I don’t mean to brag but I simply do have the smartest clients. No matter who I work with, I am so impressed by their intelligence, integrity, and their commitment to moving forward professionally.
Our intelligence and our professional talent is not always in charge of our confidence. When we launch in to job searching, somehow, a scared 6th grader can invade our body.
You remember middle school don’t you? Everything about you want changing from your body to your emotions to the way you saw the world. The most awkward phase of our lives led us to ask “Where do I belong?”
Leaving comfortable jobs or careers that we have simply outgrown is a difficult choice, but a necessary one. Perhaps you’ve even been laid off or really are in a situation where you have to secure employment pronto.
Regardless of your circumstances, and at the risk of sounding all motivational speaker-like, your confidence will be as big of an asset as your perfected LinkedIn Profile. The 6th grade you is not going to cut it. The experienced, talented and able adult that you are has got to lead the way.
Yes, it’s the list. It’s coming. Here you go:
- KNOW YOUR “Big 3” ABILITIES: There are three things you do well professionally that you rarely acknowledge yourself for. Maybe it is managing teams or putting together great presentations. Perhaps its project managing or resolving conflict. It may be mining data or coming up with sales strategies that convert to business results. Know your “Big 3” and know them enough to speak to them and give examples.
- GET HOW PEOPLE SEE YOU: Our own heads are a terrible place to evaluate ourselves. Not sure how others see you? Set up an anonymous survey in google forms or the like and ask friends and colleagues (or former colleagues) to name your top three strengths. While this might not speak directly to work ability, noticing the commonalities can really help you see that you consistently communicate confidence during the job search and interview process.
- STOP COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS: I really don’t care how much money your best friend makes and neither should you. The biggest source of insecurity comes from looking at other people and telling ourselves we should be somewhere other than we are. This is a waste of your energy and produces nothing fruitful. Stop it. No one else is living your exact life but you.
- REALIZE THE POWER OF ONE: You really only need ONE job. You don’t need 20 jobs, just one. You want the ONE right job for you at this juncture in your career. Realizing this helps you to adjust your expectations of when you should be seeing results. It can take 8-12 weeks to realistically find a job and in some cases longer. The hiring process is very layered now and this is the reality. Manage your expectations around the power of finding that ONE job for you.
Is job searching driving you crazy? Get my NEW 26-page resource: 6 Steps to Job Search Success: A Job Seeker’s Guide! Click here for more information!
The mission of Sound Change is to dramatically increase the number of professionally self-expressed people on the planet.