If you share a case of the interview jitters with many others on the planet, here are a few techniques to boost your self-confidence and help you smooth sail your way to an offer:

• Create an Interview Zone. Way before interview day, jot down some ideas about how to create your perfect pre-interview scenario.  Dream up the perfect workout, breakfast, music, sleep, transportation, level of interaction with others — include anything that pumps up your self confidence and promotes a smooth environment.  Deem it your “Interview Zone” and don’t let excuses or others get in the way of cultivating that scenario to the greatest extent when the big day arrives.

• Practice, practice, practice. Nothing yields performance magic like practice.  Brainstorm a list of questions you think the interviewer is likely to ask or snag some from the web.  Ask friends, family, or acquaintances to role play interviewing with you.  This Q&A simulation will get you comfortable articulating the kinds of responses you’ll need.

• Interview, interview, interview. Accept any interviews that are offered.  Interview practice makes perfect so even if you don’t land that specific opportunity, you’ll have the benefit of real life experience on your side for next time.  After each interview, spend 15 minutes rehashing it.  Act as your own best critic about what needs improvement.

• Expand Your Horizons. Read some articles about successful communication techniques or enroll in a short-term public speaking class.  Both experiences will help you learn to better organize and articulate your thoughts in a powerful way.  The goal is to become comfortable addressing any audience — a skill that will serve you for a long time to come in any endeavor.

• Personal Rituals. Before the interview, practice any stress relief technique that has worked for you in the past.  Some need a power boost while others require concentrated reflection.  Some ideas:

1. Meditate or simply take a few deep breaths.
2. Offer up a personal power mantra or prayer.
3. Right before the interview, play a song that pumps you up and inspires self-confidence.
4. Do some stretching or cardio exercises a couple of hours prior to get the blood flowing and the brain going.
5. Pep Talk — Only consider a power-packed “pick me up” phone call with a friend or family member if you can be sure it will serve it’s purpose.  Is such a call part of your personal “Interview Zone”?

Pen or Keypad?

In this high speed day and age, it’s appropriate to send a simple “thank you” e-mail in most situations.  Some feel that a handwritten note still levies weightier impact and potentially sets you apart from other candidates.

Each sends its own message — e-mail offers the benefit of speed while hand-penned missives speak of a more time-honored tradition.  Make your own assessment of what fits the situation and act accordingly.

DOs:

•    Use your message to sincerely convey appreciation for the interviewer’s time.

•    Greeting: If you concluded the interview on a first name basis with your interviewer, keep the tenor in your greeting.  Otherwise, preserve conventional formality (Dear Mr./Ms.).

•    Length:  Keep it brief and succinct–no more than 3 lines–out of respect for the interviewer’s time.

•    Ideas to Get You Started:

Line 1: Thank them for their time
Line 2: Express that it was a positive experience for you because:
– you enjoyed meeting or connecting with them
– you liked the insight or discussion about the field, company, or position
– you feel that it would be a great fit or would love to join their team
Line 3: Conclude by letting them know you hope to hear from them soon or
address any follow-up items discussed in the interview

•    Compose your note when you find yourself in a confident, positive mental place — your mindset will come across!

DON’Ts

•    Avoid using a thank you note as a way to mention something you left out in the interview or further sell them on why you make the perfect candidate.

•    Wait so long that the interviewer might forget what you look like.  Follow-up within 1 day of meeting to keep the interview fresh on the mind.

Here are some quick tips to give you the current edge and boost your snapshot into the “get noticed” pile.

Utilize Keywords

Once unheard of in resume realms, keywords are quickly becoming crucial if yours is to reach a set of human eyes.  Many companies, bogged down with too many submissions, send resumes through programs that scan for the inclusion of certain phrases and thus, your word choices can be extremely powerful.

• Browse similar job postings and highlight or note words that appear frequently or are key industry terms.  Weave them naturally into your text.

Aesthetic Appeal

Ask others to review your resume and give feedback about its visual layout – is it too cluttered, too sparse, or just right?  Make sure the information is presented in a simple, accessible, and well-organized format.

• Use aesthetics like bullet points and bold text sparingly.
• Avoid too many visual distractions like multiple fonts, underlining, and italics.

Look at Length and Relevance

Resume real estate is limited, so make sure that everything you include creates a powerful and accurate picture of your achievements, work history, and related skills.

• Imagine yourself as the recipient with time constraints and pare it down to no more than two pages.
• Take your current resume and evaluate it’s relevance.  Create a sheet with two columns if need be – one for essentials and one for extras that you can showcase in a cover letter or interview.

Speak Specifically

Specifics can really sell your skill set by offering a direct measure of what you have achieved or how you achieved it.  If you have to choose between listing job duties and highlighting one or two specific achievements, consider the latter.  Standard duties are often summed up in a job title, and you want your prospective employer to know how you stood out.

• Spend a few minutes reliving those moments that garnered you that pat on the back, and capture them in a brief, powerful phrase.
• Use stats, quantifiable data, and direct examples of how you excelled.

Action, Action, Action

Using action words will help you create succinct, powerful phrases that allow you to show the direct impact of your efforts.  Carefully consider each action phrase for accuracy – make sure you can back it up with facts.

• Pair action terms with data and a description when possible: “Increased revenue 10% by XYZ”

Observe these rules of the interview road and have some serious fun in the process!

Arrive no more than 5 to 10 minutes early.

It’s okay to get to the general interview site well in advance but not such a great plan to announce yourself too early. Your interviewer will likely feel rushed to attend to the person eagerly waiting to meet them.

Come with knowledge of the company and questions about the position.

You may not even get the chance to ask anything if your interview turns out to be a whirlwind affair. That said, preparation never hurt anyone’s chances. Spend 15 – 30 minutes reading up about the company and brainstorming questions in advance.

• Q&A Yourself:  Don’t just prepare questions – be prepared to answer them. Search online for a list of common interview questions and supply specifics from what you know about the position.
• Role Play:  Spend 10 minutes in the interviewer’s shoes and come up with at least 10 questions you think would be fair game. Ask friends and family for input and to help with your interview role playing. Have fun with it!

Pay attention to clues the interviewer is giving about how much information they want.

Interviewers usually allot a specific amount of time to meet with you so scattered and lengthy responses do not send a powerful message. Collect your thoughts before you speak, and if you need a moment to respond, ask for it – employers will be impressed that you are taking a moment to think. Strive for concise responses that deliver maximum impact. Role playing in advance will help.

• Specify:  Incorporate specifics about past achievements and how you operate in a work environment.  Know how to speak about the strengths of your experience, skill set, and personality.
• Offer Solutions:  Be honest and solutions-oriented – be able to acknowledge gaps or weaknesses in your skill set or approach to work, and be prepared to offer up a solution or plan of action (avoid excuses).
• Clue In: Read articles or books about effective communication and nonverbal cues, and experiment with the suggestions in social settings and role playing.  This type of know-how will serve you far beyond the interview room.

Smile genuinely and act confidently…even if you don’t feel it inside.

You may be nervous, but if you are qualified for the job or know that you would make an excellent fit, nervousness will prevent you from conveying it.

• Practice: Role play to practice a confident handshake and eye contact.
• Be Humorously Human: If you sense it’s appropriate, break the interview ice with a little honest humor. Let your interviewer know upfront that you’re a little nervous like all interviewees, and that you’ll try to make him/her as comfortable as possible.

Dress It Up.

Yes, it’s 2010 and many work places honor a casual or even denim-decked dress code.  However, you don’t work there yet, so respect the traditional convention and don a professional ensemble.

• Short on Ideas:  If professional outfitting was never your strong suit, search websites that offer business attire ideas.
• $ Restrictions:  If designer interview duds aren’t in your budget, get creative: borrow from friends or family, shop sales, or consider renting.

On the bright side, each interview is an opportunity to learn about yourself and how to communicate more effectively and comfortably under pressure.  Harness this approach and pretty soon you won’t be interviewing anymore!