Some graduates have more confidence than others. They finish university and enter the workforce, ready to tackle every opportunity head-on. And because of this confidence, these individuals thrive in the workplace because having confidence is one key to success.
Entering the workplace is daunting for graduates who do not have that level of confidence and find entering the workforce daunting, and continuously second-guess themselves. Confidence is essential because it overcomes fear. Confidence allows you to overcome anything in life, especially at work.
To compete with these confident graduates, you will need a mindset shift and model some new behaviours. Here are some of our tips to follow:
Tip 1 : Mind your communication and behaviour
Graduates who believe in their own worth and ability act more confidently at work Their confidence will be evident in their energy, people engagement, communication and body language, which will set them apart.
Speak clearly and professionally, embracing good posture and a solid handshake and make eye contact. Be aware of negative body language, like crossing your arms or frowning, when you are listening. Make an effort to speak clearly and loudly. By making small physical and verbal changes, you will slowly train your mindset to feel and act more confidently.
Make an effort to eliminate apologies and verbal crutches from your language. Filler words weaken your message and make it harder for employers and colleagues to take you seriously. The most common fillers include: "um," "ah," "like," "you know," "so," and "actually.”
Read: Job interviews: How to make a great first impression
Tip 2: Choose to believe in yourself
“Your confidence has to be greater than everyone else's doubt.”
Kim Perell, author and entrepreneur.
Confident graduates believe in themselves and see past any doubt they or anyone else may have about them. They enter the workplace intent on being a success.
Adopt this belief for yourself. Brush aside any uncertainty you believe others may have about you. Choose to believe in yourself, your skills and abilities. Believe that you have what it takes to get the job done.
Tip 3: Life is uncertain, be flexible
Life is uncertain, and every now and then things will not go according to plan, regardless of how meticulous your planning is or what preparations you may have made. This is the same in the workplace.
Being present in the situation and adaptable will help you realise that you are not failing, you just need to adapt your approach or strategy to solve the challenges.
Graduates need resilience. Resilience means being able to adapt to life's misfortunes and setbacks. When you have resilience, you harness the inner strength that helps you rebound from a setback or challenge.
Tip 4: Adopt a growth mindset
Every challenge is an opportunity for growth, especially for graduates. Instead of resisting change and seeing it as a challenge, fail forward, adopt a growth mindset and see it as an opportunity for creativity and success. Graduates with a growth mindset believe there is always room for learning and new perspectives, irrespective of how things pan out. Always remember, stepping stones come from stumbling blocks.
Even though it sounds cliche, every professional setback that you face in your career offers you the opportunity to grow and learn. Don’t see challenges as set-backs see them as growth opportunities.
Tip 5: Know what you are good at
Focusing on being the best version of yourself while embracing your individuality is essential. The key to confidence and success is to identify your talents and strengths and excel at what you are good at because everyone is different. That is what makes life interesting.
If you know that you are good at your work, you will believe that you are adding value and that you are valued within an organisation.
Read: Job hunting? How to increase your chance of success!
RecruitAGraduate sees the value in graduates, and we want to empower you as you enter the workplace. Now that you’re armed with tips to supercharge your confidence, register with RecruitAGraduate here, if you have not already done so.
Wishing you all the best! We believe in the value you bring to companies and employers. That’s why we started RecruitAGraduate. Follow us on LinkedIn for information and new job notifications.