Library Service - Information guide 7
Presenting yourself with
confidence
Presenting yourself with confidence
Did you know that most employers make up their
mind about the person they are interviewing within
the first few seconds of meeting them? The way
you present yourself from the very first moment
is crucial, but how can you present yourself
confidently when just the idea of a job interview
makes you feel nervous?
At job interviews, we are asked to sell our skills,
our knowledge and even our personalities,
which, regardless of employment background
or experience, pull most of us right out of our
comfort zone. The good news is that we can all
learn to present ourselves with confidence, so find
a quiet space where you can spend some time
reflecting on the following questions:
you do well? What are you naturally good at? If you
struggle to come up with a list, ask your friends
and family what they see as your strengths - and
remember to write them all down!
Equally important is to know your weaknesses. What
are your limitations? What abilities are you lacking? It
may sound strange to spend time thinking about your
weaknesses, but once you know what they are, you
can learn how to manage them so that they do not
matter in the work you do. Before your interview, think
of a way to express one or two of your weaknesses
as a challenge that you have turned into strengths.
Once you can clearly identify both your strengths
and weaknesses, you will automatically feel more
confident, which will not only give you a clear picture
of what you can bring to a job role, but will also
impress employers!
What do you want and why?
Knowing what you want to get out of your working
life, and why, is key to presenting yourself with
confidence. If you know what you want to get
out of your career, and the reasons why you
want it, your self-confidence and motivation will
grow. This will have a huge impact on both your
professional and personal life.
A good way to start thinking about this is to
set yourself specific career goals. What do you
want? Why do you want it? When do you want
it? Spend some time thinking this through and
make sure you write your goals down so that you
can regularly refer to them. Once you have your
goals clearly set out, literally and mentally, it will
help you identify the right job opportunities and
improve your job applications. Once you get to
that interview, your confidence and motivation will
be evident to the employer.
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Another key aspect to presenting yourself with
confidence is to know your strengths. What do
Preparation
Even with your newly gained confidence, if you do
not prepare for an interview, you will feel nervous
and this will affect your performance. Research the
company and position, read over your CV, think about
the questions you may be asked and practice your
answers. Prepare a list of questions for the employer
to show your genuine interest in the role, speak
clearly and be aware of your body language. Last, but
not least, dress appropriately and make those first
few seconds with the employer count by introducing
yourself with a smile, eye-contact and a confident
handshake.
If you follow these steps, your sense of confidence
and belief in yourself will shine through your words
and actions, and your chances of securing that job
will significantly improve.
If you would like to know more about confidence
building, goal setting, job applications, CV writing or
interview preparation, please contact IntoWork at the
ClementJames Centre.
This guide has been created in partnership with the ClementJames Centre, an educational charity in North Kensington. IntoWork is an
employment programme designed to break the cycle of generations of unemployment in the local population.