August 27, 2024, by Jackie Thompson

Are you allowing self-doubt to sabotage your true potential?

By Rebecca Smith, pharmacy student

Starting university can be a huge challenge, and the thought of doing a degree and not having a graduate job to walk into is one of my biggest worries. “I have no experience in this area of the industry, why would they want me?”, “Why would an employer want a mature student with family commitments, when they can have a newly qualified, no-strings-attached student?”

If you’re filled with negative unhelpful thoughts like this, I can share the techniques that I’ve found helpful.

STOP comparing yourself to others.

Nobody has lived your life but you. It is easy to get caught up in comparing yourself to others and therefore convincing yourself you will never be able to achieve what they have.

The truth is everyone is on their own journey taking different paths along the way. You will have life skills that others don’t, and employers often look for these skills which cannot be learned from a book.

Write a timeline

Think about the highs and lows within your career and education journey so far – this can be adapted to include personal life events. You can then map them in time order and use it as a tool to dismiss those niggly self-doubt thoughts that creep in. This also gives you a basis to compare yourself to yourself rather than other people. You can easily see your journey and all you have achieved. This could be helpful when writing your CV too.

Try it, you will have more than you realise.

Make the most of placements

I found that a placement is where I fit best, due to it being a mix of ages, older and young – which let’s face it, it’s real life.

If your course offers a placement, I advise you to take full advantage of being there. Be involved, listen, and give it a go. Even if you do not get a job offer at the end, the hands-on experience is invaluable going forward, it is also a great talking point in interviews and for your CV. Get to know the staff members as those conversations can give you a good insight into how the business is run and if it feels like the right type of role for you going forward.

If your placement is linked to your degree, make the most of this and try to link the practical aspects to the theory you have learned. Don’t forget to take a notebook.

If you are lucky, and bring your authentic self, with a great passion and work ethic you may finish the placement with a job offer.

Step out of your comfort zone

This is the most important bit of advice I can give. Staying in your comfort zone is a lot easier, but the results you can achieve from being brave and stepping out of your comfort zone can be phenomenal. It helps you to build resilience and ultimately your comfort zone will grow.

If you want support to help you realise your full potential, talk to one of our team and check out our career wellbeing resources to help you when you’re making career choices. We’re here for UoN students and graduates.  

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