Self-esteem is the way you feel about yourself and usually fluctuates with daily experiences. People with good self-esteem typically bounce back after a defeat and continue to experience slight ups and down throughout their lives, but keep their self-esteem balanced, according to the University of Texas Counseling and Mental Health Center. Low self-esteem can affect every area of your life, including your ability to land a job.
Step 1
Believe that you can change the way you feel about yourself and how you project yourself to potential employers. According to the UT Counseling and Mental Health Center, you have to believe you are capable of gaining power over your self-doubt and low self-image before you can convince anyone else.
Step 2
Make a list of your achievements to counter the negative self-criticism to which you've become accustomed. By seeing in writing that you do have talents and have had some successes, you can more easily present those qualifications to an interviewer and project more self-confidence to the recruiter.
Step 3
Practice positive affirmations. Develop a habit of self-talk that focuses on your abilities and talents. While it may seem foreign at first, you will eventually begin to believe your affirmative messages. For example, tell yourself before you go into an interview that you will make a great employee and are perfectly suited for the job.
Step 4
Develop realistic expectations that have nothing to do with your feelings. According to the Mayo Clinic, many people expect more of themselves than is possible, such as acing every interview, thus setting themselves up for negative reinforcement. With negative self-incriminating statements, you can sabotage your job-hunting efforts.
Step 5
Ask for support from a friend or therapist to help put your own value in perspective. According to job consultants at Career Builder, when you reach out and ask for help, you often are rewarded with positive influences that can help boost your self-esteem and prepare you for success.
Tips and Warnings
- Continue applying for jobs even when you receive rejections. Just because one recruiter turns you down doesn't mean you are worthless and will never get a job. Like most job-hunters, you must apply for a number of jobs before you land the right one.
- Don't assume a negative response from a hiring manager necessarily has anything to do with your abilities. Instead of automatically condemning yourself, ask the recruiter what his concerns are.
Things You'll Need
- List of achievements
- Positive affirmations
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