Over the past seven years working within the recruitment industry, one of the things that has struck me the most is the female candidates’ tendency to self-doubt. Although I must admit that it took me some time and a few chats with fellow recruiters to fully comprehend it.

As a recruitment consultant, part of my job is to coach the candidates and prepare them for their interviews. That coaching process usually begins after my clients have agreed to meet the candidates based on their resumé. However, for some women the coaching would begin right at the first call I make to present them with the opportunity. 

For the same offer I have come to notice that most male candidates won’t hesitate to get into a recruitment process even if they checked only about half of the boxes on that job description. On the other end of the spectrum, I have had to convince female candidates that checked two thirds if not all the boxes of a given job that they could actually pull it off. 

As I evolved professionally, going from a purely traditional recruiting line of work to a more holistic activity comprising career management services for professionals seeking to reflect on their career and find the next steps to their journey, I have had the opportunity to meet and work with some outstanding female professionals. Many had one thing in common: their extraordinary ability to self-doubt.

These women come from all walks of life and have been working in very different industries (from Exports Sales to Insurance or Public Administration). Yet, I would hear them utter the exact same words: “I don’t think I can do this”, “This would be too much for me”, “Can I really tackle this challenge?”.

Obviously, the answer to all these questions and negative affirmations is “YES YOU DEFINITELY CAN, in fact you have already!”. My job is then to work with them and help them value and put forward every single one of their achievements. They may not need to mobilise all of them for their next job but at least they would have them in mind and that is crucial to boost their self-confidence.

The part that I love the most about my job is when I see the sparkle in their eyes, or hear the change in their voice, the moment they stop self-doubting. Once they accept that they are indeed talented and qualified professionals and that they were the only ones preventing themselves from going forward, they become unstoppable. 

So, ladies, next time you get a call for a job offer, trust that the person on the other end of the line have done their job correctly and have gotten in touch with you because they believe that you could be the right candidate for all the right reasons. 

I understand that receiving a call from a recruiter out of the blue, can be quite confusing if not unsettling for some people. But when that happens, it usually means good news, your experience and expertise are being considered enough to fill a given position! I am not saying that there are not exceptions, but most recruiters make sure to do their research beforehand and therefore only call a candidate if they are convinced (based on the information they have managed to gather) that they could be a suitable match for their job offer. Don’t let your fears get the best of you, have faith in your abilities and let the world benefit from the experience and expertise you have built through years of hard-work and dedication!!!