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  • HR Interview Question: Difference Between Confidence & Overconfidence?

    Ankita Katdare

    Administrator

    Updated: Oct 25, 2024
    Views: 1.8K

    Many applicants face this question. The interviewers may ask, "what does overconfidence mean to you?"
    Sometimes the interviewer says, "You look over confident." How does one defend oneself then?

    Let's try to find some of the best replies. Post yours below.

    Answer:

    This is a fantastic question as it taps into the crucial realm of self-awareness, which is fundamental in any work environment.

    The line between confidence and overconfidence can often blur, but it's essential to differentiate the two.

    Confidence and overconfidence are both about belief in oneself and one's abilities, but they diverge significantly in how they reflect our self-perception and impact our interactions with others.

    1. Confidence is having faith in your abilities based on your experience, skills, and knowledge. A confident person acknowledges their strengths but also recognizes their weaknesses and areas for improvement. They remain open to feedback and learning opportunities, fostering an environment of growth and collaboration. Confidence allows us to take calculated risks, face challenges head-on, and handle pressure efficiently.

    2. Overconfidence, on the other hand, is an inflated belief in one's abilities, often exceeding reality. Overconfidence can lead to underestimating difficulties, neglecting necessary preparation, or disregarding feedback. It can limit personal growth and hinder effective teamwork, as overconfident individuals may fail to recognize or admit mistakes.

    If an interviewer says, "You look overconfident," it might be helpful to respond respectfully and sincerely, like:

    I appreciate your observation. I might appear confident because I trust my skills and experiences. However, I understand that there's always room for growth and learning. If I've come off as overconfident, that wasn't my intention, and I'll work on better conveying my enthusiasm and confidence appropriately.

    In the end, it's all about striking the right balance, being authentic, and continually learning and improving.

    I hope this answers the question.

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  • apple6

    Member • May 15, 2012

    Confidence is based on Facts and Figures but over confidence is based on speculation.
    First, we analyze that work, then decided we can do that work this is confidence.
    Without analyzing that work then decided we can do that work this is overconfidence.
    There is a small difference between confidence and overconfidence. Confidence means I can do that. Over confidence means Only I can do that.
    This small difference leads to change one's life totally. In life we put confidence towards you, then you can achieve anything, with over confidence one can achieve nothing.

    Let me quote an example:
    Suppose i wrote exam very well.... if someone asks me how the exam was then if i say i will get 90% for sure...its confidence because you know how u wrote

    But if i say i get top in the class or college..... then its over confidence because i don't know how the rest of the college wrote the exam. may be some one in the class is better student than me....
    So, knowing your abilities is confidence and thinking that you are the only capable person is over confidence (without knowing the others potential, never underestimate anyone).
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  • Anoop Kumar

    Member • May 16, 2012

    You will select me after taking my interview is Confidence .
    You will select me just accounting my resume is Over confidence .😨
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  • Kaustubh Katdare

    Administrator • May 16, 2012

    apple6
    A PERSON IS CONFIDENT WHEN HE KNOW THE FACT BETTER, A PERSON IS OVERCONFIDENT WHEN HE THINK THAT HE KNOW THE FACTS BETTER THAN OTHERS.
    I object. That's not the right way to define over confidence. I may be aware that I indeed know things better than others; does that make me over-confident?
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  • apple6

    Member • May 16, 2012

    #-Link-Snipped-#
    thanks for your comment. I came to know what's wrong in my post. Thanks once again....
    I will definitely correct it.
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  • Ankita Katdare

    Administrator • May 16, 2012

    Good replies here. Such kind of HR questions leave the job-applicants (mostly freshers) baffled and speechless. If more people are able to express their answers here, we will know how the interviewers backfire at out answers.

    Keep them coming folks.
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  • Vivien.hugo

    Member • May 16, 2012

    When the interviewer says, "You look over confident." He just says 'look', not 'are'. That means he suspects your ability. If you are really qualified for the job, then you could tell him that you are not 'over', but just 'are'!
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  • Ambarish Ganesh

    Member • May 16, 2012

    "I can do it"- Confidence
    "ONLY I can do it"- OverConfidence/Egoistic

    It's better to project the first one.
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  • Ankita Katdare

    Administrator • May 16, 2012

    Punch_a_Tantra
    "I can do it"- Confidence
    "ONLY I can do it"- OverConfidence/Egoistic

    It's better to project the first one.
    If the interviewer says something like, "If you can do it, there are hundred others who can do it too. Why should we choose you and not them?"
    If you say because I can do it better than others, the interviewer might twist your reply to mean that you are over-confident.
    What to say in such situations?
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  • Vivien.hugo

    Member • May 16, 2012

    AbraKaDabra
    If the interviewer says something like, "If you can do it, there are hundred others who can do it too. Why should we choose you and not them?"
    If you say because I can do it better than others, the interviewer might twist your reply to mean that you are over-confident.
    What to say in such situations?
    Maybe you can say "Because I'm special! You will find it during my work and never regret for your choice."😛
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  • Saijayadeep

    Member • Jul 30, 2012

    I dont take right decisions but take a decision and make it right . . .does this statement mean confident or over confident and justify your answer . .
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  • Ankita Katdare

    Administrator • Dec 18, 2013

    Saijayadeep
    I dont take right decisions but take a decision and make it right . . .does this statement mean confident or over confident and justify your answer . .
    It could depend on when you're saying it. If the question asked is about decision making process, you can use those lines in an appropriate manner.
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  • ISHAN TOPRE

    Member • Dec 18, 2013

    Ankita Katdare
    If the interviewer says something like, "If you can do it, there are hundred others who can do it too. Why should we choose you and not them?"
    If you say because I can do it better than others, the interviewer might twist your reply to mean that you are over-confident.
    What to say in such situations?
    I will say,"There is a small test. You employ me and see, I can do better than others".

    Result: 1. The interviewer will smile
    2.It may lead you to that job.
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  • Anoop Kumar

    Member • Dec 18, 2013

    Isn't using word "I" in this answer automatically adds egoist nature.
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  • Vikram S Bargah

    Member • Dec 18, 2013

    Saijayadeep
    I dont take right decisions but take a decision and make it right . . .does this statement mean confident or over confident and justify your answer . .
    that's a very famous quote by Mr. Ratan Tata. Can't tell about Confidence/Overconfidence but,You may get lots of other questions after this reply.
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  • ISHAN TOPRE

    Member • Dec 18, 2013

    Anoop Kumar
    Isn't using word "I" in this answer automatically adds egoist nature.
    __ will say,"There is a small test. You employ me and see, __ can do better than others".
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  • Vikram S Bargah

    Member • Dec 18, 2013

    Many a times a recruiter tries to check your real confidence by saying some thing like ' you seems to be overconfident' after hearing this the candidate should not get depressed instead reply in calm manner .which indicates that you still have confidence to face any type of questions.

    PS: Replying in calm manner is the key to success in every interview.
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  • Saandeep Sreerambatla

    Member • Dec 19, 2013

    Over confidence or confidence it doesnt matter really , if you are living upto the expectations of your self then you are good. If you put over expectations on yourself , you mean to be over confident in that case either you achieve it by working hard or fail at times..

    But why does a HR asks that question? anyway any one will say I am confident not over confident, and I can do job better because i am committed and I love doing this. (I dont care about others)
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  • Shraddha823

    Member • May 18, 2015

    Why some HR reject frehser who give near by answer but not exact book sentences...Its humble advice for some HR who judge person by their language only not by their talent .at least HR should provide chance for those rejected person for improving their skills ...but they dont do...:/
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  • Kaustubh Katdare

    Administrator • May 18, 2015

    Shraddha823
    Why some HR reject frehser who give near by answer but not exact book sentences
    That's not entirely true. I doubt any HR would reject people on that basis. An HR would typically ask multiple questions before deciding on whether the candidate is suitable for the company.

    I'd believe that if a candidate has cleared technical rounds of interviews, the chances of getting rejected in the HR round would be very minimum.
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  • Ankita Katdare

    Administrator • May 18, 2015

    #-Link-Snipped-# It's important to have soft skills if you are working in a corporate environment. If a HR personnel is demanding bookish answers (which rarely is the case), he/she is definitely at fault.
    However, if the candidate can't constructs basic sentences correctly and isn't confident with his/her communication, the HR will definitely be giving minus points to that.
    In today's competitive world, it's very important that a person develop his skills for good verbal and written communication.
    I have a few friends who are very sharp in their technical skills but aren't able to convey that through their answers. That is a very sad situation.
    Every engineering student has a lot of spare time at hand to hone their soft skills when there's still a lot of time for facing interviews. I think it's best that all make the best use of that time.
    Confidence then is exhibited as a matter of habit.
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  • Shraddha823

    Member • May 18, 2015

    😀 thank you mam...for giving such a good information..
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  • Shraddha823

    Member • May 18, 2015

    Ohh i see...
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  • pratap singh, upendra

    Member • May 18, 2015

    Many applicants face this question. The interviewers may ask, "what does over confidence mean to you?"
    Sometimes the interviewer says, "You look over confident." How does one defend oneself then?

    Sometimes the answers given by the candidates are such that they break the expectation horizon of the interviewer.
    The reasons could be one of the following: -
    • the candidate talks about some skill of his/her that was not mentioned in his/her resume.
    • the candidate exaggerates the fact.
    • the candidate is shaky/nervous and he uses some bombastic jargon to defend his thoughts, however trivial, they may be.
    Also sometimes, the interviewer asks this question with an intention to fathom the emotional strength and intelligence of the candidate. The intention is to find out how the candidate responds to an unexpected and untoward situation.
    There is only one hack to this situation:
    • Do not start answering or defending yourself all of a sudden. Take a deep breathe, relax. Let the things settle first.
    • Inquire what makes him think/say so.
    • Offer to further explain yourself on your resume in case there is some misunderstanding.
    • Then when given a chance, explain your resume particularly focusing on misunderstood facts.
    • Acknowledge the fact that the interviewer gave you a chance to explain yourself and thank him for the valuable time that he gave you.
    Above all be consistent with your resume. never say something not mentioned in your resume and back everything that is there on your resume.
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  • Ankita Katdare

    Administrator • May 30, 2018

    Has anyone noticed that more often than not, these days graduates seem to be overconfident? Gone are the days when engineers had lack of confidence. Not only do I get to meet overconfident engineers, but these people are over smart and rude. They lack basic humility and manners. I think it's important to take this HR question of difference between confidence and overconfidence as a learning and implement in your daily lives.

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