When you have confidence in yourself and in your own ability to achieve great things, the world can be your oyster. We all have some confidence in certain aspects of our lives, but we know that having confidence in your career is incredibly important. We understand that confidence at work often develops as we gain more experience in the role and won’t happen for everyone overnight. Therefore we hope these easy to follow steps will help. We want all our Syfters to show up to every shift with the confidence in their ability to perform well. Lets begin!
- Ask questions – asking more questions is something we all know could greatly benefit us however we often get too scared to ask for more information in case it leaves us looking silly or not up to the job. The more you ask, the more you know, remember that! Asking questions not only fills in any knowledge gaps, it shows your manager that not only are you keen to learn but you want to ensure you understand a task correctly or you are interested in the company or industry. Once you ask a question once, you won’t be shy to ask many more in the future!
- Eliminate negative language – having self doubts or negative thoughts regarding your ability is common, you’re not alone if this applies to you. The more positively we speak to ourselves the better our self confidence will be. Next time you are speaking negatively to yourself try turning those negatives into positives. As we’ve heard many times, if you wouldn’t say it to a family member, don’t say it to yourself! You are in the job for a reason, be your best champion!
- Focus on your successes – imposter syndrome is common for those who don’t understand why they are where they are in their career. It stems from self doubt and a lack of confidence. Make sure when you have these feelings, focus on your successes and career highlights, we all have them however big or small. By reliving your successes you can understand and remember what you’re capable of!
- Boost your knowledge – as we’ve said many times on the Syft blog, knowledge is power, the more you know, the more you’re aware and the better you will be at your job! Why not use your commute or break times to learn more about your industry? Or check out the latest news? Your job roles are always changing with new things to learn each day, so take any opportunity you can to boost your knowledge!
- Review and repeat – why not ask for feedback from your manager or coworkers? There is no shame in asking people on your shift how you are doing, by getting feedback you will understand what you are great at (which will give you confidence) and also know the things you need to work on. Having things to improve on is not a bad thing, it should be an exciting opportunity to get better!
- Build on your strengths – we all have things we are great at, however there is always room for improvement. Have a think, how can you get better? What else can you do to improve your skill set? Check out someone on your shift who also has similar strengths, can you learn from them? Can you adopt any of their techniques for your tool kit?
- Pick up new skills – like knowledge, skill learning is something that will only help us gain confidence to not only do a great job but to try new roles. Skills don’t have to be complicated and intricate, it could be something small that is recognised in your industry or a skill you have wanted to learn for a while. Learning new skills should remind you that you can do anything you set your mind to! Why not search online for different skill sets in your industry and see what you can pick up and learn!
- Have fun and embrace your personality – when we feel like our true selves, that’s when your confidence can come in abundance. During the work day you don’t need to dull down your personality, you can still be you while remaining professional and getting the job done! As soon as you forget about your anxieties and insecurities and try and have fun the better you will feel!
- Stay up to date – keep your eyes and ears open at all times, make note of any changes to your role, industry or clients you work for. If you stay in the loop, you will always feel up to date and in the know! It’s important to stay engaged and interested in the job at hand!
- Remember your journey – we all have a CV/resume filled with accomplishments and previous work history, even if you are at the start of your career, you will have experiences and skills that will help you in your current role. Don’t forget to reflect on how far you’ve come, your past experiences and how capable you are to do the role that Syft or another organisation has verified you for.
We hope these points are helpful in reminding yourself how capable you are, but also great pointers on how you can improve your skill sets and expand your knowledge.
