Two years flew past us like a blur and the world is starting to open up to the Gen Z who have been holed up in their homes. And as they go through their virtual classes and eventually their graduation rites, they will soon start putting their foot out of the door.
Dubbed as Generation Resilient, Gen Zs are coming out of the pandemic with a whole slew of matters to deal with as the world still continues to change around them, not like it hasn’t changed enough in the past 2 years.
But as schools also struggled to adapt to the pandemic and everything has essentially been a trial and error system, these pandemic graduates are having major doubts and concerns about their career choices and it has taken a major hit at their confidence; the usual post-graduation optimism has definitely faded.
As they are about to join the workforce, they are concerned with being not enough for certain roles and that their skills are not at par– they believe that they are not ready at all.
But the world isn’t as cruel as they might think since employers have also expanded their worldview given the impact of the pandemic. They see these gaps as opportunities of growth and that there are plenty of ways to hone in on skills both before the job interview and after being hired.
If you are a pandemic graduate full of self doubt and in need of some direction to boost your confidence then keep on reading!
In an Instagram Live we had with Usama Zeid Bashir Salim, we talked about his work as a life coach and public speaking coach and all of the things that he has learned and observed in helping Generation Y and Z gain confidence to pursue their passions and goals.
The number one thing that the youth is having a hard time dealing with is their self image. In coaching calls with Usama they have expressed that they are afraid of what others will think of them which overshadows all the good work that they are already doing.
The idea of self-image is tied to self-worth and that women are also very prone to expressing their struggle with this. Often fearing that what they put out will not bring in any value.Generally, this boils down to impostor syndrome.
“What if I post this and nobody watches?”
“What if I post it and nothing happens?”
But Usama flips the script with a more optimistic take on it, “What if you post it and something happens?”
It’s a small shift in the mindset in order to start building up your confidence and it’s a great one to keep as you keep on working on yourself.
The easiest method that Usama shared with us in order to start building up that confidence is to exercise and work out. Getting your hours in for your physical health has been studied to help you feel good and more active holistically. Start focusing on matters that you do have control over to help put you at ease.
When you start working on actionable steps that empower your self-worth, you can start to see that you have a lot of potential waiting to be honed over time and experience.
Key takeaway: The world has changed and it will continue to change but so will you. The fears and self-doubt that you have are natural and that with a change of mindset and active work towards improvement and learning is what will help Gen Z gain confidence. And to also remember that the world isn’t as cruel as they think it is
If you want to watch the full interview with Usama Zeid Bashir Salim you can find it over on our Instagram!
