Mastering Interview Confidence: How to Stay Relaxed

Posted on June 09, 2025 by Nick Rustad, MBA, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.

Interviews often trigger anxiety, even in the most qualified candidates. Learning how to remain calm during an interview isn’t just about comfort—it’s about allowing your authentic abilities to shine through. At CoreTactic, we’ve coached thousands of professionals in developing the confidence and poise necessary to excel in high-stakes interview situations.

Understanding Interview Anxiety: The First Step to Overcoming It

Interview anxiety is remarkably common, affecting professionals at all career levels. Before addressing how to stay relaxed in an interview, it’s important to understand what causes this particular form of stress. Fear of negative evaluation often tops the list, along with perfectionism and impostor syndrome that make candidates feel inadequate despite their qualifications. Previous negative interview experiences can create lasting apprehension, while uncertainty about expectations and the high stakes of desired outcomes amplify stress levels. Recognizing these factors helps normalize the experience and provides a foundation for developing effective coping strategies.

Building Genuine Confidence: The Foundation of Interview Success

Many candidates wonder “How do you get confidence in yourself?” especially before important interviews. Authentic confidence stems from preparation, self-awareness, and practical techniques that address both mental and physical aspects of performance.

The foundation begins with mastering your narrative. Confidence emerges from clarity about your professional story, and when you can articulate your experiences, strengths, and aspirations coherently, you automatically project greater assurance. This means reviewing your career journey to identify key growth moments, connecting your experiences to the role you’re seeking, and preparing specific examples that demonstrate your capabilities. Practice articulating your professional story until it flows naturally, as this preparation addresses a fundamental aspect of how to get confidence in yourself by establishing exactly what value you bring to potential employers.

Developing a pre-interview relaxation routine creates another pillar of confidence. Creating a consistent routine helps signal to your body and mind that you’re prepared to perform at your best. Physical preparation includes quality sleep, moderate exercise, and proper nutrition in the days leading up to your interview. Mental rehearsal through visualizing successful interview scenarios helps your brain prepare for positive outcomes. Incorporating relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or brief meditation can significantly reduce anxiety levels. Establishing confidence triggers through personal rituals that help you access a confident state provides additional psychological support. These practices help answer the question of how to stay relaxed in an interview by establishing a foundation of calm before you even enter the interview environment.

Practical Techniques for Staying Relaxed During Interviews

Knowing how to stay relaxed in an interview requires specific in-the-moment strategies that you can implement when anxiety begins to surface. Breathing techniques provide immediate relief when you notice stress rising during an interview. Take a deliberate, slow breath through your nose, hold briefly, then exhale slowly through slightly pursed lips, repeating unobtrusively as needed. This technique activates your parasympathetic nervous system, countering the fight-or-flight response that accompanies interview anxiety.

How you conceptualize the interview significantly impacts your stress levels. Instead of viewing it as an evaluation where you’re being judged, consider it a mutual exploration of fit where both parties assess compatibility. Think of it as an opportunity to share your expertise rather than defend your qualifications, approaching it as a professional conversation between peers rather than a one-sided interrogation. Frame it as a chance to learn about the organization while they learn about you. This reframing helps address the root of how to get confidence in yourself by shifting from a position of being judged to one of equal participation in a meaningful professional dialogue.

Your physical state directly influences your emotional state, making body language and posture crucial elements in projecting and generating confidence. Adopt an open, aligned posture that conveys professionalism and engagement. Use purposeful gestures that emphasize key points rather than fidgeting nervously. Channel nervous energy into engaged expression rather than trying to suppress it completely, as some energy can actually enhance your performance when directed properly. Maintain comfortable eye contact that demonstrates interest and confidence without becoming a staring contest. These physical practices not only signal confidence to interviewers but actually generate confident feelings through the mind-body connection.

What to Say When You Don’t Know the Answer

One of the most anxiety-provoking aspects of interviews is the fear of being unable to answer a question, but having prepared responses for these situations is crucial for how to stay relaxed in an interview. When faced with an unfamiliar question, you might say “That’s an excellent question. I want to give you a thoughtful answer. May I take a moment to consider?” This buys you time while demonstrating thoughtfulness. If you lack specific experience, try “I haven’t encountered that specific situation, but here’s how I would approach it…” followed by your reasoning process. When genuinely unfamiliar with a concept, acknowledge it honestly: “I’m not familiar with that particular concept, but I’m interested in learning more about how it applies in this role.” Honesty paired with a demonstration of your thinking process often impresses interviewers more than attempts to bluff your way through unknown territory.

Specific Strategies for Different Interview Formats

Different interview formats require specific approaches to manage anxiety and project confidence effectively. For virtual interviews, technology preparation becomes paramount. Test your technology well in advance to avoid last-minute stress, create a professional background environment that won’t distract from your presentation, and position your camera at eye level to create the most flattering and professional appearance. Look directly at the camera when speaking to create the impression of eye contact with your interviewer, and have notes discreetly available without reading directly from them, which can appear rehearsed or impersonal.

Panel interviews present unique challenges when facing multiple interviewers simultaneously. Address your responses primarily to the person who asked the question while including other panel members with occasional eye contact to acknowledge their presence. Use the increased interview time to showcase different aspects of your experience, treating each panel member as equally important regardless of their apparent seniority level. This approach demonstrates respect for the entire team and shows your ability to communicate effectively with diverse groups.
Technical or case interviews require a different approach focused on demonstrating your problem-solving process. Narrate your thinking process aloud so interviewers can follow your reasoning, ask clarifying questions when needed to ensure you understand the problem correctly, and break complex problems into manageable steps that showcase your analytical abilities. Practice similar problems extensively beforehand to build confidence in your technical skills and problem-solving approach.

Building Long-Term Interview Confidence

Developing lasting confidence for interviews requires ongoing attention and continuous improvement. After each interview, regardless of the outcome, take time to reflect on what went well and identify opportunities for improvement. Incorporate these insights into future preparation, transforming every interview into a growth opportunity that gradually builds your confidence through accumulated experience and refined skills.

Continuous skill development through regularly practicing interview scenarios helps develop the mental and verbal agility needed for confident interview performance. Whether through formal coaching, peer practice, or recorded self-practice, consistent rehearsal builds competence and confidence simultaneously. At CoreTactic, our career coaches provide structured interview simulations and feedback to accelerate this skill development process, helping clients identify blind spots and refine their presentation skills.

Moving Beyond Interview Anxiety Toward Authentic Engagement

The ultimate goal isn’t just to know how to stay relaxed during an interview; it’s about transforming interviews from stress-inducing evaluations into opportunities for meaningful professional connections. By combining thorough preparation with anxiety management techniques and authentic self-presentation, interviews can evolve into conversations where you honestly assess mutual fit while showcasing your unique value proposition. This shift in perspective changes the entire dynamic from one of anxiety and defensiveness to one of curiosity and genuine engagement.

Success in interviews comes from recognizing that both parties have something valuable to offer and something to learn. When you approach interviews from this balanced perspective, anxiety naturally diminishes because the pressure shifts from proving yourself worthy to exploring whether there’s a good match between your skills and their needs.

For personalized guidance in developing interview confidence and performance, feel free to reach out to our team at CoreTactic. Our specialized coaching can assist you in turning interview anxiety into interview excellence, helping you develop the skills and confidence needed to succeed in today’s competitive job market.RetryClaude can make mistakes. Please double-check responses.