Career Tips – Unleash your Confidence to land your Dream Job!
By: Employer Branding and Communications and Talent Acquisition Unit
Picture yourself stepping into the interview room of your dream company. You’ve put immense effort into preparing for this moment, meticulously perfecting your resume and even selecting the perfect pair of shoes.
But here’s the catch: you don’t want all that hard work to go to waste by succumbing to nerves and feeling jittery throughout the interview. After all, confidence is key to securing the opportunity of a lifetime.
When it comes to job applications, projecting confidence through your words and actions is absolutely crucial. To ensure a truly successful interview experience, let’s dive into some invaluable tips that will help you build the unwavering confidence you need.
Beyond the Resume: Power up with a Career Portfolio
Ditch the limitations of your resume and embrace the game-changer: a career portfolio. It’s your secret weapon for crafting a professional journey that stands out. Showcasing your diverse experiences, a career portfolio lets you navigate the dynamic work landscape with purpose and flexibility. From school projects to personal triumphs, every experience holds value.
Discover how these pieces fit together and form a compelling narrative that will captivate interviewers.
TIPS:
1.) Start with a list. Even if you believe your academic experiences have limited relevance as “work experience,” you can go beyond merely listing projects and exams. For instance, a school project demonstrates your ability to collaborate with diverse team members, showcasing skills in handling difficult personalities, time management, and leadership.
2.) Personal experiences such as learning a new hobby, can highlight your curiosity and problem-solving abilities. Additionally, your part-time work as a waiter in a fast-food chain can shape your customer service knowledge.
Understanding how different experiences complement each other within your portfolio makes it easier to articulate your story during interviews.
Ultimately, a career portfolio reflects your identity and potential. It encompasses experiences and capabilities that might not find a place on your resume but fundamentally define who you are. By leveraging your portfolio, you can creatively establish connections between your diverse skills and those required for your dream job.
Cut the Hedges: Amplify Your Influence
It’s time to leave uncertainty behind and step into the realm of confidence! Say goodbye to verbal hedges like “maybe” and “seemingly.” Learn to communicate with unwavering assurance. Master the art of impactful speech by eliminating filler words and replacing them with resolute phrases. Don’t just eliminate doubt—assert your knowledge with strong statements that leave no room for questioning. Prepare to wow recruiters with your unshakable confidence!
1.) Take note of your speaking habits. Do you frequently use words like “around,” “arguably,” “I believe,” “I think,” or “usually” when answering questions or explaining yourself? Do you use fillers like “uh,” “uhm,” and “er” when processing information?
Consider removing these words from your shared vocabulary. Overusing filler words can make you appear unsure and inexperienced, diminishing the impact of your message.
2.) Don’t just eliminate any uncertainty or lack of confidence. Instead, confidently assert your knowledge when explaining something. Use the framework of STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for a better thought process. This will help your recruiters better understand and accept your answers.
3.) Use strong phrases such as “definitely,” “clearly,” and “obviously” to improve your public speaking and socialization skills. If you get nervous and rush through answering questions, try speaking more deliberately, and confidently express yourself.
Be Honest and Objective: Ace the Employer Discussion
Hiring managers demand integrity and positivity. Avoid the pitfalls of speaking negatively about previous employers, as it reflects poorly on you. Instead, focus on the highlights. Share your achievements, milestones, and lessons learned. Showcase your resilience, skills, and commitment to growth. Embrace the opportunity to display your unwavering work ethic and set yourself apart from the competition.
Use Present Tense for Impact: Make the Here and Now Count
Engage and captivate your recruiters with your words! The past tense may create doubts about the accuracy of your information. So, stay current and confident by using the present tense. Make your experiences, skills, and discoveries come alive by describing them in the here and now. Show your recruiters that you’re up-to-date and intentional about your achievements. It’s all about making that lasting impression!
TIPS:
If you want to increase your impact and influence, use the present tense when explaining your experiences, skills, and discoveries to your recruiters.
1.) Describe the results of a big project or task as what you find rather than what you found.
2.) When showcasing your skills and previous achievements, tell them how or what you are doing to achieve it rather than how you used to do it.
Display Confidence with a Magnetic Body Language
Your body speaks louder than words! Use non-verbal cues to leave a lasting impression and make your interviewer take notice. Stand tall, lean in, and maintain eye contact. Let your gestures flow naturally, emphasizing your points with purpose. Show them you’re engaged, confident, and ready to conquer any challenge.
TIPS:
If you are preparing for a job interview, it is important to understand that using appropriate body language can leave a good impression on the interviewer and increase your chances of being hired.
1.) Notice that professional public speakers look relaxed and confident, they talk slowly and make positive body movements.
2.) These include leaning forward when you speak, using hand gestures, and maintaining eye contact.
3.) During an online interview, it is important for you to show your confidence in the camera. Don’t forget to engage with hand gestures to show your interest and focus during the interview.
Are you ready to seize the bold opportunities? Boost your confidence, captivate interviewers, and land your dream job!