting the idea that interviews are an arduous and unenjoyable task, individuals are also getting rid of their fears of failure which allows for a better interview performance (Miller, Catt & Slocombe, 2014). Therefore, by simply changing one’s negative attitude of an interview, a person is more confident and is able to portray better self-impressions. Aside from having good speaking skills, certain physical and non-verbal cues also aid with showcasing higher self-esteem and a portrayal of a good impression in interviews.

Prossack (2020) notes that body language, maintaining proper posture and eye contact are extremely vital for an overall great impression as it shows an individuals’ self-esteem. Replying to a question with an outstanding answer will not be impactful if an individual is crouching over in their chair (Prossack, 2020). Hence sitting upright and looking into the interviewers’ eyes while delivering an answer showcases higher self-esteem, gives a better self-presentation and makes an individual look more confident.

To conclude, proper self-presentation in a job interview is important as it significantly helps to portray good impressions to the interviewer. Attaining a good self-presentation is linked with having positive self-esteem. Building constructive and positive self-esteem can be achieved by simply changing one’s negative feelings and fears of an interview. Additionally, maintaining proper non-verbal cues by sitting upright and keeping eye-contact with interviewer’s also helps to portray higher self-esteem and good impression during an interview.

REFERENCES:

1. Heatherton, T. F., & Wyland, C. L. (2003). Assessing self-esteem. In S. J. Lopez & C. R. Snyder (Eds.), Positive psychological assessment: A handbook of models and measures (p. 219–233). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

2. Miller, D. S., Catt, S. E., & Slocombe, T. E. (2014). Job interviews: Keys for results. Administrative Issues Journal, 4, 77-82.

3. Prossack, A. (2020). How to stand out from the crowd in an interview. Retrieved 19 April 2020, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/ashiraprossack1/2018/06/18/how-to-stand-out-from-the-crowd-in-an-interview/#55aa401d51b0