Do you get sweaty palms or does your heart start beating like a big brass band right before an interview? Don’t worry. For you are not alone in this. Feeling anxious during an interview is quite natural. The fact that you are in an unknown environment being judged and evaluated by people in a position of authority who have the power to decide whether you are the right fit for the job itself makes you nervous.
Hence, you tend to make common interview mistakes while speaking English even though you speak fluently otherwise. So, how do you overcome your fear of speaking in English and pass the interview with flying colours?
Cafe Converse, Delhi’s leading institute for learning spoken English, shares a few tips to ace any interview with confidence.
- The fear factor: Let go of your fear and be confident. You are bound to make mistakes if you are afraid. So, take a deep breath and gather your thoughts before you answer any question. This will help you think logically and bring clarity to your thoughts. Remember, no interviewer would be expecting you to speak perfectly when it is not your native language. Create a strong first impression.
- Don’t aim for perfection: We all make mistakes. The key thing is to learn from those mistakes and move forward with confidence. That’s exactly what you should do during an interview. While speaking a foreign language like English, no matter how fluent you are in your daily life, you will make a few mistakes. Even native speakers make common mistakes. Don’t aim for perfection. Just make sure that you are properly understood, and that your sentences make sense. At the end of the day, all that matters is how well you tackle the questions and impress the interviewer.
- Practice makes one perfect: Practice listening to radio or television programs to improve your spoken English. However, listening alone won’t boost your confidence. You must practice speaking English daily with your friends, family and even outsiders. The more you practice listening and speaking in English, the more confident you will be when facing your interviewer.
- Don’t speak too fast: One of the most common mistakes that the interviewees make is to speak too fast. You must speak slowly and clearly. Let the interviewer understand your answer. Only then will he or she be able to connect with you better which is essential for the success of an interview.
- Prepare well: Doing thorough research about the company you are going for an interview with, will not only boost your confidence but the interviewer will also be impressed by your knowledge.
- Don’t forget to ask: Always ask the interviewer to rephrase a question in case you fail to understand its meaning in English.
Bottomline
Last but not least, always put your best foot forward and be a winner. Don’t be afraid of interviews. Face them with courage. And you will succeed.
Happy learning !!
Ms Sonu Goel is a professionally acclaimed certified ESL trainer from British Council having 15 years of strong background for teaching English language in both online and physical classes. She is dedicated to the teaching of English in an interactive and practical way, whereby learners feel enriched with knowledge and experience the language hands-on. She uses creative ideas and aids to let the learning happen as organically and efficiently as possible. Ms Goel has travelled various European countries and experienced an array of cultures and linguistic skills for the English language.
