Confidence vs. Arrogance
March 28, 2012There’s a fine line separating the perception of arrogance and confidence, especially during a job search. Showing that you have confidence in your skills is essential, but being arrogant is a huge turn-off to a company.
When writing a cover letter, for example, it’s best to talk about these 3 things: 1. The company, 2. Your skills, 3. The potential benefits of combining the two. It’s VERY important to avoid talking only about yourself. Highlight your education, skills and abilities in a professional way by being confident yet humble. We suggest that you NEVER tell your potential employer that they have to EARN any of your skills. This makes you seem arrogant in the perception that they are undeserving of what you have to offer them, which ultimately sheds a negative light on you.
A better road to take would be to humbly tell them of your confidence in your abilities and follow up by showing them (in the cover letter if possible, or in the interview). In addition, before you brag about yourself, make sure that your application materials positively reflect your claims. For example, if you’re applying for a position such as a graphic designer and a portfolio is required, make sure that it’s your best work and that it represents the claims you’re making about it. It looks bad if you talk about your work as if it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread but in reality it’s only a ball of dough.
Confidence is an attraction that can end up being the difference between getting the job or losing it to another candidate. Just remember that arrogance works in the same way.