Confidence is Key!

What is confidence?  According to Dictionary.com, confidence as described as:

1. full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing:

2. belief in oneself and one's powers or abilities; self-confidence; self-reliance; assurance:

3. certitude; assurance

As many of our students are about to graduate, I find myself wondering about their levels of self-confidence.  More specifically, I think about how a possible lack of confidence can have a negative impact on their job search.

Have you ever looked at a job description and thought, “I can’t possibly do that job, I am not going to bother to apply.”?  Have you ever been at a professional event and passed up the opportunity to speak with someone influential in your field because you thought to yourself “She wouldn’t want to spend her time here speaking with me, I’m just a student.”?

Having these types of negative thoughts can keep us from getting out there and pursuing our dreams. Now, I am not saying that new grads should apply to CEO positions of Fortune 500 companies.  However, don’t dismiss a position at first glance based on the belief that you are not what the employer is looking for.  Think about your skills, your experiences, your part-time work, extra-curricular activities, volunteer work, coursework, skills, and anything else that you have to offer! Meet with a Career Center counselor to practice showing those things on a resume and discussing them on an interview.

If you are not what an employer is looking for, they will not call you for the position. But don't do that for them by disqualifying yourself right out of the gate.  To quote a known commercial, “Hey, you never know!”

Darlene Johnson,

Senior Associate Director