​Whether you’re hunting for your first job out of university or that tricky second job, no matter the role or industry one thing is vital to keep in mind: don’t let a lack of confidence stop you from going for a role you really want. You’ll know the feeling when you find an interesting job, only to concentrate on all of the skills you CAN’T do from the job description, dismissing the role as something you couldn’t do. But don’t despair! Focus on the positive and think of your skills and your USPs.

In our Working World report, we discovered that employers look for just a 70% fulfilment of the job spec before offering an interview. This means that you should have the confidence to try, even if you think you might be underqualified or underexperienced – hey, it worked for a certain US president, so why can’t it work for you?

Use our tips below to give yourself more confidence to go for that new role!

Be yourself:

Have confidence in your experience and personality to fit the role even if you fall short in some areas – make your CV stand out and really highlight your key skills. Think of yourself as a product and decide what your USPs are and why you should be hired over other candidates.

The perfect fit:

Do your research on the company and show how you align with the company values and company culture; it’s important to show how you would fit into the team and existing environment.

Keep learning:

Focus on your desire to learn and improve your skills – where you have a gap in your knowledge, explain how you would go about filling this gap. This is a great time to talk about any courses you have done autonomously, as this shows great initiative and a willingness to learn.

Desirable, not essential:

Don’t get hung up on what you can’t offer. Learn to separate the essentials from the desirables – for a Data Analyst role, not being numerate would be a pretty big hurdle, but not having experience with a specific data software is something that can be learnt and shouldn’t keep you from applying.

Show your passion:

You really want this job, right? Then show it! Don’t be afraid to make your eagerness to take up a new challenge – employers will respond well to this as attitude counts for a lot. Skills can be taught, but with passion and great attitude, you either have it or you don’t!

Take a look at our latest vacancies now that you’re bursting with the confidence to apply for that dream role!