Looking for work can knock your confidence about. There is a risk that after one rejection, you become stuck in a ‘rejection-confidence’ loop. Your confidence reduces with each rejection, which in turn impacts the likelihood of success in job search activities and outcomes.
As a recruiter professionally and a job seeker personally, I’ve found self-confidence underpins so many aspects of the job search process. Whether you’re full of beans or have lost your sparkle, I’ve got some confidence-boosting tips for you. I’ll also show you how a little bit of preparation can go a long way!
Here’s Why Confidence is Important
Each journey starts with a single step. When it comes to the job search process, it starts with having the courage to throw your hat in the ring and apply for that role. You may have all the skills and experience, but you will stand out from other applicants by having the self-assurance when building rapport and articulating your skills and suitability in your conversations with recruiters.
Confidence is key to a successful interview. It also helps with negotiating an appropriate salary. Belief in yourself helps with branding, self-promotion and communicating what you have to offer. This will come through when you write your resume, when networking, and at interviews.
Here are Some Confidence Boosters
Tinker with Your CV
Someone gave me some good advice many years ago. They said “Two things you always need to have current in life: your passport and your CV, because you never know when you’re going to need either one in a hurry”. Words to live by.
Don’t think of your CV as a once-off, static task that you completed last time you needed to. Create a master CV that lists your strengths and achievements and add to it when you:
- Receive positive feedback
- Have completed a new project
- Realise additional strengths and achievements following a conversation with family, friends or your favourite Clicks recruiter
Whether you keep it in a master CV, journal, or spreadsheet, seeing all your strengths and achievements written down is a great confidence booster. This will also be handy for tailoring each job application and preparing for interviews.
Refine Your Elevator Pitch
Your family, friends and neighbours will generally ask, “what are you up to?”, “how are you doing?” or “how is the job search going?”. This is where you respond with your elevator pitch!
Your elevator pitch should be conversational in its tone. The more you do it, the more natural and confident you will sound (and feel). Most importantly, it shouldn’t take you any longer to deliver than a ride in an elevator!
In constructing your elevator pitch, consider how to clearly communicate:
- What you are looking for
- Why you finished up in your last role or why you’re looking to leave your current job
- What you are doing now or a snapshot of your experience
On top of what you say, think about how you say it. People instinctively want to help others when they can see they are upbeat and trying hard to help themselves. So it’s important to maintain positive tone and language. This will encourage your family and friends to think of you for job opportunities and refer you to their network. And when they do, you’ll have an elevator pitch ready to go – and have already started your interview preparation!
Share Your Career Achievement Stories
Sharing your career achievement stories is like a coach’s pre-game pep talk. It clarifies your goals and strengths and puts you in the right mindset.
For example: “I saw a role for a Project Manager position with company X. I think I’d be really good for it as I’d be able to offer… When I was at Y company, I delivered … Feedback from my team and manager was …”.
Can’t find someone to share your career achievement stories with? Try telling the story to yourself. You’ll be amazed at what a bit of positive self-talk can do for your confidence.
Reach Out to Your Referees Now
Contacting your referees upfront, ensures they know you are looking for new opportunities and means they can refer you to their network. Networking helps shift the focus of your job search to a more positive experience (especially if you are not hearing back from any of your online job applications). While you are at it, find out how your referee would describe your strengths to prospective employers. Hearing positive feedback from someone you respect will also be a great confidence booster. Not to mention getting another perspective to help you update your master CV and your career stories!
These actions will not only increase your confidence, they’ll prepare you for the next stages in the recruitment process. In turn, this will increase your chances of securing a job, which is the name of the game.
If you are on the market for your next IT opportunity, take a look at our job board to see all of our current vacancies. You can also register with Clicks via the Job Seekers page on our website.
We also have a fantastic referral program that can earn you $500 for every great person you send our way. Find out more here.
