We often talk about becoming a tough person in this harsh, fast-moving world. That being too closed off to adversity won’t get you anywhere. What do people mean by saying that, though? Resilience.
A child starting school, a person under familial pressure to achieve something, experiencing a traumatic life event, struggling with college assignments, getting a new job, losing a job, having a child, coping with ageing, throughout your life, at any age, all difficult events require you to show resilience in the face of it to adapt to your new environment. So, it isn’t a stretch to say that resilience is a key aspect of being a person.
The American Psychological Association (APA) defines resilience as the process of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioural flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands.
The concept of self‑efficacy comes from Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory. At its core, it is “people’s beliefs about their capabilities to produce given levels of performance that exercise influence over events that affect their lives” (Bandura, 1997). In simpler terms: if you believe you can handle a task, you’re more likely to engage with it, persist when it’s hard, and recover when things don’t go as planned.
To understand this better, let’s take an example of trying out a new, difficult sport – let’s say it’s archery, as you’ve been interested in it for a very long time. Before we start learning, we usually try to assess our current skill set in sports in the first place. If you feel like you’re not good at athletic activities, you may feel under-confident right at the beginning of learning this sport. This assessment of abilities and the conclusion of your level of confidence you come up with is your self-efficacy.
Once you start practising archery, your experiences will shape your belief in your ability to succeed. If you hit the target consistently, your self-efficacy strengthens; you start believing the statement: “Yes, I can do this.” Even if you miss sometimes, the way you respond matters.
Resilient people use setbacks as learning opportunities rather than proof of failure. This is where resilience and self-efficacy intersect: your belief in your ability to succeed fuels your persistence, while your capacity to bounce back from mistakes keeps you moving forward.
Self-Efficacy and Resilience in Careers
In the context of careers, the interplay between your belief in your capacity to act (self‑efficacy) and your ability to bounce back or adjust in the face of challenges (resilience) becomes especially important. Let’s unpack how this works, drawing on theory and research.
Self‑efficacy influences resilience and career adjustment. For example, one study found that among students in secondary vocational schools in China, self‑efficacy was positively associated with resilience, and that emotional intelligence partly mediated this relationship.
Longitudinal research in career development supports the chain: Resilience → Self‑Efficacy → Career Adaptability. Under pressure, self‑efficacy and resilience deliver better performance. Specific to careers, self‑efficacy correlates with job‑resilience and job satisfaction.
Putting It Into Career Scenarios
Let’s take the example of someone stepping into their first managerial role. Here’s how research‑based mechanisms play out:
- Initial mindset: You ask yourself, “Do I believe I can learn and handle this role’s demands?” According to Bandura’s theory, past mastery experiences, observing others (vicarious experience), verbal persuasion (feedback/mentoring), and emotional states shape this belief. So if you’ve had smaller leadership or coordination tasks previously, you’re better placed to believe you can succeed.
- Encountering the challenge: You encounter dropped deadlines, frayed team morale or budget overruns. Rather than interpreting these as signs you aren’t cut out for the role, resilient individuals interpret them as “Okay, what happened and how can I adapt?”
- Feedback loop: By acting (self‑efficacy) and adapting (resilience), you begin to build even more self-confidence and develop a track record of manageable “wins.” This aligns with the finding that resilience can build self‑efficacy and vice versa. For example, that longitudinal student study showed resilience predicted later self‑efficacy.
- Career Adaptability and Growth: Career adaptability (one’s readiness and resources for coping with current and anticipated tasks of career development) is established to be positively influenced by self‑efficacy, which itself was influenced by resilience. In practical terms, someone who believed in their capacity and had shown resilient responses to early managerial challenges was better able to adapt their career path.
Why It Matters
- High‑stakes environments demand both: In modern careers (especially in fast‑changing industries), challenges are normal: new technologies, reorganisations, remote/hybrid setups. Self‑efficacy gives you the belief to act; resilience gives you the capacity to absorb the shock and continue.
- It matters for retention and satisfaction: Studies with nurses and academics indicate that when self‑efficacy and resilience are low, people are more likely to experience burnout, disengagement, or leave their roles. E.g., resilience and self‑efficacy were strongly linked in a nurse‐practitioner retention study.
- It influences career decisions and transitions: If you don’t believe you can manage a role change, you may avoid it; if you lack resilience, you may withdraw after a failure. Research shows that people with higher career‑decision self‑efficacy have fewer difficulties making career choices and better long‑term adaptability.
How to Build Self-Efficacy and Resilience
The encouraging part is that both resilience and self-efficacy can be developed deliberately. Some practical ways to strengthen them are:
- Set Small, Achievable Goals: Breaking larger tasks into smaller steps allows you to experience regular success, which reinforces self-efficacy.
- Reflect on Past Successes: Remind yourself of challenges you’ve already overcome; this boosts confidence that you can handle future ones.
- Seek Constructive Feedback: Honest feedback helps you identify areas for improvement and reinforces the belief that growth is possible.
- Embrace Failures as Learning Opportunities: Resilient people see setbacks not as defeat but as data points for improvement.
- Build a Support Network: Surrounding yourself with mentors, colleagues, and friends provides encouragement and perspective during challenging times.
- Practice Mindfulness and Stress Management: Mental flexibility is a key aspect of resilience, and techniques like meditation or journaling can help maintain it.
Long-Term Career Impact
The combined power of self-efficacy and resilience goes beyond handling immediate challenges. Over time, it cultivates a mindset of continuous growth, adaptability, and optimism. People who develop these traits are more likely to take on leadership roles, pursue innovative projects, and navigate career transitions successfully. They aren’t immune to setbacks, but they are equipped to use those experiences as fuel for growth rather than allowing them to cause stagnation.
Conclusion
In essence, self-efficacy and resilience are two sides of the same coin. One gives you the confidence to take on challenges, and the other equips you to endure and adapt when things don’t go as planned. By nurturing both, you don’t just become more capable, you become someone who can navigate the unpredictable currents of a modern career with strength, adaptability, and a sense of purpose.
The Psychowellness Center, located in Dwarka Sector-17 and Janakpuri, New Delhi (011-47039812 / 7827208707), offers specialised emotional-wellness and career-focused counselling programs that help individuals strengthen workplace resilience, boost self-efficacy, and manage career-related stress through evidence-based therapies such as CBT, REBT, Behavioural Modification Therapy, and Mindfulness-Based Therapy. Their expert team, including some of the best psychologists near me, supports professionals and students in developing confidence, adaptability, and psychological flexibility essential for long-term career growth. Additionally, TalktoAngel provides accessible virtual counselling and strength-based online therapy that promotes emotional stability, self-belief, and career resilience for individuals seeking convenient and personalised mental-health guidance.
Contribution: Dr. R.K. Suri, Clinical Psychologist, and Ms. Charavi Shah, Counselling Psychologist
References
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W. H. Freeman.
Savickas, M. L., & Porfeli, E. J. (2012). Career Adapt-Abilities Scale: Construction, reliability, and measurement equivalence across 13 countries. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 80(3), 661–673. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2012.01.011
Southwick, S. M., & Charney, D. S. (2012). The science of resilience: Implications for the prevention and treatment of depression. Science, 338(6103), 79–82. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1222942
https://www.psychowellnesscenter.com/Blog/building-resilience-and-hope-in-high%E2%80%91stress-jobs/
https://www.psychowellnesscenter.com/Blog/the-balancing-act-career-family-and-mental-health/
https://www.psychowellnesscenter.com/Blog/promoting-emotional-processing-resilience-and-empowerment/
https://www.psychowellnesscenter.com/Blog/turning-self-awareness-into-meaningful-action/
https://www.psychowellnesscenter.com/Blog/science-behind-mental-toughness/
https://www.talktoangel.com/blog/how-b-schools-can-transform-students-mental-health
https://www.psychowellnesscenter.com/Blog/tackling-hopelessness-among-college-students/
https://www.psychowellnesscenter.com/Blog/the-best-psychologist-in-central-delhi/
https://www.psychowellnesscenter.com/Blog/5-antidotes-to-overcome-common-fears/