Coffee & Career Hour
A genuine & informative podcast on all things career - hosted by two career counselors and friends. From practical strategies to motivational & reflective content, this podcast is here to empower and guide you to find meaningful work, make informed career decisions, and reach your full potential. So, grab a cup of coffee and join in for some career talk.
Coffee & Career Hour
Three Essential Steps to Building Professional Confidence
Confidence in the workplace doesn't just happen—it's built through intentional strategies that anyone can learn. Whether you're starting your first job after graduation or transitioning to a new role after years of experience, that initial uncertainty and imposter syndrome can affect everyone. The difference between those who thrive and those who struggle often comes down to their ability to showcase their value effectively.
Our conversation dives deep into three powerful approaches that transform workplace confidence. We explore how self-awareness creates the foundation for authentic confidence—understanding your unique strengths, values, and talents allows you to communicate them effectively to others. We also examine the importance of understanding workplace systems and structures. Knowing how your organization operates—from reporting relationships to unwritten rules—enables you to navigate your environment strategically. This knowledge doesn't just help you perform better; it positions you to think more broadly about your contributions and prepares you for advancement opportunities.
Finally, we discuss how calculated risk-taking accelerates confidence development. Each new challenge you embrace builds self-efficacy—your belief in your ability to handle what comes your way. Throughout our discussion, we share personal examples from our own career journeys, from the self-doubt we experienced in early positions to the strategies that eventually helped us develop professional confidence. If you've ever felt uncertain about your place in the professional world or wondered how others seem so assured, this episode provides the practical framework you need to transform your workplace presence.
CareeRise: www.careerrise.org
CareerConfidence: www.careerconfidence.online
Follow Us on IG!
- @ careerise_
- @ careerconfidentlatina
Follow Us on LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-jos%C3%A9-hidalgo-flores/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/akulikyan/
BuyBlackett: Use our affiliate link to get 15% off any items on their website: https://www.buyblackett.com/coffeeandcareerpod.
Knowing how to communicate what it is that you have to offer is a skill that we all should have, because that is what employers are looking for. That is who gets hired. You may be the most brilliant person in the room, but if you cannot showcase that, somebody else who's less skilled than you is going to get the job because they can showcase that. Because they can showcase that you are listening to Coffee and Career Hour. We are your hosts. I'm Armina and I'm MJ, two career counselors and friends chatting about all things, life and career.
Speaker 2:So grab a cup of coffee and join us.
Speaker 1:Everyone is always wanting to gain confidence, don't you think, mj?
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I would say. Whether it's yourself, a friend, a family member, a sibling, anybody that you know, I can almost guarantee you they're wanting to gain more confidence. So we're here today to break down three things you can do to become more confident, specifically at work.
Speaker 2:So make sure to listen and send this to anyone who you want to help gain confidence.
Speaker 1:So let's jump into it.
Speaker 2:Alrighty, Arminé, I can tell you my first full-time job. I walked in there with zero confidence, even though I knew I had just made it through like one of the most rigorous interview processes I'd ever been through in my entire life.
Speaker 1:Really Tell me more about that.
Speaker 2:Zero confidence. Zero confidence because I was so in my mind, I think, like imposter syndrome. Like drove me my first couple weeks and I had zero idea what to do. I was not this MJ when I started my first full time role so I honestly like I don't know how the hell I grew confidence. Well, I know, I know and I will tell you as we go along in this episode go along in this episode.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, I mean, it's true, and especially when you're a newer professional, because this was not your first job after graduate school, but it was early enough, right after graduate school, where it was like you're embarking on your career journey. So I can, I can see that when I think about my first job after graduate school, I felt the same way. I was like this is my big girl job and you know, what do I need to do? How do I need to prove myself? Those were some of the things that I was thinking.
Speaker 1:But you know, the same thing happens with any new job, right? Even if you've been working in an industry for a while. Any new job. You walk in there and, yeah, you may know some things already from previous experiences, but you're still in a new space with new people, new styles, new expectations, right? So I would say, even coming into this job, even though I had been working in the industry for a few years, I was still feeling a little bit of that lack of confidence and not entirely sure even what the expectations of me were in that position.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely, I think for me. When I think about this, I feel like every time I started something new or tried something new, there was a lack of confidence that needed to like manifest within myself one and then act upon it. But we're going to get into it. But I'm thinking whether you're starting a new job, changing your role in a industry, going to as being a complete career changer, anything honestly, you can really apply this to a lot of things in your life. So, for anybody listening, know that confidence exudes in all spaces that you are in. So hopefully these three tips can can help you.
Speaker 1:Absolutely yeah. Even if you're embarking on, like, a new academic journey to or changing majors, even if you're a college student, anything like that, there's always some kind of fear or uncertainty that seeps in when you're going through some kind of shift or transition. So, with that said, we know that confidence is such a hot topic because there is that sense of uncertainty in many of us and that imposter syndrome that steeps in. It's just there, it's a real thing, it's essentially part of the human experience. So, through our experiences, we want to talk a little bit about how you can mitigate some of that and feel and become more confident, especially at work. So the first step that we have identified is that you've got to know yourself. Self-awareness is key to being and demonstrating more confidence.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. I think, starting with you, there's no better place to start. And when you don't understand, you don't agree. When you haven't fully kind of discovered and identified who you are and who you want to become and what your brand is and your work and your personal life, it becomes really hard to walk in a room feeling confident. I'm like I was trying to find a different word for confident, but I'm just going to use it because that's what this episode is all about. It's you have to know who you are and as a career counselor, we appreciate this.
Speaker 2:But I think anybody really truly understands that knowing who you are, not what does this mean? In a fundamental level, we can theorize all about like who am I in this deeper question and who do I want to become? But who are you? Who is this person in front of the mirror, right? Are you? How do you identify? What does that look like? Are you a daughter? Are you a son? Are you an older sister? I'm like thinking about me in so many different ways. So sorry everybody who can't relate, but I'm like who are you, right? Let's kind of start there and let's break it down to this non-theoretical big picture idea. But let's kind of start with, how do you introduce yourself, right? What are the things you say or want people to know about you? What does that look like? So, knowing yourself comes beyond this fundamental, like inner self reflection and like all these wooey things, but it really starts off with like you know, like how do you even introduce yourself to?
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, the identities you bring to the room. Right, because those go with you wherever you go. Those go with you to your workplace. I mean, in our work we always talk about being first generation women in work, what that means Now as a mother I talk about being a mom and working full time and how that looks in my life. Right, so bringing this identity, this new identity that I have, to the workplace and so any identity that you have, you've developed a particular worldview through that, like you were talking about being a sister, a sibling, a daughter, a son right, those identities and those roles that we've had in our lives have shaped the way we see the world. Maybe have shaped the way we interact with people and the way we communicate and carry ourselves.
Speaker 1:Essentially, right, there's a whole theory on like sibling order, right In psychology, where if you're the first child versus the middle, versus the youngest, and what that can entail in terms of personality and characteristics that you develop and so forth, so those things are coming with you to your workspace. They're not separate identities. And so, reflecting on that, knowing what you bring to that space and then also knowing what you have to offer, what are the passions, what are the things you're excited about. What are the skills that you bring? This is all packaged into your brand and the value you bring to this space.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. You were talking about Adlerian theory. It used to be one of my favorite theories as a psychology student. I think, as a psychology enthusiast I can call myself, it's still one of the things that just always fascinated me still one of the things that just always fascinated me.
Speaker 2:But, really, thinking about what you just last mentioned, about knowing your value, what you bring to the workplace, I was recently listening to a podcast that was talking about interviewing. I know this has nothing to do with it, but it was talking about how to communicate your skills and your strengths and your interests and your passions and all of these different parts of who you are into this interview so they can see who you are and how you engage and if you're the right person, right. So, thinking about this, this comes with a lot of self-reflection, right, but also a lot of self-observation and the deeper understanding of what are my skills, what are the things that excite me, that have to do or align with the work that I'm doing, and what does that look like in my work? Or what are my natural talents? Right? Natural talents are different than skill sets.
Speaker 2:And who am I? To my core, right? I'm someone that I'm constantly wanting to learn and to grow, and that is one a learner strength that I have. And the other side is constantly wanting to learn and to grow, and that is one a learner strength that I have. And the other side is like wanting to learn and to grow as the achiever strength in me, so wanting to kind of grow from there and understanding what that looks like in my everyday job, but also as a human being.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, some of those strengths you're talking about are from StrengthsFinder. The assessment right. And for those of you listening, if you've heard of StrengthsQuest StrengthsFinder, it's a great assessment that actually assesses right, there's no other way to say it. It assesses your 34 strengths and it will give you your results, will give you your top five strengths, and the theory behind it is actually very, very interesting. It's a great way to kind of recognize the things that we bring to the table. So it's like some of the sample strikes, like we have somebody on our team who brings positivity right. This person exudes positivity and in every like challenging situation they always have a great mindset, a positive idea to bring to the table right. That mitigates some of the high anxiety moments that we may feel at work, right. So that's a really popular strength and great one, I'm thinking from our team Achiever.
Speaker 1:Many of us have Relator empathy. If you're somebody who is very empathetic, you're bringing that to the workspace. You maybe become that person that everybody goes to when they feel frustrated and want to talk to you. You're somebody who empathizes, so they're going to feel comfortable with you and that can be a great thing in the workspace. You could bring people together and, of course, all these strengths have shadow sides too. But thinking of like okay, if this is a strength that you have, it's going to play out in your personal life, it's also going to play out in your work life and you can use these in your interviews. You can talk about these things that you bring to the table. It's part of the value that you bring, because every employer these days, when hiring, they are wanting to hire based off of skill. We call it skills-based hiring and it's becoming more and more popular in the workspace. So they're going to be looking at the skills, the strengths, the knowledge and the attributes you bring to the space.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it is so important to have this level of self-awareness. Let me tell you why. So before, I feel like I have a lot of confidence, but I also feel like there's a lot of room for me to still grow right, because you never stop growing in this realm of self-understanding and one of the ways and why it's so important for me specifically and this may be for someone else or someone else may not completely resonate, but I felt more whole as I started to better understand myself. I felt like a piece of my puzzle of who I was became a little bit more clear or it clicked a lot more and I was able to kind of step in, lean into understanding who I was and allow that person to come through very authentically in the workspace. I didn't have to kind of like figure it out or feel stuck in some type of way. And that's important to me is feeling a little bit more whole because I walk into the room with a lot more sense of self. Right, I know who I am. I'm not waiting for others to form an opinion or an idea of who I am. I know that for a fact.
Speaker 2:But how can you also learn what your strengths and your skills and talents are. I know many of us have a hard time sometimes reflecting on what those are. Those come naturally to Armin and I because we're in this field and we're constantly talking about these things. Right, but if you're someone who's far from the world of career counseling which many people typically are how do you kind of do this? One of the ways that we can show you or share with you on how to practice exploring your skills and strengths?
Speaker 2:Ask the individuals in your environment, right? Your peers, your colleagues, your friends, your family members, like think about what do they come and seek you out for? Right? Does your friend? Are you the planner in the group? Are you the someone who organizes? Are you the communicator that keeps in touch with all of your friends? Right, what are those skills and strengths that they see in you? That is a great activity for you to kind of practice. That one helps you see how others see you, right in this positive light, but also gives you deeper meaning and understanding to the self.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, utilizing your environment as a source of information is really beneficial, right? Because these people are interacting with you on a daily basis and a lot of times people see great strengths in us that we don't see in ourselves, because if it's something that comes naturally to us, we don't realize that it can be a strength. It's just, this is the way that we are right. But it is a lot of these things that we may do naturally. They are strengths, because not everybody, every single person, does things the same way. So knowing and recognizing that if you're like super organized, right, I remember that's actually something I I realized I had to realize it was a strength. You know, when I realized it was a strength?
Speaker 2:when the show came on on Netflix, the the one with the spark lady, the one that's like, does this give you spark? I don't know her name and I'm not doing her justice does the spark joy right, that that's um show.
Speaker 1:and I literally remember telling my friends I was like I cannot believe this is a show and a business not in a negative way. I actually really loved the show and I thought she was doing a great business, but I was like I do this kind of stuff, like I didn't even know or think that this can be become a business or be so popular. And the way that this person was, you know, teaching other people to do this, I was like what? And my friend she was like Armanay, you do this. I was like what and my friend she was like Armanay, you do this. Not everybody does this so sure and it can be a business because she is, she has the skill. She's teaching other people how to do it. And that's when I realized that me being organized and tidy and knowing like what to let go of and what to hold on to and keeping my space like very updated all the time, that was a skill and I didn't realize I had. That's just the way I've always been.
Speaker 2:I love that. I love that and I think something that that person I feel horrible because I'm we're literally not doing her justice, but but, but literally look up like, well, armin is going to look it up, because I don't want to. I don't want to miss um marie kondo oh my gosh.
Speaker 2:There you go, marie kondo. How marie knew how to sell that right was because she knew how to communicate her strengths and her talents to the world, and that's not something that comes natural to a lot of us, like how to come trust. Trust me, if I wasn't a career counselor, I would suck, probably, at communication, and that is the truth. Knowing how to communicate the importance of your brand, like just that concept, is not really known to the average person. It's known to us because we work in this field, but communicating who you are and what your strengths are is not something we naturally are taught in society, like in school.
Speaker 2:In high school, no one ever, like I, was never taught to reflect on my skills or my strengths or how to even communicate that to like the people around me, like I I I think I told you this before I'm an, but in high school I didn't. I never realized how involved I was and how many skills that I gained from those experiences. And now I can say I know how to communicate them, but the average person doesn't. And this is an important part of that right, because knowing yourself is one part, but if you don't know how to communicate those parts of yourselves that make you who you are and give you that joy and really do exude in your workspace and can't communicate that there's not a strong sense of confidence on the outside as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I resonate with that too. I definitely would have been less able to communicate my thoughts clearly. I would have also been a lot more hesitant to speak up in general or even public speaking spaces, or even just in one on one like or social settings to speak up, if had I not been in this field. So I know that you and I have like developed that skill over time. But knowing how to communicate what it is that you have to offer is a skill that we all should have, because that is what employers are looking for. That is who gets hired. You may be the most brilliant person in the room, but if you cannot showcase that, somebody else who's less skilled than you is going to get the job, because they can showcase that. Hey, listeners, do you also indulge on your favorite cup of coffee? During our show, we want to share something to delight any coffee lover Unique coffee themed merchandise.
Speaker 2:I'm so in. I'm always looking for unique gifts, and coffee themed items are always a hit.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. And where better to find them than on buyblackitcom? Buy Black. It is all about weaving together style, art and prints inspired by generations, past and present. They created their store to provide items that are heartwarming, inspirational, thoughtful and funny that you can share with the people you love and care about.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. They offer a fantastic coffee lover selection which will pair perfectly with your Coffee and Career Hour podcast episode, with a wide variety of coffee-themed merchandise, from stylish mugs, t-shirts and even coffee accessories.
Speaker 1:It was so cute the first time I saw it. I'm thinking of a funny coffee themed t-shirt for my colleagues. They are all huge coffee fans.
Speaker 2:Oh my god, yes, and you can really find something special on there for every coffee lover on your contact list there, for every coffee lover on your contact list, and with the coffee lover's selection on buyblackitcom, you're sure to find a unique and stylish item.
Speaker 1:It's the perfect place to find that special something for the coffee lover in your life. Use our affiliate link to get 15% any items on their website that's buyblackettcom. Forward slash coffee and career pod. The link will be in our show notes.
Speaker 2:Now let's get back to our show.
Speaker 1:Unfortunately, that is the kind of environment that we live in and compete in for work, so the ability to communicate your value is a skill that everybody needs to have.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and how do you do this? You practice. I know it sounds so silly, but like stand in front of the mirror, get with your close friend, your best friend, someone you're comfortable with, that you feel like no shame around. Talk to them about it. Right, For me, that's someone like Arminé. I can be like Arminé. This is something I want to practice. I know it doesn't sound like something as counselors.
Speaker 2:For us, this is something very natural that we can do, and we can work with people, but if you're the average person working, listening to this podcast, and you're like how do I communicate this? That sounds fantastic. I need to communicate my value, but how do I do this practice Right? How do you share what your strengths are? Do you do it through example? Do you use specific adjectives like we do right, Like achiever, learner? What does that mean, though? How do I share that with people around me?
Speaker 2:If you go to your local coffee shop, if you're a coffee head like us, if you love this stuff, let's say you are in line and you overhear that the person in front of you is working for your dream company or dream organization, whatever it is, and they're talking about how they just opened a position for X, Y or Z.
Speaker 2:So let's say something you're familiar with your skillset, you know you want to do. Maybe that's the job you've been looking for your whole life right Like that confidence will drive you to talk to that person in front of you and say you know, I didn't mean to overhear, right. And then you do what. You give an elevator pitch right and you communicate your skills and your strengths. So in a later episode we can totally get into elevator pitches, because that's a whole other topic. But how to communicate with people and effectively do so so they understand, right, Cause that's the other part is knowing how to do it. But for the other person on the other side to comprehend what your skills and strengths are is the second part to that for them to understand how that value means something to them, but also holistically, to you and your self-confidence.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. Yeah, I love the tip on finding somebody that you're comfortable with and practicing that language, practicing saying this out loud. I love also the tip of like saying it in front of a mirror, right, that you can. Also. If you maybe are somebody who learns by writing I know that's how I learn and process my thoughts is through writing it out. I would say you can write it out first. Brainstorm the topic. Not necessarily write it out word for word how you would say your value to somebody, but write out the value that you bring. Write out the examples, the situations where you realized this was a skill, or how you do these skills effectively in your life. Write those ideas down Now you have content to work with.
Speaker 1:Then you get in front of a mirror or you find somebody you're comfortable with. Or, in the day of technology, go on a Google Meets or Zoom call and record yourself and then watch that recording right, you can do that too and see how you sound talking about these amazing skills and qualities that you have. And the more you do it, the more comfortable and confident you become doing that, and then you take that to your workspace. So when you're speaking to your supervisor, when you're speaking to your colleagues, you are able to articulate like, yeah, I'm excellent at public speaking, I'm excellent at program development. I'm excellent at program development. Let me create that program. I can help you create that program. Say that to your colleague and see how that goes.
Speaker 2:And that is why she is a career counselor everybody. That's exactly why she's amazing. Absolutely Take everything she says, because it's gold. It's free gold on this podcast.
Speaker 1:And the same for you, my dear. So okay, MJ, let's say our listeners are like, yes, amazing, I gotta, I gotta be self-aware and I have to learn how to communicate my value in the workspace. Let's say they get that. What is our next tip for someone to become more confident at work?
Speaker 2:I love this one because this one really does it for me. It felt like once I did this, I had all the tools outside of me that I needed to be able to feel strong, to feel able to feel confident, and that is understand how the system works. Understand the lay of the land wherever you work. What does that mean? Know who is who, know where things are, know the processes, know the regulations, know your limits in your role, know who your boss reports to right Like. That's one of the basics too, but understanding how the system of your work, of your industry, of your job, of your role, what does that look like? Understanding that and having clarity is one of the best things and one of the best tips we can also say to help gain confidence in the workspace.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. You've got to understand how your role fits into the company and, essentially, how it impacts the company's goals. Then you can do your job really well, because you know what you need to produce for the company to know that your position is doing what it needs to do for their company to grow right. And so you've got to understand that system, the processes and everything that MJ was mentioning. That is crucial to being able to do your job at even the minimum level right Not even do it well, but just to be able to do your job. You got to understand those things.
Speaker 1:Now there's also this component of knowing who is who and who to go to for certain things. I found in my career that that's helped me feel a lot more comfortable, even in my workspace issues with technology at work. Who do I go to for that? If I'm having issues finding this particular process or document or item that I need to get this project done, who do I go to? Or who is somebody that can help expedite a process that needs to get done so I could get my job done? Those are super important because then you are utilizing and navigating the system to be able to do your job and do it more efficiently and smoothly and more confidently.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, and that also comes with agency and initiative right, like wanting to understand. This is where, like if you are starting a new job soon, or a new role, or in maybe same company, different office, different team, right, whatever that looks like, or you're starting a new program, undergrad, grad program, college program, training certificate, whatever it is Since we're asking those questions is crucial because how are you going to learn? This information is by community, right, going back to the communication piece, but those asking questions right, questions from someone new never bothers anybody. Why? Because you're learning, right, you're adapting, you're trying to understand what you just stepped into. So understanding those aspects of your role are only going to help strengthen your confidence to do your job and do it well.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. I remember you asking questions when you first started and they were absolutely valid and it showed that you're engaged, you care, you want to learn. So somebody who steps into the workspace, this is the best time to ask those questions, not that you can't ask later on, once you've been there for a while, but the sooner you get into the habit of doing that, the better and the sooner you get that information. So ask questions.
Speaker 1:I remember I had to learn that this is how you find this information, because if you don't interact with people who are not on your team you don't necessarily have to interact with because you're not working on a project with them, your team, who you don't necessarily have to interact with because you're not working on a project with them, If you don't do that, you're never going to know that this person knows this resource or is connected to somebody else who can get you something that you need to get your job done right. You're never going to know that if you only stay siloed in your work and on your team. If you're part of a team, if you stay siloed, you're never going to know what resources are available to you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely, I will say I still ask Arminia questions.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, oh yeah, I still ask questions all the time. I ask you questions too. You know questions are gold. They're key to learning and growing and success. But part of this is that networking piece too. You know we talk about networking a lot in career development on this podcast. We've talked about it so many times, but it's just it's there. That's how the world works. That's how people make decisions in corporate. That's how people make decisions in education corporate. That's how people make decisions in education in government. How do you think politics works? The network is the key because people are resources to one another. People bring knowledge and bring information and bring skill sets to one another. So, wherever you're placed, wherever you're working, know what's available to you, know who is who and who is good at what and who has access to what, because that will help you do your job better, more efficiently, and therefore you will become more confident in your space.
Speaker 2:I was recently chatting with someone who wanted to understand or know, I guess, like what it's like to work in the education like higher education in general, kind of just in general and I remember saying and like thinking I'm like look, I had zero understanding of how this worked in my mind. I was so focused on like a position and a team and a department. I never really thought like bigger, broader institutional level and all these different things, right. So like, of course, as a graduate student, like my goal is to get a job in a specific department or area or work on the team. So I never thought and now this is 2025, five years later right, I can share with individuals who want to work in higher education that understanding the different systems in higher education for example, we live here in California CSUs versus UCs versus private liberal schools, right Versus vocational training programs versus community colleges, understanding all of these different institutions and the way they work, is so much gold information that I now have. But it's because I worked my way. I stayed curious, I wanted to learn and grow after I entered the field how does this work? And now, being a prior education professional for five years, I feel confident to know exactly what I'm talking about.
Speaker 2:In the sense I was recently explaining someone, something to someone, and I was like, well, have you thought about like this, this and that and hear how this works here in that office and this person and like all these connecting dots? And I'm like, oh, I didn't. And I was like, yeah, like that's, you know, like it goes beyond. It goes beyond what it is that your role is. And for them, I remember them saying they're like you know so much. And I'm like, well, because I've lived and breathed this, but it's because I also asked those important questions and wanted to better understand what it is that I'm working in the environment, the people, the area, the location, the systems to be able to do my job and do it well and be a great representation of a higher education professional, and that really does help.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, and actually that's how people get promoted, that's how people get advanced to the next phase in their careers. Because if you only think about just your particular role and kind of stay hyper focused or like narrow minded, almost about like this is my job, I'm just going to do my job and that's it, and don't recognize how your role impacts your team and then your boss's boss, and then the company at large and the system at large, right, if you don't recognize that, then you're not going to get. It's going to be a lot harder to get promoted or advanced, because in those leadership roles is also where people are thinking a lot more big picture, right. So you have to start thinking big picture about the work that you're doing to even get into those promotional roles in the future too.
Speaker 2:So you got to.
Speaker 2:It's funny, arminiamin, I know, and anyone out there who's taken mbti and fully understands, because I am a isfj, because I am a son of p, it's not a j? Um sensing versus intuitive, because I'm sensing and I look at things by details and not bigger picture. I realize that, that being my innate personality, and if you are, if you know MBTI, you know what I'm talking about Sensing versus intuition, and we have a whole episode on that too, on the MBTI as well. Please go back and listen to it. I struggled a lot to look at things from a bigger picture.
Speaker 1:Oh, I'm surprised to hear that, because you do that so well.
Speaker 2:Now, now I do that so well. I struggled a lot to look at things from the bigger picture when I first started, but I think I was noticing that a lot internally and I learned right. This is where, like knowing who's who and how the system works, like observing, taking a while, One I understood who. I was right, Like I am that one. I also have a lot more self-awareness now as you grow constantly. But understanding my behavior, understanding different teams, different styles the bigger picture part grew with me because I was so hyper focused on the details and these aspects. But now I'm able to do that and I can share, like now I know the system from a different space. So I just thought that was curious. That was like a little light bulb that went off in my head.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, I love that example. I do think some of it is to just, you know, growing as a professional too, because I'm on the MBTI. I'm intuitive, so I naturally am a big picture thinker. But I still had to learn, like when I was fresh out of graduate school I wasn't thinking about how my one role as an academic advisor impacts the institution at large in the very beginning. But I learned that over time.
Speaker 1:I also had an excellent director at the time where I was working who would communicate very clearly what was going on in the system in student affairs and academic affairs and like how that trickled down to our role as academic advisors and whatever initiatives were happening, what that meant for us.
Speaker 1:So I think through those conversations is how I realized like, oh yeah, my job is like more than just what I was originally thinking, very much more narrow minded, and then, coming to UCLA, learned that even more, recognizing where we our job. Part of our job is to enhance career readiness across the entire institution, across all of UCLA. So it's not just the students who come to our offices but our job is to enhance it for the entire institution. So that means going to where the students are, going to where the staff is. So I had to learn that right in role and what that expectation was on us and like that's a bigger weight to carry as one little career counselor going to work every day the bigger weight to carry. But I think you you learn that over time as a professional. But you got to stay curious and and understand the importance of knowing the systems and the people and the resources available to you the systems and the people and the resources available to you.
Speaker 2:I love that. All right, armine. Tip number three is something you and I have both done, whether we felt it in our stomachs or not. And I say felt it in our stomachs or not, because this one can definitely make you feel a lot of different things. But our third tip to strengthening, to gaining confidence, to making you and helping you become more confident at work is take a risk, go out there and try new things.
Speaker 1:That is a mic drop moment. Yes, absolutely, take a risk. So when we say take a risk, what we're talking about here is work on different things in your workspace right now. Ask for different projects, ask for projects that are aligned with your interests and skills. I think one thing that helped me become more confident at work is knowing the things that excite me and then intentionally seeking out those projects. And then when you do it and you do it well, because you are actually aligned with that kind of work you do it well. You get that positive feedback as well that oh yeah, I totally can do this. And then you build self-efficacy this idea that you can do it. That increases every single time you engage in a task that is aligned with you and you do it well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I am not a risk taker. I will tell you, I am not someone who wakes up every day and seeks thrills. No, that is not cute, Little MJ. I am not someone who will do that, but I it's. You know, what's funny is that at work I do.
Speaker 1:I do that all the time at work.
Speaker 2:You volunteer left and right. I mean, like today I probably signed up for like two other things that I shouldn't have. But like you know what I mean, like I'm just joking, but I take risks all the time now in my workspace because, guess what, I've grown in my confidence, right, like I know, I know what to do. But in the beginning, when I had minimal confidence, very limited mindset, a lot of imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome was the main voice in my head. I was not taking risks. Why? Because I was scared out of my mind that I was going to make a mistake, scared out of my mind that I was going to make a mistake, knowing I still had the skills and what I had to value and why they picked me as a candidate. I'm thinking about my very first job. I'm heck. I'm thinking about my very first job. Heck. I'm thinking about my very first internship as a researcher as well, and how I was so scared to take risks and do something different or be me.
Speaker 2:But I will say you are absolutely right. I grew in my self-efficacy and I mean, look at me now. But I will tell you something to add onto this is the taking risks is beautiful and it's it's really. It is. All of this is gold guidance, but this one really does help because it shows a lot of initiative on your part, right. It shows a lot of you doing these things and putting it into action. And what I will say is, as an employee, right, something that is also very, very powerful is from that risk. Whether it's a new project, whether it's meeting with a colleague, whatever it is something that's different or outside that feedback, that constructive feedback that you receive helps grow that confidence that you have, because, guess what, every feedback that you get, all the feedback that you receive in the world, is given to you to help you grow and become a better version of you.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and you know feedback is, it can be I was, you know direct and indirect, so you can directly ask people hey, I just worked on this project. What do you think could have been better, what do you think I did well, et cetera. You could ask your boss, you could ask your colleagues. You could also seek indirect feedback just by seeing how people react to the things that you're doing, saying, behaving, the way that you're presenting your work. You will see and feel that from people's energy and reaction. So that's also another form of feedback to pay attention to. But ultimately, it's about not taking things personally and knowing that there's always room for growth and finding that safe space and that safe person that you can have an open and honest conversation with.
Speaker 1:With all of this, I will say, though, also don't be too hard on yourself, right. Yeah, try new things. Yeah, build self-efficacy, communicate your value, know yourself. These are all big topics, big, big things we're talking about. They don't happen overnight, right. This is all a process as you're growing as a professional and figuring out who you are in the professional space and where that's going to take you in the long term, right In the future. So these are all big things will come over time, but we hope that these concepts will stay with you every time you are making a decision at work, every time you are about to start a new project or so. Think about these concepts and how you can slowly and surely start implementing these to ultimately become that confident person who shows up to work, speaks confidently, knows what they're talking about and, essentially, is like a role model that other people can look up to, because you're like a badass out there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. Let me leave you with three questions for you to check in with yourself, to remember these three tips who am I and who do I want to be in the workspace? Can I learn something new about my role or the company or industry that I work for, and when is the last time I tried something new? Time I tried something new? Ask yourself these three questions frequently and see how the answers vary or what that kind of means for yourself, and if you need to take a moment to do a little bit of a deep dive and maybe change some things up in your everyday work experience. So we hope that this conversation can elevate and empower you to grow your confidence and we're excited to hear your results. I guess to DM us, let us know if this works, let us know if this helps in any type of way or if you're trying other things to help you grow your confidence too.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for listening. If you enjoy our show, we ask that you write a review on Apple podcasts to help us reach more people looking to level up their career.
Speaker 2:Want to connect with us, be sure to follow our Instagram and websites.
Speaker 1:Follow Career Rise on Instagram for career advice and motivation to help you stay up to date on all things career. Be sure to also visit my website, careerriseorg, to book a session with me and access free resources. My goal is to help you clarify your goals, make a plan and feel confident in your career journey.
Speaker 2:Follow Career Confident Latina for your weekly dose of career advice and my journey as a first-gen Latina counselor. You can also send me a message on mjcareerconfidencecom if you wanna book a career counseling session. I want to help grow your confidence as you reach your career dreams.