{"id":5088,"date":"2017-05-10T06:48:21","date_gmt":"2017-05-10T06:48:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/?p=5088"},"modified":"2025-09-26T09:04:45","modified_gmt":"2025-09-26T07:04:45","slug":"worst-enemy-job-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/worst-enemy-job-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"Your worst enemy during a job interview"},"content":{"rendered":"

You\u2019ve applied for the job, confident in your ability to tick off their required qualification boxes, and you\u2019ve landed the job interview.<\/p>\n

You might even feel like their description of the ideal candidate was written for you. But with 33% of surveyed recruiters admitting they know if they\u2019ve found the right applicant for the job within the first 90 seconds1<\/sup>, there might be something standing in your way of job success<\/strong> – something you haven\u2019t even considered yet.<\/p>\n

Yourself.<\/p>\n

The first impression you give off in the opening minutes of your job interview could be the difference between signing the contract or heading back out on the job hunt.<\/p>\n

You need to make sure you\u2019re not standing in your own way during the interview – fight the nerves, put the best version of yourself forward and let your abilities speak for themselves.<\/p>\n

Here are the four steps to take to get out of your own way and land that job.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"job<\/p>\n

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  1. \n
    Create a cycle of positivity during your job search<\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Your fear of being incompetent is usually far greater than your actual shortcomings. You\u2019re not alone in feeling concerned that you don\u2019t have what it takes to get where you want to be.<\/strong> Mental Floss describes the phenomenon of Imposter Syndrome as the following:<\/p>\n

    \u201cThose who struggle with Imposter Syndrome maintain a strong belief that they are not intelligent; in fact they are convinced that they have fooled anyone who thinks otherwise.\u201d2<\/sup><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    So how do you snap out of it?<\/p>\n

    You need to swap out the default decisions<\/a> you might be making on a daily basis that negatively affect your attitude, for a cycle of positivity.<\/p>\n

    What a cycle of positivity looks like:<\/strong><\/h6>\n

    Instead of hitting snooze, aim to wake up 30 minutes earlier and get a short workout in. Exercising in the morning will help you to make healthier decisions during the day. Every positive decision you make, from a healthy lunch to tipping your barista slightly more will encourage a cycle of positivity that will translate to improved confidence and a positive attitude during your job interview.<\/p>\n

    2. Interview preparation is the key to a confidence boost<\/h5>\n

    One surefire way to rid yourself of excessive nerves before your job interview is to ensure you\u2019re as prepared as you can be. It was reported that 47% of the time, interviewees did not possess enough knowledge about the organisation they were applying to be a part of.3<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n

    No matter how qualified you are, if you\u2019re unprepared, you\u2019ll give off the perception you don\u2019t really want to be there.<\/p>\n

    What preparation looks like:<\/strong><\/h6>\n