Career advice: how to project confidence when applying for jobs

Confidence does not equal arrogance – and more jobseekers need to realise that, according to careers expert Amanda Rose.

People need to stop diluting themselves when they apply for jobs.

They talk themselves down because they feel if they are too confident they will come across as arrogant or cocky.

But it’s the polar opposite problem.

Confidence is actually rare and if you have a lens of confidence when writing a CV or cover letter, you will be perceived in a positive way.

In an interview, if you are confident the employer will love that.

That’s what they are looking for but for some reason people back down too much.

Don’t feel confident? Fake it ‘til you make it, Amanda Rose says. Picture: Monique Harmer

I think it’s an Australian thing.

Employers want someone who is confident in their ability and can run off and do the job without having to ask questions every five seconds.

More people need to see it as a competitive advantage.

It’s a skill. It’s like whacking another qualification on your resume.

Be confident in how you communicate and how you present yourself. If that does not come naturally to you, pretend you are someone else.

Put on an act. Fake it ‘til you make it. Don’t fake your qualifications or anything, but you have to do it with your confidence.

You’ve got nothing to lose and the more you do it, the more you realise it’s quite fun.

You are not lying or doing anything wrong by being confident.

If you have something to sell, it makes sense that you put it in its best possible light.

In an interview, preparation is key. Practice builds confidence. Not enough people practice interview questions. Even if you don’t have someone to practice with, record it or do it in front of a mirror.

It’s like presenting and speaking – the more you know your subject matter, the more confident you will be.

Back yourself with statistics and accomplishments.

Dress confident to feel confident. Picture: iStock.

It also helps to dress comfortably and dress the part. Don’t dress how you feel, dress how you want to feel. Wear red lipstick – if it suits you.

Think an all-black suit, hair in a ponytail, red lipstick and nice shoes. The right people will love it, the right people will hate it – at least it’s who you are.

Amanda Rose is a business consultant, workplace trainer, LinkedIn influencer and founder of six organisations – and now she is tackling your career questions for SMART Daily every week.

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Originally published as Career advice: how to project confidence when applying for jobs