I worked a job this past summer of 2011 where my primary duty was recruiting, running job interviews for, literally, hundreds of prospective team members to add to our growing team of representatives. The image I had to portray was that of the boss recruiter. The tough, hard to please manager that you thought was a nice guy but didn't want to cross...which was, honestly, not who I was. Nonetheless, I was called the best and one of the most intimidating interviewers that summer...and I'm only 5'4". I had to greet interviewees as they walked through the door with a firm handshake. I had to run and manage groups of 10+ people in 45-50 minute long group interviews and then tell them whether or not they've been hired for the job. But, none of those things could I have done effectively if I didn't have confidence. Confidence was the key.
That kind of confidence was something that did not come naturally for me, by any means. I was a very shy, introverted person when I first started with the company. I gradually became less and less shy as time went on. But when my first summer as a manager hit, I had to be confident. I couldn't not be. As a manager called to lead the team, being timid wasn't an option.
What I was like after that summer was the amazing part. I came back to college with a swagger that I never had before. I was still working for the company during school, so sometimes I had to come to school in a full suit and tie, which I rather enjoyed! I felt like there was nothing I couldn't do, and nobody I couldn't talk to! I was determined to introduce myself to as many people (especially girls) as I possibly could that semester and initiate relationships that, in the past, I might have been too shy to start, or - if I did start them - cultivate and continue. I was excited!
And I did! I introduced myself with confidence and was able to meet some pretty amazing people. I wasn't afraid of what they thought. I focused on getting to know them, while at the same time, being secure and proud of being me! Looking back, I'm not sure that I would know some of the people that I do now or with the level of intimacy with them that I do if I didn't have that confidence. Sure, I don't always emulate that confidence perfectly one-hundred percent of the time (Wish I did. Does anyone?). But my confidence is now at a level that far exceeds where it was at two years ago. I'm able to talk to people more fluently and naturally. I'm still a pretty chill person (I think), but I'm not as afraid to bring out my goofy/talkative side. It's the moments where I get too worried about what people think of me that I get tongue tied and awkward. So, I just determine not to think about/be that way anymore! I am who I am. Why should I ever be ashamed of that?
I think that people really underestimate how much of an important role confidence plays in everything. It helps us in job interviews. It changes the mood of conversations. It makes us more credible when we're asked for explanations. And it puts people at ease when we're in a position of leadership, especially when leading a family. Confidence really makes a big difference! I want to be a teacher one day, and my level of confidence is going to make a huge difference when it comes to how I'm going to set the tone, establish authority, and relate to my students in the classroom. Confidence is going to be an essential trait!
So in the words of one of my former managers, "Just be confident!" Confidence is something you can choose to have. And the more you choose to have it, the more naturally it will come! It will make a huge difference in every walk of life, as well as your outlook on it! So, be confident...and live!
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