ARTICLES

A lack of confidence can be a very real barrier to career success and being fulfilled at work. It might stop you from putting yourself forward for opportunities, voicing your ideas or pulling back when faced with a new or challenging situation. It can also hinder how well you ‘sell’ yourself in interviews. For those who lack confidence and experience low self-esteem, there are things you can do to help you feel more confident. Here are the five steps I recommend.

Your CV needs to stand out for the right reasons. Follow these 4 tips to create your 5 star CV. CVs are not a documentary history of your career, they are a marketing tool to sell what you have to offer - skills, knowledge, capability and experience. And they need to demonstrate to the reader a compelling case for hiring you.

How do you 'Tell us why you want to work here' at interview? This is one of two deceptively simple questions (the other is 'Tell me about yourself') that most interviewees struggle to answer credibly. Follow these four steps to create a strong structure that will flow and content that will convince.

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are software designed to help employers and recruiters find the most relevant applicants for a position based on keyword matching. They scan and store CVs, sort applications, build shortlists and move suitable applicants through to the next step of recruitment – a real person. You may not be able to beat ATS, but there are ways that you can make your CV succeed within the ATS framework. Think of it as learning how to become noticeable to ATS.

You aren’t stupid or lacking because you can’t get unstuck in your career. Resistance is real. That’s why coaching helps. It lends another perspective, helps you recognise what is holding you back and what the scary really is - and how to tackle it. If you feel stuck, why not try tackling the problem with someone who knows how to help you, someone who can reach out the hand that will help you scramble up and over the barrier and stop you bashing your face against it.

Can you talk about why your brand is so strong or great? Do you even have a personal brand? And why is it so important? Find out more...

Your CV is about you, but not for you. It needs to be a clear, concise showcase of what you have to offer with relevant information and evidence that you can meet the roles requirements AND bring the skills, knowledge, attitude and experience to deliver success. A clear, concise, accessible CV makes it very easy for the reader to scan and puts you in the ‘must know more’ pile of candidates, don’t make them hunt for the info they need or they’ll move on! And science shows two

Are you overlooking or downplaying the skills, strengths, knowledge and experience that make you good at your job? Do you take for granted that people know what you are good at? If you’re struggling to understand what you’re good at or find it hard to articulate your strengths, then a session of Career Therapy will help you.

Working isn’t just ‘doing’. Working is allowing your brain to process information and generate fresh thinking.

Successfully asking for a pay rise isn’t about money. Of course, it is about money, but there’s far more to it than the figure itself. Use this simple, structured approach that is proven to work.

Over-apologising, saying sorry excessively, can be damaging, undermining a woman’s confidence, authority and credibility.

Is your glass half full, or half empty. Choosing to see the positive opens up possibilities and helps you build confidence and resilience. Thinking about how our brains work and how we change our behaviours, there is sound data to suggest that we can change how we perceive the world and react to it. By making a conscious choice to do or not do something and repeating that positive choice starts to create a habit, build momentum and seed more positivity.