Confidence vs. Cockiness Wed, Apr 12, 2017

Here at SlideBelts, one of the quickest ways to never getting invited back for another interview is being too cocky. This can come across in many different ways through different people, (you have the guy who’s draped over the couch a little too loosely and forgets to use appropriate language/ the person who constantly belittles their previous employer/ the person who comes straight out of the gate with multiple observations on how they could improve the business from the inside out.)

The bottom line is, we tend to hire humble people.

We will continue to do this, but to be honest it comes with some challenges of its own. Naturally humble people tend to be overly critical of themselves, not speak up about their personal accomplishments, and can constantly second guess their decisions.

So how do you walk the fine line between confidence and cockiness? Glad you asked.

I’ve noticed that it’s all about attitudes in interviews. Observe two statements that tell me the same information, with two very different tones:

 - “My last employer never took my suggestions. We never saw eye to eye. I was happy to leave; I need something different."

 - “I’m looking for a place where I can make an impact..A place where inclusion thrives and every voice is heard. I haven’t felt that in the past, but I know I can make a difference if given the chance.”

So how do you apply this to your job today? Give yourself a dose of the confidence you deserve by not being afraid to share your accomplishments(with the right attitude)

  - “This project took me all day. Look how awesome of a job I did on it” Sounds a lot different than..

 - “I’m really excited about the progress I’ve been making and skills I’ve been learning from this project”