Finding Confidence In Yourself During The Job Search

Taking the decision to change your job is usually heralded as an exciting time, a period when a person has found the courage to leave behind a situation and circumstances that they were less than happy with, and find something new. However, while this is, certainly, one component of the job search, there’s no getting around the fact that the search is also laden with fear, anxiety, and self-doubt. If things don’t go all your way instantly, this can cause a drop in confidence, which then feeds on itself. Just at the time when you need to be at your dazzling best, you find that every day you’re becoming a shadow of your former self. There are ways, however, to regain some of that confidence. Below, we take a look at a few actionable tips that’ll keep that self-doubt at bay.

Ignore That Inner Voice

You might want to stride forward and find your dream job, but there’s someone in your ear, telling you that you’re not good enough, that it was a mistake to think you could do more, that even the job you want to leave behind was too good for you. It’s an annoying creature doing the talking, but what’s worse is that the creature is you! It’s your inner voice, or the inner chimp as some professionals call it. While you can’t stop him or her from talking, you can prevent yourself from listening. They’re not real thoughts. You wouldn’t let someone else talk to you like this, so don’t talk like that to yourself.

Look at Your Credentials

It’s tempting to develop doubts when you’ve been rejected from a couple of jobs that you were going after. It’s normal to have doubts after any kind of rejection! But let’s keep a couple of things in mind. There are a million and one reasons why rejection occurs -- it rarely has anything to do with the core of your abilities or your qualities as a person. It’s more complex than that. If you’re beginning to have doubts, just look at your credentials -- a quick glance at your resume and all that you can offer a new company will remind you that you’re not punching above your weight. It’s where you belong.

Talk With Friends

It can become something of an all-consuming activity, looking for a job. We wake up, we’re searching. We think about it all day. However, while you need to dedicate a lot of time to searching and applying for jobs, it’s also important that you’re taking some time out. If you don’t, your mind will be working in overdrive -- your world will become too slow, and you’ll elevate your predicament to a level of importance that it doesn’t merit. During your search, make sure you’re finding the time to unwind and talk with friends. They’ll be an important reminder that there’s a bigger world out there. Plus, they’ll be on hand to tell you how ridiculous you’re acting when you downplay your abilities. You can always count on friends to pick you up!

Professional Help

While your friends will wish you the best, they may not have all the tools needed to pick your confidence up. Depending on the severity, you may need to work with a professional. You can discuss the route of your confidence issues with a therapist, for example, or complete a Mark Bowden hypnotherapy course and develop more belief in yourself. In this day and age, you don’t need to suffer in silence -- call upon the help of the experts, and get back to where you belong.

Run It Out

It’s easier to develop confidence in one area in which you need to improve, if you’re feeling confident in other parts of your life. Adopt some practices that lead to overall confidence, and you’ll find that that self-belief transfers to areas in which you lack, too. One of the simplest ways to build your self-esteem is to make sure you’re looking after yourself, which means exercising, eating well, and limiting the vices that can knock your confidence, such as alcohol. Make a habit of going for a long run in the morning, and eating healthy foods and snacks throughout the day. It’ll be the foundation upon which your self-esteem can develop.

Stay Positive

Negative thoughts breed more negative thoughts. It sounds simple, but that’s because it is -- it just also happens to be true. If you’re going to jump into the challenge of finding a new job, then you need to stay positive. Be aware of the triggers that can send you into a negative cycle of thinking, and take steps to keep them at bay.

What’s the Worst That Can Happen?

And if that doesn’t work, think about this -- what’s the worst that can happen? So you apply for a job and don’t get a callback, so what? You can just move on to the next thing. You’re not going to be without a job forever.

Project Your Mind

There’ll be a time sometime in the future when you look back and laugh at how ridiculous you were acting/feeling during your low moments. While you’ll need to ride out the low moments a little, you shouldn't be consumed by them. One of the best ways to overcome these self-doubts is to project your mind to the future. This is but one stepping stone along your journey; it’s not the end game! Keep in mind where you’ll be in the future, and the daily problems you’re facing now will seem like small potatoes.

Conclusion

Everyone is prone to self-doubt, insecurities, and the like -- and indeed, a small portion of these doubts is a good thing. They prevent us from getting too far ahead of ourselves, and becoming arrogant. However, if your lack of confidence is causing you distress, and preventing you from doing your best in interviews -- or worse, from applying to jobs in the first place -- then you need to do something about it. Take the tips above, and get back on track.