5 Tips for Feeling More Confident at Work

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AD: Whether you’re working from home full-time or need to go back to the office to meet with clients and collaborate with co-worker's, you want to get back to it full of confidence. But confidence can be tricky to obtain let alone maintain, and you can only fake it till you make it for so long. Still, this confidence can also be crucial for enhancing your career and making you a vital team member, so it's worth knowing how to feel (and eventually be) more confident at work. 

(Image credit - Unsplash) 

So, whether it's finding the confidence for a new job or to learn a new skill, or just finding that confidence you forgot you had, these tips will help you find the confidence you need to excel at your job role.

Learn New Skills

Many people will doubt you at work, especially if you are new in a role. People will often take one look at you and make assumptions about your experience and abilities. You can work as hard as possible, but you may still struggle to change their mind, which can affect anyone’s confidence. 

So, what's the solution? Rather than hope they come around, you need to show them you mean business. Learning new skills is a great way to prove yourself and it also provides the chance for professional development that could make you a strong candidate for promotion while those who doubted you are left in the dust. Don't be afraid to show off what you can do, if you don't shout about your skills and achievements nobody will!

Having new skills under your belt are also a great confidence booster on their own. Knowing you have taken on a challenge and beaten it whilst gaining new skills and knowledge is always going to do your confidence wonders.

Improve Your Efficiency

Many jobs can be overwhelming, but they are only as overwhelming as you make them and often jobs can be broken down to make them more manageable. Even if you receive request after request for projects and reports, you can still keep on top of them by improving your efficiency. 

Time management is always a vital career skill, but you can also consider how to get ahead of projects before they become urgent. Sometimes, this comes down to your devices, and MacPaw's post explaining how to speed up your laptop can help you get more done during the day without needing to micromanage every second (and maybe even skip your lunch hour). 

Dress to Impress

Everyone feels good if they look good, so there’s no reason why you shouldn’t dress to impress when at the office. Looking like you belong in a professional environment will make people take you more seriously and show you the respect you deserve, which is always good for boosting confidence. 

But what about working from home? You don’t need to dress up, but you also don’t want to spend the day in your pyjamas. Sometimes, smart-casual attire, even when you don’t need to be in the office, can benefit your attitude and self-esteem to improve your confidence levels.  

Learn from Mistakes (and keep trying)

Too many people will close up after failure because they’re scared to make another mistake. But the most confident people know that failure is a vital experience that will help you grow. Mistakes are often the best way we learn and if you do make a mistake don't be afraid to ask for help, this isn't showing weakness, in fact it is showing willingness to learn and you taking control of the situation by wanting to change the mistake and make it right.

You may have gotten something wrong once, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try again. You can use your experiences to draw new perspectives, which will help you look at problems from a new angle and ensure you can still offer vital insight. 

Confidence

Confidence radiates, and I love the saying "fake it till you make it" when it comes to confidence. Looking as though you have confidence will directly impact the energy levels around you and inspire your co-worker's and the rest of the office to go above and beyond. Even if you feel like you’re putting on a show at the moment, this confidence will soon become your natural state, and you’ll have no trouble reaping the rewards professionally and personally.

Do you struggle to find your confidence in the workplace? If so, what tips do you use to help build your confidence?

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