How to Build Your Professional Confidence
By: Alex Yakovlev
Tags: Startup, Leadership, Management, Self Improvement

Your professional confidence level can seriously affect success in interviews, or even day-to-day workplace settings.

This is a complicated thing considering the best way to grow your confidence is to have many wins, however a lack thereof will restrict you from those wins. If you’ve been realizing that a lack of belief in yourself lately is actually lowering the amount that others believe in you, something must be done.

There is no need for a downward spiral, and with the help of GoFable, we’ll help you pull yourself out of this situation by your bootstraps, turning you into a certified stone cold fox.

The paddling duck analogy

Continuing on the theme of animal references, there is a very important story we once heard here at GoFable. The paddling duck analogy is one that pervades both the East and West coast, without discrimination. And here’s how it goes.

When a duck is swimming on the top on the water, what the average passer-by sees is a calm surface with a smooth wake.There are no ragged surface patterns, just a smooth animal gliding across the water.

Very peaceful, right?

However, the truth of the matter is that this is not the case at all beneath the water. When a duck is dancing peacefully above water, underneath their feet are paddling frantically. You have never seen someone move faster than a duck’s feet beneath the water. But from the top, no one would ever know.

This is the point. Many people do just this — hiding this secret mentality from the rest of us, that let our struggles lie on the surface for others to support us with.

But there is a percentage of people that never let others see them sweat, and these are the people others look at with respect, believing they never fail or struggle, or don’t know what to do. There is no truth in that, except that perhaps this is all anyone needs to have others trust them.

So why not try it?

Get the gear you need to feel cool

While I personally believe the concept of ‘fake it till you make it’ has gone out, that doesn’t mean that making yourself feel more confident with the clothes you wear can’t make you feel better for real. The idea is if perhaps you have a lack of professional confidence when your more experienced peers have the ideal work bag, or great loafers that just scream executive, maybe you should do something about it!

It’s actually very common for people to feel intimidated or affected by their clothing options, especially since it is a direct visual comparison to others. We are after all, simple creatures.

Therefore, make sure you feel equal at least on this level and rest assured, more confidence will follow. Besides, if you are a bit strapped for cash, which is contributing to your scrappy wardrobe, there is absolutely nothing wrong with second hand or discount! Check out warehouse clearance stores and get the exact brands your coworkers are wearing for half the price.

Besides, your coworkers will never know that the same exact brand produced the same exact year is any lesser because it was cheaper, therefore you shouldn’t think it’s any less either. In fact, you should just consider yourself smarter by spending your money in a more educated fashion.

Get some work under your belt

Apart from feeling lesser because of not having that Gucci belt, another common reason there is a lack of professional confidence is not having the same amount of experience as those you look up to, or aspire to be like. However, just remember that everyone starts with zero experience somewhere, and this is something that is easily fixable.

Plus, if you can eliminate the lack of confidence you feel from a weaker wardrobe and weaker resume, then what else is there? This is probably the main contributor, as a lack of confidence generally represents not believing you are as worthy as those around you. It is your mind’s way of expressing you think you are lesser, and if in a professional setting you prove you are professionally equal, then there is nothing to fear.

Apart from the positive appearance you will gain through having more to display on your resume, you will also gain confidence through actually having more experience. The only reason someone feels nervous or uncomfortable in a professional setting is that it is unfamiliar to them, and with some real time put in behind a desk at a workplace, everything won’t seem so daunting. It’s not intimidating — It’s just going to work!

Understand business confidence is all about sales

As the last main point to leave you with, it is important to understand nearly any business role — even if not in the industry of sales — is about sales.

Have you ever seen someone walk into a room with a rolling confidence that you can even see on their shoulders? Think about the type of environment they are entering — are they selling something? Is the room they are walking in to a place that they will need to persuade others?

Then perhaps the reason they walk in like this is because they are considering these things, and know customers and their coworkers, and most importantly their boss will trust them more if they maintain a strong front.Personal confidence is huge for opening doors for yourself.

This is what it’s all about. Even though there are many other contributing factors to professional success, you can rest assured that the associate you are working with, who earns the promotion, does not doubt themselves openly. They may do it in private, but you’d never know that since they have a wonderfully confident and professional appearance as soon as they step out of their home. Think about creating something like this for yourself.

But still be yourself.

Conclusion

Honestly, in every circumstance confidence is just something that is gained over time. Put your time in, and do what you can now to arrive at interviews feeling like the winner you need to feel like so you can secure those opportunities, or even a raise. And very soon it won’t have to be some persona you have to put on like a suit. It will just be how you feel in the work setting.

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Have a personal confidence trick that crushes the competition at work?

Tell us your secret in the comments below!

Credits: Anna Davis, Anastasia, Sophie Bagaeva, Gabe Fearing