If you feel that you need a little help to increase career confidence then here are some handy hints to get you out of a rut. It can be all too easy to start a job and then feel stuck lacking in confidence to ask for promotion or too scared to try and find another job elsewhere. In many cases years can go by and you find yourself doing the same thing day in and day out. Of course in many cases it isn’t you company that is holding you back but your own negative thoughts preventing you from creating positive change. Try and implement a few of these tactics and strategies to help you move from stagnation to action.
Have a Career Plan and Stick to It
Ok so you were only going to take that role in accounts as a stepping stone to better things yet years later you are still doing the same thing day in and day out. When you accept a new role in an organisation think about what you want to happen next and move heaven and earth to make that happen. So made a decision about how long you should realistically stay in that role before making a move either upwards or onwards to a new company. Now of course we are not talking about moving roles every few months but learning the essential skills that you want from your job and then using those in the next step up the career ladder.
Always have in mind what your next goal is going to be and make sure that you find ways to make that happen. Look for internal opportunities, external volunteering or exams to boost your marketability. Scan the job pages and be aware of what you are worth. There is nothing worse that knowing that you could achieve so much more but letting your talents waste away. This can knock your confidence and create inaction. Remember you do not always need validation from your seniors at work because some of those people may have a vested interested in keeping you where you are. Always check out what the outside market is doing and you may find you are worth far more than you thought!
Play to Your Strengths
We all have our strengths and weaknesses so make it a priority to find out what yours are. When you play to your strengths you are more likely to see positive outcomes that when you attempt something that you know you aren’t going to be very good at. Clever managers at work play on this and hire staff or delegate to team members who are capable of doing the things that they are not necessarily very good at. They know that working smarter is far better than working harder. Discover what you are great at and make it your mission to build on that area. You career will thank you for it.
Just Say Yes
If you lack confidence it can be easy to hide in the background and just do the same things day in and day out but frankly that is soul sapping. The inner you is probably dying for a change but just doesn’t know how to make that happen. This is when you need to discover the power of yes. Your manager wonders would anyone be interested in a new development course. Your answer is yes! Can anyone do the presentation for the new sales pitch next Wednesday? Yes and yes again. A recruitment consultant rings you up and asks if you would like to speak to a new company in the area that has your perfect job. Hell Yes!
Of course sometimes you will feel fearful or anxious and unsure but you are no different to anyone else. What is the worst that is going to happen. Just make the decision to create change and try the opportunities that come your way. Nope not all of them are going to work but some will and those are the ones that count and will increase career confidence.
Embrace Change
Years ago a person would join a company and would be highly likely to still be with that company when they retired. Those days have long gone. Now companies are changing all the time. New management teams come and go, partnerships are created, redundancies happen and many people have a number of skills that they can call upon as they work in one or two or even three different career areas. Change does not need to be feared providing you have created options for yourself.
Never allow yourself to be trapped in a position that you can’t get out of or fear losing. It is all very well being the specialist who deals with far Eastern widget sales but if this is one of only a few jobs in that niche then you are going to be trapped in that position and at the mercy of your company. Choose to learn skills which are transferable, essential and are in demand. Even better learn more than one skill so that you always have options. That means when your company decides to create sweeping changes you could fit in anywhere or alternatively leave and find another position without any problems at all.
Seek Professional Help
Guess what you don’t have to deal with all of this on your own. Remember that two heads are better than one and if you have fears, worries or anxieties about the future then it is possible to overcome them with professional help. We help our clients to boost confidence and self esteem with coaching, NLP and hypnotherapy. Just a small investment in career coaching can make a big difference and pay huge dividends. The cost of staying exactly as you are impacts your mental well-being and your wallet! Why even the biggest stars in the world have coaches even when they are worth millions. Oprah Winfrey, Bill Clinton, Serena Williams and other celebrities know that it is worth investing in their future because it makes them happier as well as wealthier!
If you want more information about how to increase career confidence or any other form of confidence coaching simply get in touch today and we will be happy to arrange a free telephone consultation with you to see if our programs can help you.