Written by Tom Grogan, North Central/Downeast Region Workforce Specialist
“Because one believes in oneself, one doesn’t try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn’t need others’ approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her.” – Lao Tzu
Start With Confidence
Why is developing a sense of confidence important in a job search? Because it is a key part of any new endeavor! As we take risks and try new things, it is important to have a sense of our past success and those things that make us uncomfortable.
We develop confidence through trial, error, and practice. We also often unfairly measure ourselves against others. It is easy to sometimes forget to give ourselves credit for all the skills we have developed over time. Skills such as timeliness, task completion, organization, attention to detail, and communication are important to acknowledge when building our sense of confidence during a job search.
Check out this article about transferable skills at careerbuilder.com to learn more.
Give Yourself Permission
It is important to give ourselves permission to explore and be proud of our accomplishments and our abilities. A strong sense of confidence is important. Potential employers want to know that you have confidence in yourself. After all, they want to have confidence in you! They want to believe that you know yourself, that you know what skills you have, and what skills you need to develop. Exhibiting confidence in yourself shows employers that you are able to project confidence in the workplace.
Life Experience
Developing your self-confidence involves thinking about the activities you’ve been involved with and asking yourself questions.
Ask yourself the following:
- What are the activities that give me pleasure?
- What do I find fun?
- Which skills am I using?
- What activities do I find challenging, and why?
- Do I like being with lots of other people or do I prefer to spend time on my own?
- Am I a problem solver or do I like to know well ahead of time what the next step will be?
Remember that the things you do well, the ways you like to be in the world, the ways you like to interact with others, and all the other things you know about yourself or might discover, are unique things that make you, you, and that you can bring to your next workplace!
“When you’ve spent your whole life listening to others, it takes courage to pay attention to the sound of your own voice.” – healthyplace.com
Looking for more guidance on building your sense of confidence? Check out our tuition-free Building Confidence classes near you!