Expert Masterclass Recap

Most job seekers talk themselves out of applying before a recruiter ever gets the chance to reject them. Zena Gilbert, a mindset coach and former global recruiter, opened her session with that exact problem, confirmation bias convincing capable people they're not ready, when in reality most roles only need you to meet 70-80% of the listed requirements.

Zena used her recruiting background to break down something most young people never get told, company culture varies enormously, and understanding it before you commit matters as much as the role itself. A corporate environment like KPMG runs on structure, defined processes, hierarchy, and clear expectations, while a tech-driven culture like Snapchat tends to be more free-flowing, fast-moving, and less bound by rigid process. Neither is better, but walking into the wrong fit for your working style can quietly undermine your confidence and performance, so knowing yourself matters as much as researching the company.

She also unpacked what actually shapes a first impression, using the well-known finding that only 7% of impact comes from your actual words, while 38% comes from tone and 55% from body language. That means confidence isn't just felt internally, it's read externally before you've said very much at all. Zena tied it together with NLP tools like reframing self-doubt and visualising success beforehand, showing that self-belief isn't fluff, it's a skill that directly shapes how you're perceived, and ultimately, how far you get.

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