Only
46 per cent of UK
employees feel confident that they have the interview techniques necessary to
help them get a job.
And,
once they’ve got the job, only 50 per cent find it easy to make a good first
impression.
The
research, commissioned by Direct Approach, specialists in neuro-linguistic programming for improving business
and personal lives, also reveals that women are less confident than their male
counterparts.
A
quarter of women say they don’t find it easy to make a good impression or
ensure good colleague interaction, compared with just 15 per cent of men.
Just
26 per cent of women surveyed said that they feel completely confident making
small presentations for up to 10 people, compared with 51 per cent of men.
When it comes to youth versus experience, the
confidence gap increases. Fifty-one per cent of respondents in
the 16 to 24 age group did not feel confident in job interviews, compared with
just 29 per cent of 55 to 64-year-old respondents.
"Confidence
in the workplace is essential to success – it breeds efficiency, career
development and improves communication skills," says Shirley Darby, master
practitioner in neuro-linguistic
programming.
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"Because
self-confidence is a state of mind, it can easily be affected by other people’s
reactions to you and, quite often, with a detrimental result."