Job interviews can be the most nerve-wrecking things in the world, and let's admit it, we've all had a few bad ones.

You sit in a cold sweat, mumbling and completely failing to come up with the most basic reason why you'd be good at the job you're interviewing for. 

Where was the cool, calm and composed you of yesterday?!

Well, we can't help you with the interviews that have already gone up in flames (sorry), but we can help you with your future ventures. 

A new study published by Harvard Business School suggests that there's a shortcut to being the best version of yourself; receiving compliments before an interview could actually make you perform better. 

The recently published paper described the process as 'best-self activation' (that's when someone prompts you to remember yourself at your best) and looked into how it influences emotions, physiology and employment relationships. 

The research says: “We developed theory about how best-self activation can lead to both immediate and long-term outcomes."

"In two lab experiments and a field experiment in a global consulting firm, we tested the hypotheses by offering people reflections on times they were at their best."

“Results confirmed that best-self activation inspired improvements in people’s emotions, resilience to stress and burnout, creative problem solving, performance under pressure, and relationships with their employer.”

By offering the participants positive reflection from friends and family just before their interview, the team found that the ego boost from being reminded of past success was more useful than any other method. 

So, next time you want to bag your dream job, get your BFF to write a little note about all the good you do – you'll be thankful for it when you nail the interview.