LOOKING CONFIDENT

ARD Line

LOOKING CONFIDENT

Looking confident makes a big difference in how your co-workers and supervisors see you. For most people, confidence develops over time, but doesn't come naturally. And even people who feel confident at home or in the community may not feel so confident at work. If you think of confidence as a job skill you can learn, you'll soon teach yourself to feel and act more assured.

Recall past successes. Take a deep breath and remember a time when you were confident in yourself and your abilities. I did it before, and I can do it again.
Picture yourself succeeding. Project in your mind a picture of yourself doing what you want to do. Try to look confident, even if you don't feel it.
Get encouragement from a friend. Talk to someone about your expectations. Their positive feedback will make you more assured.
Do your homework. Confidence comes from being prepared. If you face a job that seems too big, break it into smaller tasks. First do the things you know you can do well. Then tackle the more challenging ones.
Reward yourself when you succeed. Positive self-talk reinforces confidence. If you make a mistake, don't apologize. Use what you have learned to do better next time.
Seek out praise. Sometimes our jobs don't make it easy to build self-confidence. Some supervisors are quicker to criticize than to praise. If that's the case with you, point out your successes to a co-worker who will give you the positive reinforcement you need.
Build confidence away from the job. Develop interests and abilities outside of work. The more confidence you have in your other skills, the easier it will be to build confidence in your work skills.
Work on your personal happiness. Find time for yourself. Get your life in balance. Look for other ways besides your job to satisfy your need for reward and recognition.

Written material may be reprinted provided no endorsement of a commercial product is stated or implied. Please credit University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension and the Nebraska Health and Human Services System.

ARD Line

Employment First Table of Contents | Cooperative Extension Home Page

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Elbert C. Dickey, Interim Director of Cooperative Extension, University of Nebraska, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension educational programs abide with the non-discrimination policies of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture.