Confidence: Your Key to Successful Business Networking

Posted on Sep 30, 2012 in Career Advice | 0 comments

In today’s competitive job market, self -confidence is the most important skill you can have.  You need confidence to do successful business networking.  You may have an amazing track record of winning public relations or marketing campaigns.  You may be a corporate communications professional with a resume of top companies.  You may be a social media wizard.  HOWEVER…You can have all the skills, experience and connections, but without confidence you won’t get past the first interview.  Why?   

 

1.  It’s your body language and demeanor.  Interviewers pick up on a confident person consciously and unconsciously.

2.  Confidence can mean competence to some so they will trust a confident person quickly.  It’s perception but it can help you or hurt you if you don’t have it.

3. When you meet someone for the first time, you judge them by their words, body language, expressions, eye contact etc.  They want you to be confident and will look for signs that you are.

4.  You don’t want to be over confident and come off as arrogant.

5.  Success is a measure of being confident.  Confident people aren’t afraid to take risks, they set attainable goals and work to achieve them. 

Confidence is extremely important when you are looking for a new position.  A confident person has positive self-esteem and, when you respect yourself, others respect you.  It’s an infectious quality.  Everyone wants to be around a confident person and they hire them.

If you have low self-esteem or are not confident, step back and think about it.  You might need help from a coach or counselor.  Losing a position can definitely hurt your confidence but you need it back before you can land another one!