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By Vanessa McGrady, Refinery29
It’s 2017, and yet women are still fighting for equality. Data suggests it will take until 2152 to close the gender wage gap, but it shouldn’t take a century to get what we want. We want more, and Refinery29 is here to help — because 135 years is too long to wait for what we deserve today.
Most of us know the basics of getting ready for a job interview: Research the company, be able to talk about your career, dress well, position yourself as an asset, drink some coffee (but not too much). But there’s also the subtler side of prepping for an interview — doing the little, unexpected things that add confidence and maybe even an extra shot of charisma.
“Having answers on tap to anticipated questions helps us feel confident, but those responses can only help propel us if our bodies are communicating the same message as we speak,” explains Heather Davidson, who teaches in Western Washington University’s Department of Communication and has helped hundreds of people prepare for interviews.
“Getting psyched in novel ways can help us exude a palpable competence,” Davidson adds. “Most people forget that a first interview is a ‘second date’ of sorts. Employers have already screened your application and decided they'd like to know more about you. Like any second date, people are prone to anxiety in anticipation. How we think and feel going into the situation will undoubtedly affect the way we respond once there, and can make or break how we are perceived by others.”
Try some of these novel ideas to help boost your confidence, make your synapses snappier, and show that employer you’re The One.
