How to be confident and clear when talking about yourself and the sort of person you are.
Working with a group of senior executives recently – all of whom were either re-applying for their posts or going for a promotion following a management restructure – this was a BIG question they were struggling with.
It’s expected now when being interviewed for everything from college and University entrance to Board memberships to prepare a personal statement of some form or another. We have to get across the sort of person we are, the way we think and the things we know about ourselves. Rarely is it enough these days to list our “Responsibilities and Achievements” like a role call.
Organisations from the solo-entrepreneur to the multi-national FTSE/Fortune top companies want to know and understand more about you, how you tick and what you’re about.
It’s a big part of getting your message across in an interview (even, if you think about it, on a date which is often an interview-with-dinner!)
Ask yourself “when I leave the room after a meeting, what do I want the people still in the room to say about me?” Jot down your thoughts – at least 5 points. Then, if you really want to get clearer and more useful input for where you are at the moment, ask 5 other people. It’s good to ask people from different areas in your life – family, friends and of course colleagues, past and present.
Pose them the question “when I leave the room, what do you think people say about me and the sort of person I am?” Clients often do this via email to make it easy. Tell your 5 people that it will really help you and then capture what they say and compare it with what you’ve said yourself.
5 things I guarantee you:
- You’ll be surprised
- You’ll learn something about yourself
- You’ll have some different expressions/language to use
- You’ll tell the person you ask you value their opinion
- You’ll be able to describe yourself more confidently and easily.
Right, I’m leaving the room now.
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