[MUSIC] Many people think of confidence as a feeling. But in reality, it's a set of behaviors that you can change and improve over time. In contrast, self esteem is your overall sense of self worth. It's usually develop during childhood and it takes years to change. Self esteem is built from the inside out. But luckily, research shows that confidence can be built from the outside in. And that's really important to know particularly for students and recent graduates who are just starting out in their careers. On campus you're typically surrounded by your peers who have similar levels of experience. The work place however is a very different environment and that transition from campus to career can be intimidating. Suddenly you're part of the team where heirarchy of both experience and responsibility. And you'll likely be the most junior member. In meetings you can't wait to be called on. You're going to be expected to contribute, to share your perspective on topics you may not know much about. And there's not going to be a lot of time to prepare. The most important first step is to figure out what you want to say. We call that having a point of view. Now, point of view is more than just an opinion, it's an informed perspective that takes what you know and related to the agenda at hand. A point of view doesn't have to be a brilliant analysis that took you years to develop, in fact it doesn't even have to be a statement, asking a thoughtful question can move a conversation forward, and you should use your starter if there is someone new to organization, to your advantage. After all, you have a fresh perspective to contribute. Let's talk about presence. Peggy Klaus is an author and executive coach and she said, presence was the best part of your personality combined with the best part of your expertise. And I love that definition because too often we hold cliched notions of who embodies presence. And inevitably, those images are of tall men in dark suits. And if, like me, you don't have height on your side, how do we demonstrate presence? Well, the most important thing is to pay attention to both the verbal and the nonverbal signals that you are sending, and again this is not about how you feel, it's about how you act. Poise, good posture, looking people directly in the eye, enhanced presence. We usually think communication is about what we say, but ultimately it's about what other people hear. Instead of waiting to feel confident, it's helpful to experiment with behaviors that help you act confident. What you say and how you say it impacts how others see you. That in turn impacts how you see yourself. Building confidence is a process. Confidence is a quality you develop as your career evolves and as you grow. Effective communicators practice all the time and they use different techniques in different situations. Choosing the perfect word, finding that great example. All of that takes practice. [MUSIC]