How to be Confident when Job Searching
Looking for a job, especially when you’re either unhappy in your current one, or you don’t have a job at all, can be a soul-destroying process. Unless you are very lucky, you will almost certainly receive a series of knocks to your confidence, ranging from simply not hearing anything at all, to receiving a ‘thanks but no thanks’ call. If you are to carry on with your job search, you will need to ensure that your confidence levels are as high as they can be, so here are a number of ways to increase your confidence.
- Don’t neglect your health
Searching for a job can be a worrying time and you may find that your health is put on the back-burner in the process, especially if you are unemployed. However, you will feel much more positive if you make an effort to exercise and eat properly. Get into the habit of rising at a certain time each day and keeping yourself occupied. If you dwell on your job situation too much, you run the risk of lapsing into depression at a time when you really need to be as positive as possible.
- Remind yourself of your strong points
It can be very easy to come away from a rejection with a strong tendency to concentrate on your weak points. You may well be sure that you failed to get a job because you were too confident, weren’t confident enough, weren’t skilled enough or didn’t fit the profile the employer required. Any of these could be true; then again, it could simply be that someone pipped you to the post on the day. Instead of worrying about what could have been, take a long hard look at yourself and remember that you do have a number of good points. If you struggle to remember them yourself, then ask a friend or family member for their input.
- Proof-read your resume
Part of remembering your strong points comes from considering your past experience and just how much you have to contribute to a new job. Take a long, hard look at your resume and check that it highlights your experience and skills in the best possible light. You could try completely re-writing it to ensure that you have included everything you require – there are plenty of templates available online that you could adjust to suit your qualifications. Ask someone else to have a look at your resume too and ask them to give you serious feedback.
- Think of skills to add to your resume
If you feel that you are perhaps lacking in certain skills or experience, work out ways that you can add to them to beef up your resume. Computer skills are useful to have, particularly if you have been out of work recently and are a little behind with the latest technical advances. Find out if there are any computer courses locally that you can take; alternatively, use your own computer or borrow someone else’s until you feel more comfortable with the latest to office applications and can confidently add your new-found skills to your resume. You could also consider taking on a voluntary position to gain confidence in your communication skills.
- Practice your interview skills
No matter how sure you are of yourself normally, you will almost certainly find yourself becoming very nervous. Most interviewers expect and allow for this. However, you can at least ensure that you are as in control of yourself as possible by planning ahead and collecting together all the necessary information you can find on the job in question and the company to which you are applying. Practice your interview skills by preparing lists of potential questions and either ask someone else to mock interview you, or practice the answers to the questions in front of a mirror.
- Pay attention to your appearance
Theoretically, your appearance shouldn’t have anything to do with being accepted for a job or not. However, you will feel an awful lot better about yourself if you know you look the best that you can. Ensure that you are clean and tidy, your hair is brushed and pinned up if necessary and take a final look in the mirror before you go for an interview. Even if you don’t have an upcoming interview, looking after your skin and hair will help you feel more confident.
Job hunting can seem like a long and tedious process, but, for most people, it doesn’t take that long. Try to make the most of it by remaining calm and confident that eventually you will find what you are looking for.
