Are you in the middle of a job search, preparing for an interview or going for a promotion? Can you identify a common factor which applies to all three? It’s the presence of confidence. As recruiters, we meet a variety of candidates day in day out (albeit virtually at the moment!), and while the majority of them have serious potential, something which is not as common amongst them is the presence of confidence. Confidence, believe it or not, is a mindset choice, and something which we can hone within our job search.
Below are some simple ways to communicate confidence during our search which may make all the difference in you securing that dream role:
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Fake it until you make it
This is an oldie but a goodie in terms of advice! Pretending to be confident often means you end up naturally feeling more confident, and give off that kind of aura. Very few people wake up each and every day feeling ready to take on the world, but everyone has the ability to act to some degree. Think about somebody in a work environment who you would consider as confident. How do they act and carry themselves? Take note of these behaviours and mannerisms and apply it to your job search, virtual interviews, the first day of work and so on and so forth!
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Fail to prepare, prepare to fail
Naturally enough, if you are unprepared for the interview, you will come across as nervous – that’s a given. There is nothing worse than someone fumbling over their words and being at a loss for basic information. Virtual interviews make it much easier for you to have access to your notes and interview prep docs. Keep a list of your skills, achievements, projects, software used, courses completed, etc, at your disposal for reference during the interview. Most importantly, target your experience to the role and interview at hand, and have notes made in preparation for this.
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Be proactive
The jobs market may be tough right now, and lengthy interview processes may be disheartening. However, perseverance is key – things will get better and brighter days are on the horizon in 2021. Reach out to that recruiter on LinkedIn, apply for those few extra jobs a week, tailor your CV for each and every application, the list is endless for little proactive steps you can make to get you closer to securing a role. Reach out to people, LinkedIn is an amazing way to do this, in fact, it’s never been easier!
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Dress the part
This may seem irrelevant now with COVID-19 and most job processes being online, but it still helps to dress to impress! Take into the account the role you’re going for and the type of company. You want to be taken seriously in your job search and sometimes that means dressing in more corporate attire, and likewise, sometimes that isn’t necessary! Make an executive decision and dress for what you envisage the company dress code is ”in normal times.” That should help a lot, and if you feel comfortable in what you are wearing and your appearance, this will shine through during the interview.
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Take constructive criticism kindly
Whether it’s a recruiter or a hiring manager you’re dealing with during your job search, chances are from time to time they’ll say something which may not always agree with, or even have considered before. If you take this too personally, it will result in a dip in confidence. However, if you take it as a learning opportunity, this may cause your confidence to grow as you feel better equipped for future interview processes. It’s something to bear in mind to avoid becoming disheartened, and can really stand to you as you go forward in your future endeavours.
It’s natural to get nervous when applying for a job, however, it’s important to build up confidence and try to not let your nerves get the better of you and persevere. Building confidence is a skill and something which you can work on over time. Hopefully the simple tips above will be a good starting point in helping you in your search!
For all our latest job vacancies, please keep an eye on our website and social media, or feel free to reach out to info@lincoln.ie to find out how we can help you in securing your next step.
