From museums and galleries to art fairs, it’s an unavoidable fact that a lot of professions in the art world often involve being in crowded spaces, while purchasing art is considered to be a luxury. COVID-19, labelled a pandemic by the World Health Organization, has thus posed a special challenge to those in art related jobs around the world, leading many people to lose their jobs.
Due to covid-19 have you lost your job and now struggling to find a job?
If so, then it comes as no surprise that your professional self-confidence has probably taken a bashing, leaving you with little confidence when looking for a new job.
Here are 10 ways to rebuild your confidence and move forward:
1. Ignore your
inner critic
“Some of the harshest
comments that we get come from ourselves, via the ‘voice of the inner
critic,'” says
Forbes magazine. “If you struggle with low self-confidence, there is a
possibility that your inner critic has become overactive and inaccurate.”
2. Forgive
yourself, then others
Loosing a job during the pandemic is not your fault and it well could be not
your employers’ fault either. Try not to take it too personally, and remember
there are a lot of people in the same boat as you.
3. Have a Positive Self-Image
Maintaining
a positive self-image will give you the confidence you need when looking for
work. Avoid negative thoughts, and never play down your past achievements. Time
to be a bit vain and big yourself up!
4. Recognize your
strengths and build on them.
If you’re doing work that
doesn’t tap into your greatest strengths, your performance and motivation will
suffer along with your career. In contrast, when you’re aligned with your
talents and interests, you gain a wellspring of confidence and expertise, and
you do great work with a sense of purpose.
5. Chart your successes and reward yourself for them.
Keeping a record of your skills, projects, software, systems, and achievements will help you with your job search. Write down all of your qualities and why you think an employer should hire you. Identify your flaws, too, but don’t get hung up on them.
6. Seek support
and encouragement from others.
Looking for a new job can be a
long and laborious process. That is why it’s a good idea to talk to your loved
ones or a mentor– they will give you the support you need.
7. Try a new hobby
To help you stay focused on the present, and take your mind of the call back – why not try a new hobby? Research shows that a new hobby can improve your well-being. Now there is no excuse not to enrol in that virtual dance or cookery class or try out an online course while you have the time. Regular exercise can also send your self-confidence into the stratosphere and transform both your body and mind too. Research shows that exercising in a pleasant environment has a positive effect on your self-esteem.
8. Keep away from
negative people and news
Negative people with negative
thoughts can bring you down, something you just don’t need when looking for
work. Replace flaky friends those negative instagrammers with positive
influences that will enhance your self-confidence. While the news can be
overwhelming at the moment too, try and limit your time watching and reading
the news and switch up your reading for more #happynews!
9. Set yourself weekly goals.
Structure your days by setting yourself daily and weekly goals. And reward yourself when you reach them. Building mini daily habits, that turn into reachable weekly goals can do wonders for your self-esteem.
10. Believe in yourself again! If you don’t, nobody else will believe in you enough to hire you.
And remember persistence is needed when looking for job opportunities. You will feel deflated when you don’t hear back from the resumes you have submitted. You will feel depressed when an employer rejects you but if you keep calm and carry on, it will give your self-confidence a much-needed boost.
I know it’s hard, if you feel hurt, betrayed, discarded, useless. I know it’s easier said than done. But you need to take baby steps to get yourself back on track. If you can’t do it for yourself, do it for those who depend on you.
And remember: One employer’s loss is another employer’s gain! And that gain can be you!
There are thousands of companies that will be lucky to have you in their team.
