With the advantage of hindsight, Jobs pointed out: “I didn’t see it then, but being fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me.”

Alongside several of his former colleagues, Jobs went on to launch the computer company, NeXT and eventually Pixar Animation Studios. The rest, as they say, is history.

His story is not unique. Professional setbacks are tough, whether they arise from redundancy, an unsuccessful job search, or restructuring. There is a tendency to take setbacks personally to the point where they affect your self-esteem, perception of value, and confidence – leading to feelings of unhappiness, stress, lack of motivation and energy, and personal and professional relationship challenges.

Yet, having confidence in ourselves is a key predictor of success. Said another way, if you do not believe in yourself and your capabilities, nobody else will. Confidence helps you to build the kind of resilience that will get you through life’s ups and downs. It also helps you to perform at peak levels – enabling focus, a greater commitment to tasks, and the flexibility to creatively navigate challenges.

That being said, we are not born with confidence and our level of confidence doesn’t remain constant throughout our lives. Self-confidence waxes and wanes, and takes work to build, develop, and maintain. The good news is that, by taking decisive actions, you can develop greater self-confidence that will enable you to navigate life’s ups and downs with ease and remain focused on your long-term goals.

Here are five tried-and-tested steps:

1. Think back to some of your most impressive accomplishments. What helped you to achieve these? What strengths did you draw on? Once you’ve identified your strengths, think about two new ways that you can leverage them in the coming weeks. Write these down, commit to them, and then track your milestones along the way.
2. Try something new and challenge yourself, whether joining a cooking class, a running group, or volunteering for a cause you’re passionate about. Taking on new challenges and succeeding can help boost your confidence and sense of productivity.
3. Avoid negative self-talk and a worst-case scenario mindset. Henry Ford once said “whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” When we expect the worst, we are often too afraid to take advantage of new opportunities. Turning this on its head, imagine the best-case scenario. To help you with this, I encourage you to watch my favorite TED Talk, “Why we all need to practice emotional first aid” by Guy Winch.
4. Ask for feedback. It’s an important life skill to learn how to seek feedback and use constructive criticism to improve. Have a discussion with your (former) line manager or colleagues to find out what you do well and where you can improve. This will help you to develop on both a personal and professional level, and become more confident in your abilities. Quite simply, confident people are better at receiving both positive and negative feedback.
5. Set small goals and achieve them to pile up success. Achieving goals, even small ones, helps us to gain confidence in ourselves and our abilities. Make sure you set daily goals, track them, and celebrate your successes. Don’t underestimate the importance of doing this to boost your confidence levels.

Though it’s often overshadowed by your skills and expertise, confidence is one of the core building blocks of career and life success. By following these five simple steps, you can develop your confidence, bounce back from setbacks, and achieve your goals.

The post Five Steps to Build your Confidence and Improve your Personal and Professional Life appeared first on SC Career Transition.

Of course, you can make sure that your CV/resume is tailored to the job description; that the cover letter aligns with the company’s values; and that you know everything you possibly can about the organization prior to your interview. However, you have no control over the employer’s decision, the suitability and qualifications of the other candidates, the hiring budget, or even the overall state of the job market.

As an HR professional and recruiter with more than 20 years of experience working in an international environment, I have been part of many hiring decisions. And, frankly, the decision to hire one candidate over another often comes down to issues that are difficult to articulate and quantify.

So, what are the advantages of goal setting in your job search and how can you make this process work to your advantage?

While unemployed, it’s normal to feel out of your comfort zone, ruminate over uncertainty, and struggle with confidence. Setting goals is a proven, successful way to focus your mind and take control over your circumstances. Goals give us a sense of purpose and direction. Tied to this, even celebrating small successes is enough to reinforce your self-confidence and self-esteem.

That being said, it’s unhealthy to focus exclusively on goal attainment, in that you may struggle to relax and view non-goal related activities as a waste of time. It’s worth emphasizing that your well-being and mental health are just as important during a job search as they are at any other time in your life.

How, then, can goal setting work for you? Here are the seven steps that will help you to balance goal attainment with mental well-being:

• Be clear on what you want.

Having a clear vision of your end goal will help you to focus on the steps you need to take to make it happen. What type of job do you want and which organization do you want to work for? Which skills do you already possess and what areas can you improve upon?

• Set intermediate goals.

Working towards one big goal (e.g., “finding my dream job”) is too vague and lofty. Break it down into steps and milestones, so that you can align your day-to-day strategies with your overarching vision. What do you need to do tomorrow, next week, and next month to work towards your goal? Once you identify what needs to be done – complete with action items and deadlines – you can commit to making it happen and work towards it step-by-step.

• Find an accountability partner.

An “accountability partner” is someone you can talk to daily or weekly to share wins and navigate challenges. Choose someone that you know will give you an honest opinion, but will also be supportive. In this way, you can keep working through the weeds while remaining focused on your long-term goal.

• Track your progress.

A critical part of achieving your goals is tracking your progress along the way and reevaluating your methods, as needed. Ask yourself daily: “Am I still acting in line with my goal?” “What have I done today to move towards my goal?”

• Celebrate your successes.

Don’t wait until you’ve landed a job to congratulate yourself. Make sure you celebrate small successes along the way. Not only will this increase your self-confidence, it will motivate you to stay on track. If you’ve achieved your daily goal, reward yourself appropriately.

• Set realistic daily goals.

If you are not internally motivated or have trouble focusing, set realistic daily goals. I recommend identifying several that will move you towards your professional goals and others that will impact your well-being, like going for a walk in nature. Write the following day’s goals down the night before and number them in order of priority. Then, add one thing to the list that you’ve been putting off. Consult the list first thing in the morning and plan your day accordingly.

• Learn how to focus.

If you find it difficult to concentrate and are easily distracted, try setting a timer for 25 minutes and give your current task your full attention for the entire period. Then, take a 5-minute break before you resume the next 25-minute round. Once you get into a routine of dedicating time exclusively to what you want to achieve, you will accomplish your goals much more easily.

Coming full-circle, a job offer is often outside of your control. While you can certainly influence the process by doing all the right things, the final decision lies with someone else. These seven steps, which are based on proven goal-setting techniques, offer a reliable structure that will help you on your journey to success. Overall, I advise you to focus your efforts and emotional energy on what you can do, instead of things that are outside of your control.

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Most of the people I’ve worked with over the past 20 years – whether as an HR professional, recruiter or career coach – share Tom’s views, irrespective of whether they are CEOs, athletes, or recently qualified university graduates. More often than not, they are worried about what their friends will think of them, convinced that they are worthless, and prefer keeping to themselves while looking for a job. Even though this is understandable, this behavior is actually counterproductive on two levels:

1. Social support helps you to cope when the going gets tough; and
2. The social contacts you have, particularly those “weak ties” with people you don’t know very well, can offer a unique perspective and resources that are invaluable when looking for a job.

So what can you do to make sure that you have the right support team in place?

Take a look at your circle of friends, family members, and acquaintances. Identify the people you can count on to help you.

• Who will always be there for you no matter what happens – picking you up when you’re down and cheering you on?

• Who knows you well and can be counted on to give an unbiased opinion of your skills and achievements?

• Who will challenge you to fulfil your potential, ensuring that you are the best you can be?

• Who can you confide in and be vulnerable with when you need to talk about your fears, doubts, and insecurities?

• Who can offer you support and guidance in identifying your next professional challenge?

• Who can introduce you to people with different backgrounds to expand your network?

If the support network you’ve identified through this process doesn’t feel right, start assessing who else you might be able to contact for assistance. Rather than trying to cope on your own, building good relationships and getting support can help you to overcome challenging circumstances and tough times. Seeking employment is no exception here.

Coming full-circle, at the end of our session, Tom understood the importance of social connections and realized that trying to do it all on his own wasn’t going to work. He identified a support network and was able to get the assistance and advice that he desperately needed. Now, he’s happily employed in customer service.

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