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Does Your Confidence Show At The Job Interview?

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“I have confidence in sunshine
I have confidence in rain
I have confidence that spring will come again
Besides what you see I have confidence in me!”

I have Confidence, lyrics from The Sound of Music

The Sound of Music is my favorite movie. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s about a young Austrian woman studying to become a nun in 1938 Salzburg. The nun-in-training, Maria, is sent to the estate of a retired naval officer and widower to be governess to his seven children. After bringing love and music into the lives of the family through kindness and patience, she marries the officer, and together with the children, they find a way to survive the loss of their homeland through courage and faith.

Photo Credit / The Sound of Music
Photo Credit / The Sound of Music

I have watched this movie over and over through the years, and each time I take away a nuggets of wisdom seen in a new light. One thing that particularly strikes me is when Maria is sent away from the Abby to become a governess to the von Trapp children. She has never done this job before. But as she really thinks about it, she searches her skills and realizes she has what it takes. She sings “I Have Confidence” as she leaves the Abby, headed down the path of the unknown. Talk about stepping into a new job with confidence! Maria takes this to heart, holds her head up high, stands tall with her shoulders back, steps with intention and with determination, and looks forward. She believes in herself!

Do you believe in YOU? Confidence is a feeling or belief that you have what it takes to get something done, and get it done right. Dental office employers look for candidates who perform their tasks with confidence. After all, the dental team has their patients’ dental health and wellbeing in their hands. Patients look to you for expertise. If you don’t have confidence, the patient will know it, feel it and question it.

As basic as this may seem, if you’re not aware, confidence is the first to go when you are nervous heading into a job interview. So take a deep breath, sing Maria’s song “I Have Confidence” in your head and follow these tips below to make that first impression.

Dental Temps Top 3 Interview Tips to Help Your Confidence Shine

  1. During a phone interview: you’ll want to be in a quiet, private location. Stand up and smile while you are speaking to the hiring manager. Pause before answering, a bit of dead air on the phone shows you put thought into your answers. Even via a telephone conversation, your confidence will shine through.

  2. Walking into the interview: walk tall, shoulders back and with intention. Hold your head up, making eye contact with interviewer. Lean in and extend your hand first for the handshake. Introduce yourself.

  3. We work in dentistry – SMILE at the interview! Show off those teeth!

Maria’s song of confidence helps me all the time. I always sing it in my head right before I’m about to speak to a large crowd or make a presentation. I picture myself as Maria, swinging my guitar and stepping toward a great, new opportunity. The visual of me as a very positive, Austrian nun-in-training not only makes me smile, but it gives me the confidence I need to accomplish what I want.

It only takes three seconds for that first impression. You want to show confidence, as that’s one key trait dental office employers are looking for!

 

 

Kim Knapp
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