1) ‘Live’ through the conversation or experience in your head before it actually happens. Think about exactly what you want to say or do, and what may happen as a result. Imagine yourself there. By the time it actually happens it will be much less scary.

2) Use props. I once worked with someone who had to put on her ‘presentation shoes’ every time she had to stand up in a room and talk to more than three people. If that extra couple of inches in height or expensive tie make you feel better, get them out of the wardrobe!

3) Props don’t just need to be clothing. Shaky hands? Hold a pen. Jiggly legs? Cross them or hide them behind a table. Sweaty brow? Make sure you have a hanky to hand. Body language can give you away, so have what you need to give you the impression of confidence, even if you don’t need it.

4) Walk tall. If you look confident, you will feel more confident. They don’t need to know that your tummy is doing back flips!

5) Believe in yourself. You are you, and what you are saying is valid. Don’t let others sway you if that is what you believe in. Have faith in yourself, and others will follow.

6) Get support and validation. If you are wavering, then talk to someone who knows and supports you. Knowing someone else believes in you will help you to go forward with confidence.

7) Think of someone you admire. What would they do in this situation? How would they handle it? Model your behaviour and words on them.

And if things don’t go your way? Don’t give up! Life wouldn’t be life if we got what we wanted all the time. It is far less stressful to be flexible, take on board what has happened, and learn for next time. Change is an ongoing process, and whatever you tried differently this time is a great step forward.

Please share your own confidence tricks here, or let me know what has worked for you. If you want to book a coaching session to help you explore what you personally want to do differently, and to look at what will work for you, then please get in touch for an obligation-free chat and coaching programme.

Good luck!

Claire

I met some great people, and had some interesting discussions on the day to day challenges of life, and what we could do to help us get through it in one happy piece.  I was there to work, but was pleasantly surprised to win an amazing prize in the raffle, and to have a session with an image consultant.  Jan (jan.brookes@ntlworld.com) gave me some great tips on colour and style, and I even came away a little refreshed myself!  Best of all, they raised £1200 for Anna’s Hope.  It was a great day, and made me realise how charity work is so very much needed, but how fantastic it can be in the process, in this case thanks to hard work and dedication of the organisers.  If anyone wants to support Anna’s Hope, their website, including contact details, is at www.annashope.co.uk.

If you have any comments about or experience of charity work, please share them here!

That said, there are often lots of tips and techniques out there that you can look at, and pick out what works for you. With the current ‘credit crunch’ and increasing numbers of redundancies and business closures, the theme of career options and job change has been popping up a lot. With this in mind, I have put together a few ‘top tips’ to help you find that next job of yours!

1. Don’t get hung up on job titles or professions. There seems to have been a trend to use imaginative names and labels to describe different work. Dig deeper into the job description to see if there is a match between your skills and their requirements, and try to be open minded about what you want to be ‘called’ in your next job.
2. Make the most of technology. There is so much information online you can find a lot about different organisations, from the profile of their top management team to their recruitment processes. BUT…
3. …organise your research. There is so much information out there you need to be focused and plan what you want to look at. It is too easy to get sidetracked by Amazon links and a quick check of your emails!
4. Be cheeky. Can’t find what you want online? Give them a buzz! You never know, you might find that one person who is happy to chat for five minutes and give you some insider information into their industry.
5. Be positive about how transferrable your skills are, you need to be able to sell your skills. Think about the more generic skills you have too, such as organisational techniques, time management and customer service skills.
6. Got that all-important interview? Visualise yourself in the role and walk into the room as if you are already doing the job. This will give you an air of confidence and help you to convince them that you can fill the role.
7. Don’t take refusals hard. Get feedback and use it to your advantage. You will find a new job at some point, and every refusal is one step closer to an offer.
8. If you fancy a change and are already employed, consider a sideways move within your own organisation. They may be willing to give you a go in an entirely different area.
9. If you have been made redundant, don’t take it personally. You can’t control the situation but you can mange your own reaction to it. Focus on moving on and remember that redundancy can lead into positive life changes. Try to remember that it is your role that has been made redundant, not you personally.
10. Get some feedback from people you have worked with. Ask them questions such as “What do I have to offer?” and “What sort of role can you see me in” – it will help generate ideas and they may suggest things that you have not thought of.

Take your pick of what works for you and good luck! If any of you have any other job hunting tips that you want to share, please send them in and I will post them on my blog. Please state if you do not wish me to use your name.

Feel free to contact me at info@clairehowecoaching.co.uk or 07979 697290 if you wish to book a session to generate specific actions tailored to your own situation, or if you just need some space to explore your options.