You will not always do what you are doing now. You will go on to as many as seven distinct careers, ten to fifteen different jobs, perhaps a dip or dive into your own entrepreneurial venture and hopefully, some significant philanthropy.
That’s why the thing that you do, what you actually accomplish at work, may not be all that interesting to the people you’ll meet in the future.
It’s likely the job you have now won’t even exist in the future.
What will exist into the future? style=”text-decoration: underline;”>Your character, intelligence and persistence>.
So, if you are seeking something grander than the job you have now: don’t focus on the nuts and bolts of what you do when given the chance to talk about yourself. Recruiters, hiring managers, investors and graduate school interviewers are listening to your stories to ascertain your core values and evidence of your curiosity, focus, friendliness, good manners, and empathy.
We care about the inspiration for your aspirations.
We want to know what’s in that portable device you carry with you all the time: your brain.
So, when you’re asked, “What do you do?” or “What did you do at Acme Insurance?” make sure to follow up your job title, with HOW you do your job. That’s where the secrets about you are, when it comes to your character, intelligence and resilience.
More than any special skill or vast amount of knowledge you’ve accumulated in a field like engineering or a function like social media manager, it’s your ability to articulate your analytical process and decision-making that’s really important.
The big winners in any occupation, profession or venture are people who can crisply say why they act the way they do, and how their behavior has changed as they learned more and held greater sway.
Simply put: the most desirable candidates are brimming with personal insights.
So, spend some time reflecting on the how and why of what you do. Then, be ready to explain how your thinking and working processes – not your duties – are your real assets.
Those of us in your future, want to welcome you to it.
