Complete Idiots
(Yeah, it’s been a while since my last post… a lot going on, but summarized: still looking for work)
Amy and I were down in Houston at an outlet mall when I ran across the book you see displayed on the right. I had to laugh out loud. After all, a book titled “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Enhancing Self-Esteem” is already defeating itself just by the title. The last thing you need to do to someone who needs to improve their self-esteem is to call them an idiot from the outset. How often do we defeat our own purposes without even realizing it?
Part of this touches on my last post about recruiters. We could walk in to a recruiter and, based on our dress, grooming or hygiene, have convinced the recruiter that we are not worth representing. After all, if you show up for the recruiter at your worst, might you even do the same to their clients? And you are showing up under the name of the recruiter.
We don’t consider the full consequences of our actions and the impressions we make on others. However, some of us (myself included) rather show the real side of us instead of some facade that disappears once the relationship (personal, employment, etc.) continues further. In some ways, it is much worse to be made out to be someone who has completely misrepresented themselves.
I had a few friends that would tell me to state that I know some technologies required for a job even though I actually did not. Not only would it become obvious within a week that I didn’t, but that could easily result in getting myself fired. And for someone who has been fired now, I know that it creates a blot on your record that is sometimes hard to get past. Fortunately, the last two jobs I’ve had, the issue of that termination was never raised; thus, it wasn’t an issue.
We must be ready always to make a best impression without being fake. Sometimes that means changing yourself so that you match the improved image you are putting forth. I’ve been working on that and feel that I’m a much more open, assertive, complete person than I ever was back in high school and college.
Only 3 more years until my 20th high school reunion and a chance to show how much I’ve changed. However, I don’t have to prove that to anyone… I had to prove it to myself.
