How to Overcome Self-Doubt Before a Job Interview

Prepping for a job interview?

You probably already know you need to do your research about the position. [Check out my Prepping for Job Interview blog]

Then, there’s prepping for the most common interview questions. [Check out my Interview Questions blog]

What you might not have thought about is how to handle self-doubt before you get into the interview.

Self-doubt is basically thoughts and beliefs that don’t support our capabilities.

It’s important to know that everyone feels self-doubt, even successful people. You have to work through self-doubt to find success.

Overcoming self-doubt

Step 1

The first step in overcoming self-doubt is simply recognizing it. Notice how you doubt yourself. What do you think?

Become really conscious of your doubts and the beliefs you tell yourself. “I’m not good enough” might be one. Pause and write down all your negative beliefs about yourself.

Step 2

Look at the list you came up with. Notice that the beliefs are just thoughts you keep thinking. Your beliefs will determine how you feel about yourself. They will determine what you do, how you act, and ultimately your results.

Once you know that self-doubt is something we create in our minds, you have the power to change that belief. You have a choice about what you want to think about yourself.

Stay with me here, I know you’re probably saying that self-doubt feels like something that has come over you. Self-doubt feels very real when it happens, like it’s a circumstance.

But what I want to offer you is that it’s really a thought you’re having over and over and it makes it feel like it’s a belief that we can’t question.

What do you want to believe? You have a choice.

Step 3

Now that you have a choice, what do you want to think when you think about yourself?  What are you capable of? Think about that. How do you answer that question?

Pause and write down your new beliefs or the new beliefs that you would like to have about yourself.

Step 4

Time to see the magic. The thought you choose to believe is what will generate a feeling.

Pick one of those new beliefs and write it down in another spot on your paper.

OK, now look at that thought and ask yourself, “How does that thought make me feel?”

Next, ask, “How do I act or react when I feel this way?”

Finally, ask, “What result do I get when I act that way?”

What did you learn?

Finding Self-Confidence

Let’s look at an example of this process. Let’s use a job interview as the circumstance that’s causing self-doubt.

Circumstance: Job interview

Thought/Belief: I feel prepared to go talk about this job in an interview

Feeling: Confident

Action: Going to show up as the best version of myself during the interview.

Result: I did my best.

If you found these tips helpful and want to go deeper into how to get more confidence and less confusion when applying for jobs, schedule a strategy coaching session.

And remember… “You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have."