Confidence is a delicate thing. It is hard to build and easy to break.
For people returning to work, it is normal to have low confidence levels, especially if you have been looking for a while. This can have a negative impact on the jobs you apply for, as well as how you interview and negotiate a contract.
So how do you build your confidence and self-belief so that you can, with confidence, turn down the job you know isn’t right for you and impress at interview for that dream job?
Here are our top tips!
1. Take action! Action results in motivation, so don’t wallow in self-pity, get up and do something. Work on your CV, your LinkedIn profile, call some ex-colleagues, whatever, just don’t wallow!
2. Create a Confidence Journal. In a notebook, write everything you have done, personally and professionally, that you are proud of. Include positive comments in performance reviews, key successes you have been a part of, and wins that you have contributed to. Add to this every month and make sure you read it regularly. It will pick you up on a bad day, and provide positive reinforcement on the good days.
3. Surround yourself with people who support you. And I mean support! Not smile and nod, but encourage, push and motivate in a way that gets you going. If the people around you aren’t supporting you in the way you want, find people who will, including us!
4. Celebrate the small victories. Don’t underestimate the small victories. They build momentum and add up to huge wins. Every time you find a job worth applying to, every time a company calls you about your application, every time you are invited for an interview, every time, every time, every time, celebrate and reward.
5. Practice, Practice, Practice. Our advice to all parents is to practise. Apply for roles that may not be perfect and go for interviews you are not sure about and treat them as rehearsals. Make sure you know how to prepare, refine your interview technique and then, when that ideal job comes along, you will be ready.
6. There is no one as good as you, with your experience, that does what you do. It’s true. Believe it! There is no one out there with your unique combination of skills, experience, values, goals and interests, which means you are more suited to a particular role than anyone else. You just need to take action!
7. Attend a workshop to make sure you are doing everything you can. Are you sure you are doing everything right? Are your job search, CV and interview technique as good as they could be? If you’re not sure, go to a workshop or have a 1-on-1 with one of our coaches.
8. Start your day with belief. Whether it is something as simple as saying to yourself ‘Today is going to be the best day ever!’ as you have your breakfast, or if you take 5 minutes out to start your day with a meditation centred on belief, start your day with belief. It works!
9. Kill negative thoughts. Negative thoughts can kill a new job search quicker than anything I’ve ever seen, but you have control over this. Simply say ‘No!’ when that negative thought appears, physically shake it off or learn how to counter them with positive action.
Either way, you will quickly find negative thoughts stop influencing your life.
Finally, remember that you are not alone. What you are going through, thinking and feeling, is not unusual. Check out our Facebook group to connect with others like you.
You can do this, and you will succeed. I believe in You.
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