I recently met a wonderfully bright senior at an institution in Manhattan while conducting a workshop on presentation skills. During the breakout session, his peers were blown away by his confidence and the ease at which he presented his strengths and interests. Clearly they were envious.
At the end of the event I brought up some of the best presenters, as judged by their peers, so the entire audience could benefit. This gentleman was a unanimous choice by his group. Much to my surprise, his presentation, specifically crafted for a potential interview, would have never landed him the position.
He was surely eloquent and confident. However, he was all over the place and made it clear that his passions were many. Entrepreneurial spirit is wonderful, but a scary thing for a potential employer. Please don't forget that someone hiring you is looking for a commitment - someone they can hopefully grow with. They are already concerned with the figures that state a typical 20 something will have 5 jobs by the age of thirty. Please don't add to their concerns with your lack of focus.
The paradox of insular language
1 year ago
2 comments:
Yes, I certainly can relate to this and you may have felt that way from my interview. What can I do to get focused and figure out my next steps so that I can get employed? Your feedback would be appreciated.
It may help to take a step back and really think about what you would be passionate about doing. Once you narrow this down, I would arrange a number of "informational interviews" with people in the field to really see if the skills you possess are a good match for what's required of the position.
After this, you just need to go into "attack" mode and concentrate on building targeted relationships with people in this field.
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