You also must be careful with your word choice in the cover letter. Self-confidence is essential in selecting the right words to create your best image. Don’t say that you “would like to be a part of [the company]” when you can say that you “are the perfect person for the job” because of your relevant experience. Avoid words that hedge, like think, seem and appear. Companies don’t want to hire someone who “thinks” he’s perfect for the job, they want the candidate who is perfect.

Of course, confidence is also the most valuable asset you can bring to an interview. One concrete thing you can do to increase your confidence before an interview is to prepare. If you’re in college, try to set up a mock interview through your career center, and if you’re already in the workforce, see if you can convince a friend with hiring experience to help you practice fielding questions. At the very least, find or create a list of common interview questions and think of potential answers and relevant examples from your experience.

Once you arrive at your interview confident in your preparation, make sure your body language shows it. Don’t slouch or fidget, and make eye contact with your interviewers. Draw confidence from every little nod and sign of encouragement. If you find yourself giving the interviewers a mediocre answer or not having much to say in response to a question, don’t let it ruin the rest of the interview. Keep moving forward and do you best to make them forget your less-than-perfect answer.

If you don’t get the job you interviewed for, don’t let it stop you from jumping right back into the job hunt. There are other jobs to be had, and your ideal position could be just around the corner. Look back on the positive aspects of the interview and the questions you thought you handled particularly well, and draw on them for confidence in the future.

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