Trying to Find a New Job Without Losing Your Confidence.

If you’re currently looking for a new job, I want to start by saying this:

it’s not just you — and it’s not because you’re not good enough.

Job hunting can quietly knock your confidence in ways people don’t talk about enough. You send off applications, tailor your CV, wait days (sometimes weeks), and either hear nothing back or get a polite rejection email that still somehow hurts. Even when you know you’re capable, it can start to make you question yourself.

This post is for anyone in that in-between stage — wanting more, trying their best, and feeling a little worn down by the process.

The Part No One Really Talks About

What makes job hunting so hard isn’t just the work of it — it’s the emotional side.

• Overthinking whether your CV is “good enough”

• Replaying interviews in your head

• Comparing yourself to people on LinkedIn who seem to be thriving

• Wondering if you should be further along by now

And the hardest part?

You’re expected to stay confident while being constantly evaluated.

That alone is exhausting.

How to Increase Your Chances (Without Burning Yourself Out

You don’t need to reinvent yourself to get a job. You just need to be clear and intentional.

A few things that genuinely help:

• Tailor your CV slightly, not completely. Adjust the top section and key skills rather than rewriting everything.

• Apply even if you don’t tick every box. Most people don’t meet 100% of the requirements.

• Quality over quantity. A handful of thoughtful applications is better than sending out loads while feeling drained.

• Treat job hunting like a phase, not your entire identity. You are more than what’s happening on your laptop screen.

Small, consistent effort goes much further than pressure-filled perfection.

Confidence When You Don’t Feel Confident

Here’s something that helped me:

you don’t have to feel confident — you just have to borrow confidence for a moment.

Confidence can look like:

• Sitting up a little straighter

• Speaking slightly slower

• Wearing something that makes you feel put together

• Reminding yourself that you were invited to the interview for a reason

Most people aren’t walking into interviews feeling unstoppable. They’re just showing up anyway, and that counts.

How to Prepare for an Interview Without Overdoing It

Preparation doesn’t need to be overwhelming to be effective.

Try this instead:

• Learn the basics about the company — their values, what they do, and why the role exists

• Prepare 3–5 key examples from your experience that can be adapted to different questions

• Practise answering questions out loud (even if it feels awkward at first)

• Have a few genuine questions ready for them — interviews are a two-way conversation

You’re not expected to be perfect. You’re expected to be human, capable, and willing to learn.

How to Shake It Off Afterwards (This Is Important)

Once the interview is over, it’s very easy to spiral.

Replaying every answer.

Analysing facial expressions.

Convincing yourself you “shouldn’t have said that.”

Try this instead:

• Decide in advance that once you leave, the interview is done

• Do something grounding straight after — a walk, a coffee, a meal

• Remind yourself that how you felt isn’t always how you came across

• Let yourself feel disappointed if it doesn’t work out — but don’t let it turn into self-blame

Rejection isn’t a reflection of your worth.

Sometimes it’s timing. Sometimes it’s fit. Sometimes it’s something completely out of your control.

A Gentle Reminder Before You Go

If you’re in this stage of your life — applying, waiting, hoping — it doesn’t mean you’re behind.

It just means you’re in between.

And that space, while uncomfortable, is often where growth happens quietly before things click into place.

Be kind to yourself while you’re figuring it out.

— Chantelle