It's All Me Me Me Me Me
I was having a beer with a client the other day.?
We’d made our way to a rooftop bar in an undisclosed northern town based on feedback from previous patron’s that when the sun was out you could forgive yourself for thinking you were in Barcelona.?
After scaling a rickety fire escape and sitting down at a wonky picnic bench, I sipped my Camden Hells and looked across the glorious NCP cark park as the sun fucked off behind a cloud. It was glorious...and whilst I’ve never been to Barcelona, it really felt like you were there.?
I don’t mean to make you jealous. I just wanted to paint a picture for you.
Anyway, this hiring manager has done A LOT of hiring, both for the organisation he’s working with currently and for many of his previous clients too.?
It’s a busy time for them. They’re speaking to 4-5 candidates per week across a number of open roles. With this week’s edition of The Job Journal in mind I asked them to tell me the biggest mistake they see people making in interviews.
It took them all of 2 seconds to answer.
“Weeing over themselves”
I immediately got up to leave wondering what the hell I’d walked into but quickly sat back down again when they started to explain what they meant.
In summary, it wasn’t what I’d initially thought it was.?
They went on to describe a trap that many candidates, regardless of experience, are at risk of falling into and from this hiring manager’s anecdotal evidence, they often do.
领英推荐
Failing to identify their own achievements.?
"So you were part of a high performing team? Great. What part did YOU play?"
"The work you completed with your colleagues saved your company x amount of pounds? Awesome. What was YOUR contribution to that group effort?"?
"Your department were involved in a company wide change initiative? Cool. What, specifically, was YOUR input to make that change land successfully?"
It makes sense right?
I'm not preaching here. I find it uncomfortable to take ownership of my own successes sometimes and I work for myself so God knows how you lot feel.
I’m not sure what the opposite of weeing on yourself is (I’ll leave you to ponder that one) but next time you’re in an interview and find yourself selling the benefits of working with everyone else BUT you, make sure you remember to steer that spotlight back round.
The End.
Enjoyed this edition of The Job Journal? Like, comment and share away and if you’re looking to be inspired to change your relationship with work by people who have done just that then tune into my podcast 'JobsWorth' via the link below ????
Technical Business Analyst - FMCG - Supply Chain - Data Transformation - Integration - E-commerce
7 个月It took me a while but I see what you guys did there… It’s important to get into the ‘me/I’ mindset even before writing your CV. Even if a success was delivered by the team you were in, there MUST be at least one positive verb you can use to describe what you were proud to bring to that team. Led, motivated, coordinated, supported, entertained, fed. Phrase your CV as successes along those lines and follow it through to job applications and interviews. This ensures you’ll be giving a more honest and personal account of yourself that you won’t need to bluff.
18+ Years of Successful Career | Associate Director - Business Application Development | SAP Programs & Products Mgmt. | Cloud, Automation & Digitization Projects | Global Client Relations & CXO-level Engagements.
7 个月It should not be me.. it should be “we”
Head of Global Applications at PZ Cussons
7 个月"Yes but what did you do?" is probably my most common follow-up question in interviews. A poor interviewee will either fail to answer the question after the limit of 3 successive opportunities to do so, or will confirm that they did nothing and other people were responsible for that particular achievement.
Senior Director - Head of OCM & Change Management Consulting Practice at Proservartner (M.Com, Fellow CIPD) People | Digital & AI | GBS |ERP | BPO | Finance | HR
7 个月Haha if the interview was with the team it would be about us but its not its with me so, in my mind, the answers should be, all about me and I Obvious? Mmm. Maybe not. Sometime people think making it about me means they are not showing that they are a team player or they think that they may be seen as full of themselves so they use the us and we. On reflection, perhaps candidates should balance me with we? Your thoughts?
Business Change Manager | PROSCI, MSP, PRINCE2, Agile certified | Bringing an adaptable and people focussed approach to planning and delivering change | I add "sparkle" | Alcatraz Escapee | Ironman Finisher
7 个月John Hawker very helpful for people interviewing but maybe damaging for Barcelona! I hear you, but what about the old saying “there is no “I” in team”!? And being considered arrogant for talking me, me, me!