5 Big, Easy Changes for More Job Search Confidence

5 Big, Easy Changes for More Job Search Confidence 5 Big, Easy Changes for More Job Search Confidence 5 Big, Easy Changes for More Job Search Confidence Actually Let’s say that you’re reaching out to a potential contact via LinkedIn whom you hope can connect you to a manager you’d like to interview with. In your email, you write, “Actually, we have a mutual friend in common, Sam Smith.” Well, actually, you don’t need to use “actually” in an actual sentence. Similar to “sorry,” “actually” is one of those filler words that people use all the time. In fact, actually is so used (and often misused) that it doesn’t make sense. Score some job search confidence and ditch the word “actually” by getting straight to the point. Sorry An employer reaches out for a job interview and asks if you’re available on Friday. You respond via email by saying, “I’m sorry, Friday doesn’t work for me, but I could do Monday morning.” There’s nothing wrong with that answer, right? Wrong. Apologizing has become so common that the words “I’m sorry” are so overused and have become meaningless- and unnecessary. So skip the “sorry” and just rephrase your response without it. You won’t be, um, sorry that you did. Hopefully You write what you would consider to be a brilliant cover letter. It tells a strong story, provides specific examples of how your previous work experiences make you the ideal candidate for the position- you’ve even spell-checked it three times! In your closing paragraph, you write, “Hopefully you will respond to my job application.” While it seems innocuous, “hopefully” is one of those words that is, as Sally from Peanuts would say, “wishy-washy.” “Hopefully” can sound like you’re weak and maybe a little desperate. You can hold onto hope that a hiring manager will contact you for a job interview- hopefully, you won’t let them know that directly. Just It’s been two weeks since your job interview, and you are busting to hear back from your prospective boss. So you send an email to him as a follow-up, but you start off the email like this: “Hi, Mr. Smith. I hope you are well. Just checking in with you regarding the job interview….” Thing is, using the word “just” can make you appear to lack job search confidence, and that you’re afraid of intruding on the other person’s time. And it goes without saying that neither one of these are attributes that a strong job candidate should exhibit! Just leave the word “just” out of your email, and say what you need to say! Kind Of You’re in the middle of a job interview. It’s going well, and your boss-to-be is rattling off many of the duties of the job. He takes a breath and asks, “Do you understand everything that would be required of you?” and you respond, “Kind of.” Similar to “hopefully,” “kind of” (and his evil twin brother “sort of”) are not powerful responses and only show that you’re probably confused, uninterested, or both. Some job seekers respond with “kind of” when they actually mean “no” but are too afraid to use the word. But it’s important to be honest, so instead of saying “kind of,” simply respond with a “yes” or a “no” and ask for clarification if you need it. It’s super important to appear confident when you job hunt! As you continue on in your job search, you’ll gain job search confidence, and a confident job seeker is very attractive to potential employers indeed! Readers, do you have job search confidence or are you slowly learning to build it? Do you use any of the above words during your search? Let us know in the comments below!