A friend and former employee of mine was up for a promotion and needed some advice on what to say/do during the interview process.  This person is a very talented and I am their biggest fan for sure.  My friend just struggles with balance.  Balance between self confidence and ability.  My friend has all the ability and is extremely talented, but lacks the confidence to be able to sell those talents to others.

Yes, it is good to be disarming, but not to the point where you cannot gain credibility or emote confidence that people need to see in you. Many people derail their point or success by clinging to the crutch of self doubt.  If you believe in yourself, speak with confidence and project ability- people will see it.  Rather than thinking you are an egotistical jerk or loudmouth they will believe in you more than you believe in yourself.  You have to properly sell yourself and be comfortable and confident with the delivering of this message.  Presidential candidates, coaches, heads of companies and cult leaders all take themselves seriously and project ambition, drive and confidence.  People believe in them and buy what they are selling. 

The easy way out is to blow the interview.  That way, you have an exit.  It's easy to derail success and afterwards just convince yourself that maybe you wouldn't have been good at that job anyway.  This helps you feel better about the whole thing.  Giving yourself a break and a way out as helpful as eating your emotions at the buffet table.  It's a defeatist's crutch and shame on all of us for leaning on it.

Sure, we are not all going to succeed at everything. It's a challenge for me too.  I want to be great at everything and feast off the success of winning, but that's not realistic.  I know this, but it doesn't stop me from always wanting to better myself and build a better me.  

Do the homework. Invest in yourself and in your craft.  Take yourself seriously and set real goals. Working towards the success you want, opposed to wasting time trying to find the exit, is far more productive and healthy.  Most of us have a total of 80 or 90 years on this planet, so we should have plenty of time to figure this all out right? 

Take yourself seriously and others will too. 

#success #interviewing #invest #goals #dotherightthing.