We talk a lot about confidence in career conversations. Be more confident in interviews. Speak up in meetings. Go after the role you want. But confidence isn’t something you just decide to have.

For most people, it doesn’t show up all at once. It builds slowly. Step by step. Through action, reflection, and showing up even when things feel uncertain.

Confidence isn’t knowing it all. It’s trusting you can figure it out.

The most confident people in the room aren’t necessarily the loudest. They’re the ones who stay curious, ask good questions, and take initiative even when they’re still learning.

It’s the person who applies for the job even if they don’t check every box. It’s the one who says, “I haven’t done that before, but I’m willing to learn.” It’s the team member who volunteers to lead the next project, not because they have all the answers, but because they’re ready to grow.

How to build real career confidence

Confidence grows through action. Here are a few small ways to practice it:

• Apply for the role that excites you, even if it stretches you

• Speak up once in the next team meeting, even if your voice shakes

• Ask for feedback and use it as a tool, not a judgment

• Reach out to someone in a role you admire and ask for 15 minutes of their insight

• Say yes to a new task or challenge, even if you’re not sure yet how to do it

These are small steps. But they stack. And the more you act, the more your confidence will come from experience, not pressure to perform.

Confidence and support go hand in hand

You don’t have to build confidence alone. Having someone to reflect with – a coach, a mentor, even a trusted colleague – can help you see what you’re already capable of (and what’s getting in your way).