Careers and employability

Confidence Building Tips

1. Don't Ask, Don't Get

Reach out to companies you would like to work for. By being proactive and contacting them you are showing enthusiasm and self-motivation, both qualities which are highly valued by employers. Contacting companies, yourself shows initiative and increases your chances of them giving you a chance.

2. Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

Enter competitions that can help you stand out from the crowd. Interested in game design, computing or technology? Enter the Moray Game Jam. Fancy yourself as an entrepreneur? Enter the UHI Business Competition. As well as prizes, visibility and networking opportunities, entering these competitions shows drive and helps your CV shine.

3. Get That Warm Fuzzy Feeling

Volunteering is a really underrated way to gain new skills, build a good network in an industry or field you are interested in and help your community at the same time. There are lots of local, national and international voluntary organisations who need your help. Volunteering won’t just help them; it’ll help your CV and job prospects too.

4. Are You Talking To Me?

Talking to people is really important for building your confidence. Particularly after the isolation of COVID, lots of people feel less confident talking to strangers. Put yourself in positions to develop this skill, join clubs and societies you’re interested in, attend events or put yourself forward for student voice rep (SVR). It might be uncomfortable or awkward at first, but it’ll pay dividends when you get an interview.

5. Insider Information

You already have people you can ask for help with getting your foot in the door of your chosen industry. Maybe you have a family connection who works for a company you’re interested in, or a friend. Use that connection. Ask them about any paid opportunities or work experience available.

Don’t have family or friends in your chosen industry? Ask a lecturer! They often have great industry contacts and can point you in the right direction.

6. Get Your Money’s Worth

As a student, you have access to lots of great resources which can help you build confidence, and you can access these for free! Contact the Student Support Team for help with mock interviews, download UHI’s Handshake app for webinars and job ads or use the careers advice included on Spectrum Life. Want to brush up your skills? Students have free access to Linkedin Learning which has thousands of free training courses covering all kinds of topics.

7. Be In The Know

There are lots of events locally which can put you in touch with the industries you’re interested in. The Department for Work and Pensions often host careers fairs, and Skills Development Scotland can also help you get where you want to go. You can also follow influential people in your industry on Linkedin, giving you up-to-date knowledge on the current trends. Knowledge of these trends will be really useful when you get an interview.

8. Get Stuck In

Getting stuck into your course can help you stand out and build your confidence. Working on a group project? Why not put yourself forward as the leader. You could also volunteer as a student voice representative (SVR) for your class. This allows you to work to make the student experience better while giving you valuable skills and experience to help you stand out from the crowd.

9. Write It Down

There is no point doing lots of work developing your skills and your CV if you can’t remember any of it when you need to. Keeping a record of what you’ve done will make applying for jobs and preparing for interviews much easier. You could do this in a journal, through your website, through your My World of Work account or simply in a word document. However you do it, just do it! And make sure to update it regularly. That way you will have lots to talk about on applications and interviews!