4 confidence-boosting tips for job hunting

Do you ever doubt your own abilities and wonder if you’ll find a job elsewhere?

You might feel confident in your current job, but the thought of moving somewhere else makes you feel as though you know nothing. You might be returning to work after maternity leave and no longer feel sure that you want to be doing the same type of work, but you don’t know what else to do.

Will another employer value your skills and experience? Do you have the ability to do another job?

It’s perfectly natural to have doubts, but it’s important to keep them in perspective. Here are a few tips to help you.

Identify your skills

Remember you’re not starting all over again. You’ll have gained a lot of useful skills and experience with your current or most recent employers, so identify these skills and think of ways of demonstrating them to a new employer.

You might have got used to doing things in a certain way with one employer, but that doesn’t mean you can’t adapt. Look at how you’ve adapted in the past when you’ve experienced any changes in your life.

Reflect on previous jobs

Think back to when you started a new job and remind yourself how you settled in. How did you learn how the company operated? How did you build relationships with your manager, colleagues and customers? What skills or behaviours did you need to do this? What worked well and what would you do differently next time?

Separate your environment from your ability

Sometimes your environment can cause you to lose confidence. If you’ve spent years being managed by someone who has belittled you, micromanaged you or bullied you, you might think this is because you’re not capable of doing your job. All these things can make you believe you’re not good enough, but ask yourself if this is true or whether your environment has contributed to a loss of confidence.

Adopt a growth mindset

If your confidence has been affected by previous experiences in the workplace, try not to let this cloud your judgement when considering new opportunities. Perhaps you don’t have all the skills you need for your next job, but having a growth mindset where you believe you can develop and grow will help you. Recognise that the only person keeping you in your current position is you and that you can change this.

If you’re still trying to decide whether to make the move, imagine how you’ll feel in a year’s time when you’re still in the same job, having been too scared to apply for anything else. Then imagine how you’ll feel when you’ve found the confidence to move on and you’re doing a job that’s more fulfilling.