How to communicate with authority and confidence in an interview

Your skills and experience matter in an interview, but so does your confidence.

Ultimately, interviews are a company’s measure to determine if a candidate has the skillset and experience to do the job, is motivated enough to do a good job, and will stay committed for a long enough time to make any training or investment worth it. In each stage of interviews, there will be objective technical measures of your skillset, and qualitative discussions around what you’ve done, and what you’d like to do in the future. It’s critical to convey confidence in your own skillset and experiences so that you can convince a company of your abilities and motivations.

In short, if you don’t come across as confident in yourself, how can you expect a company to believe you’re the right person for the job?

How to recognize when you’re undermining your authority and confidence

In interviews, even the smallest cues in how you speak or present yourself can impact the impression you leave. Without realizing it, certain phrases, tones, or word choices can suggest uncertainty or a lack of authority—even if you’re confident in your abilities. These subtle habits can unintentionally make you seem under-prepared or doubtful of your own skills, which could weaken your overall impression. Recognizing and addressing these habits is key to projecting the confidence you need to effectively communicate your qualifications and expertise.

Here are some common cues to watch for that might suggest you’re coming across as uncertain or lacking authority.

1. Disclaiming or confessing inexperience

If you start your responses by downplaying your experience or expertise, it can quickly weaken your credibility.

Examples of disclaimers:

• “I’ve never done this before, so I may not have a good answer here.”
• “I haven’t worked with binary trees in a while, so my answer probably won’t be optimal.”
• “I have limited experience with system design, so I might be missing something.”

Instead of disclaiming, dive into the answer with confidence. Even if it’s a new area, frame your response by highlighting how you’d approach it with the skills you do have.

2. Using tentative language

When you start responses with “I think” or use words like “could,” “maybe,” or “not sure,” it can sound as if you’re looking for validation rather than asserting knowledge.

Examples of tentative answers:

• “I think I’ve handled this by raising the issue with my manager and asking for guidance.”
• “I could have maybe handled it differently, but I chose to write a script to solve the issue.”
• “I’m not sure the project was successful because it was shut down before launch.”

Instead, rephrase these answers in a way that reflects your confidence in your decision-making and knowledge. For instance, “In a similar situation, I escalated the issue to my manager for guidance, which worked well for the team.”

3. Uncertain tonality

The tone of your voice matters as much as your words. Avoid ending statements with an upward inflection, which can make them sound like questions and create an impression of doubt.

Example of confident vs. uncertain tone:

• Confident: “I’m a highly skilled software engineer.”
• Uncertain: “I’m a highly skilled software engineer?”

Keeping your voice steady when making statements helps convey that you genuinely believe in your expertise.

4. Using filler words

Using words like “umm,” “like,” “you know,” “uh,” and “literally” can make it seem like you’re struggling with what to say or uncertain about your answer.

Example with fillers: “I’m most proud of, uh, architecting a microservices framework for our primary product. It was literally a six-month project, you know, and, um, required rethinking our entire deployment pipeline and, like, integrating with legacy systems.”

Instead, take a moment to collect your thoughts and deliver a clear, concise answer.

Simple ways to build credibility quickly

Now that you know habits that might unintentionally undermine your confidence, let’s focus on strategies that can help you project authority right from the beginning. 

First impressions matter, and there are simple, effective ways to establish credibility as soon as you speak. By intentionally framing your experience, highlighting achievements, and choosing confident language, you can show interviewers that you’re capable, knowledgeable, and prepared to contribute meaningfully to their team. 

Here are some straightforward strategies to help you communicate authority and make a strong, positive impression.

1. Introduce yourself with authority

Start with a clear statement of your expertise. This simple step sets the tone for the conversation.

Examples:

• “I’m a frontend software engineer with a focus on performance optimization.”
• “I was one of five engineers who implemented our product’s [key feature].”

2. Share results that back up your claims

Follow up your introduction with concrete examples of your achievements, particularly if they’re impactful or quantifiable.

• Examples:
  • “I worked on infrastructure that reliably scaled to handle millions of requests per second.”
  • “I led a project that reduced load times by 30% across our mobile app.”

These results-oriented statements help demonstrate your value in terms that resonate with the interviewer.

3. Use phrases that show experience and observational skills

Using phrases that reflect experience or industry knowledge can signal authority. It shows that you’ve been around and observed patterns, making you a credible candidate.

• Examples:
  • “In my experience, team communication is critical to successful project completion.”
  • “From what I’ve seen in my past projects, keeping documentation updated saves a lot of time.”

This language shows that you’re drawing from real experience rather than abstract knowledge.

4. Show evolution in your thinking

Reflect on how your approaches or mindsets have evolved over time. This not only shows growth but also a mature understanding of complex problems.

• Example: “Earlier in my career, I often jumped straight into execution to solve problems. Now, I prioritize upfront planning, collaborating with cross-functional leaders to ensure our solutions align with broader business objectives and drive long-term value.”

By sharing these shifts in your approach, you convey that you’ve learned from experience and are continually improving.

5. Don’t shy away from strong opinions

A well-reasoned, unique viewpoint—especially if it goes against the grain—can demonstrate confidence and depth in your knowledge.

• Example: “I know some engineers feel TDD isn’t worth the time investment, but I find it improves code quality and minimizes bugs in the long run.”

A strong opinion backed by reasoning shows that you’ve thought deeply about your work and have the confidence to stand by your approach.

Approach interview practice holistically

You can make a memorable impression by being aware of habits that might undermine your authority and taking intentional steps to establish credibility. Practice using these techniques to ensure that when you walk into the interview, you communicate your expertise and confidence in a way that makes it easy for the company to see you as the right choice.

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