Do people trust you? Have you ever asked yourself that question? If they trust you, why is it? And if they don’t, what do you think their reason is? What is it that we do which makes people to trust us?
Let us say that you have quite a lot of money which you want to store with someone. Would you give it to anyone who shows up at your doorstep? Not if you want to have your money back! Then how can you tell whoever you are giving your money to someone who can be faithful enough to bring it back? It is very hard! But, if someone tells you and proves to you he has kept huge sums of money for many other people including your neighbors, and that he has a good reputation of giving back money on time, then it is quite natural that you would worry less. If he was entrusted with twice your amount before, then you feel more comfortable storing your money with him. If you see that is someone had given him a task, and he did it according to what was expected of him, then one would be more willing to trust him.
This person had to show that he was trusted before someone else could think about trusting him. Many times in our lives we will have to show that we are trustworthy, dependable, and responsible. But how can we show that we are responsible? The answer is simple, and it is shown in the example above: by showing that we have been given responsibilities before and kept our word. We have to show that someone has trusted us before.
If this sounds vague for you, let us get practical. When a high school student applies to a university or a job, whoever is deciding whom to chose would like to see that you have been trusted before. Sometimes they are specific, sometimes they aren’t. The only way that you could show them you are responsible is by showing them your responsibility record. If you are a class monitor in school, it shows that your teachers and headmaster trust you to represent them and act on their behalf. That is a huge responsibility, and it is acknowledged later on in your life. If you are in a community football team, then it shows that you are a dependable team player, and that others can rely on you. If you are the president of the student government then you are saying that other students have confidence in you to the extent that they have trusted you to represent them and their views. Such positions may sound insignificant, but they are of great value, when you graduate from college/university, you will have your degrees and certificates, which show that you have undergone a demanding program and you have attained the required amount of qualification. But your future employer will not only be looking for papers that show you have been to university, they also want someone they can trust and depend on. The only way they can see that is through your ‘Responsibilities’ history.
The more responsibilities you have held and have lived up to, then the more confidence others have on you, which will convince this employer to trust you as well. Do you know why many employers ask for 5 years of work experience? Well, one main reason is to know that you can do the job, but they also want someone who has been entrusted with a task and has been consistent in undertaking the tasks assigned. In other words, they want employers who have experience in taking responsibilities and have built trust by their former employees.
To be trusted one does not need to say “I can be trusted.” It simply won’t hold any water. One would need to show proof, and the one proof is your history of being trusted. It is your history that goes on the references that your teachers, professors or employers will write about you. The more responsibilities you hold and you live up to the expectations of that position, the easier it is to convince someone to trust you.