Approaching Prospective Employers With Confidence
A first impression is everything, and by the time you graduate from college and head out into the real world you know this. When you are ready to land your dream job, or even a job that will lead to your dream job, you need to be confident. Sometimes, education isn’t what it’s all about. Some of the most well educated people are not at all confident and they have a hard time finding a job.
You need to know yourself and your best attributes as well as have well defined goals and motivation to impress your prospective employers. When you are sure who you are and where you want to go with your life and your career, employers will pick up on this and snatch you up as soon as they meet you!
College Isn’t Just About Education
While your education is very important and an integral part of your college experience, you also need to get to know yourself, develop dreams, and be willing to put them into motion when the opportunity presents itself. College is about asserting yourself, being able to express who you are and where you want to go in a secure fashion, although not in an overly confident manner that puts people off. The further along you get in your education you should feel your confidence growing because your dreams are becoming better defined and you can truly visualize them. When you are ready to start the job search you should not only be well educated, you should be confident in your abilities to put that education to work in the real world.
Many people are able to get a world-class education, but not everyone has the confidence to go out there and really make that education work for them. Remember when you are studying and dreaming about your future that education can only carry you so far and that you must have the confidence and sometimes even the charisma to carry you into the seat of your dream job.
As important as confidence in your abilities is, you must remember that over confidence is as much a turn off as the fidgety college graduate that has no confidence. Employers want balanced employees that have the education to get them going, but the right amount of confidence to tackle a challenge but not so much that they think they are beyond working hard to prove themselves for the first few months.
The Right Resume
When it comes time to apply for a position with a company, corporation, or firm that you would like to work for you must be sure that you have a well-planned resume. Often times, your resume will actually be the first impression your prospective employers will have of you, so you need to be sure that it will fit the bill. If you’ve never sent a resume out before, you might want to get with a professional that can help you tailor your resume to industry standards. You’ll find that many industries have a certain standard by which all resumes are formatted and if yours doesn’t fit that standard it’ll stick out like a sore thumb. If you aren’t sure of industry standards, again, a professional may be a great option although you can buy books or borrow them from the library that will help with the formatting. The Internet tends to be a great resource for resume formatting questions or issues, as well.
In addition to a great looking resume you’ll need a well-written cover letter. A cover letter typically discusses why you think you’d be a valuable member of the company’s team, why you are applying for the job, and any other relevant information. You might be able to find industry standard information for cover letters when you buy or borrow books or look up information on the Internet. Your cover letter needs to really express who you are, why you think you should be considered for employment, and encourage the recipient to turn the page to learn more about you from your resume.
Interviewing
When you interview with your prospective employer you should dress professionally and present yourself in a very approachable and friendly manner. Remember that confidence is key, but there is a delicate balance between confidence and over confidence. Keep your body language open, refrain from fidgeting, and answer questions in a direct manner. If you’re asked if you have any questions, feel free to ask them even if you feel odd doing it, many employers do this to gauge your true interest in the company. When the interview is over thank the employer for their time and consideration in a professional and polite manner.
Every college graduate needs to find the balance between being educated and prepared to do their job and conveying confidence in your ability to do the job. Hitting the books during college is important, but you also need to learn how to deal with people, and how to approach the things you have learned in the real world with the confidence that is attractive and necessary in the real world when you want to get ahead. You can be sure that you will be competing with other college graduates for the same position, so be as confident and as well prepared as you can so that you stick out in the minds of the employer when it comes time to choose which graduate is right for their company right now.
