Decidedly myself.
At one time or another, we’ve all participated in a particularly arduous interview process. Sometimes the outcome is good, and sometimes… it’s not the right fit. But in either scenario, you have the chance to learn if you’re open to it.
With this in mind, one experience sticks out.
As part of a many-round screening process, I was asked to complete a questionnaire about myself. Cool, great, I’m in.
One of those questions looked like this:
Which of the following characteristics describes you best and why? Which describes you least and why?
Positive
Curious
Empathetic
Collaborative
WOW what a tough one! There’s no good answer, let alone a right one. Yes, it’s all subjective, but what will your answer say about you?
As many would have, I (over) considered each possibility and what the hiring manager might glean from the choice. Pro tip? Don’t do that to yourself. You’ll only end up going around in circles! My advice? Be true to yourself. Because ultimately, if they want to eliminate you from the running as a result of an honest answer to an impossible question, let them. I’d rather be knocked out knowing I was honest, than be knocked out because I wasn’t. But that’s just me.
So. How did I answer? I’ll share below. And before you ask - I did not get the job. And that’s okay. But I did gain some perspective and learned a little bit more about how I wanted to portray myself.
Some might say I’m nuts and should’ve just said what I thought they wanted to hear. But that’s not me. And I’d rather get a job being exactly who I am rather than being who I think they want me to be. That’s the part of myself that I’m proud of. And if I’m right… it’s also the thing that will get me the job elsewhere.
——-
Which of the following characteristics describes you best and why? Which describes you least and why?
Positive
Curious
Empathetic
Collaborative
The Best: Curious
While wrestling between between curious and empathetic, it wasn’t until I looked up the dictionary’s definition of each that I realized: curiosity is at the root of empathy. They go hand in hand! It was truly a lightbulb moment.
By definition, to be curious is to have a desire for knowledge and understanding. I’d even go so far to say that knowledge creates empathy. Part of my empathetic nature stems from curiosity.
I am:
Curious to understand the feelings and thoughts of others.
Curious to put myself in another’s shoes, gaining perspective and giving compassion.
Curious to understand how I can help, or heal, or soothe.
Whether it’s a better understanding of world around me or of the people in it— my thirst for that understanding drives me to be a better person, worker, friend, daughter, contributor, and overall world citizen. It’s not just being curious for factual knowledge you can find in a book, but it’s the curiosity for experiences you can only learn by doing that truly ignites my soul.
More traditionally, I genuinely love learning! Living in New York City there’s an opportunity to learn something new at every turn whether it’s a free workshop (recently Bitcoin 101) or podcast (What is Dark Matter?) I love the “aha!”moments (and any chance to expand my arsenal of trivia night knowledge)!
The Least: Positive
Everyone told me I was crazy to say that of the above descriptors, I was the least positive. But allow me to explain.
Saying I’m the least positive might imply that I’m negative— that’s not the case!
When it comes to myself, I’m my own biggest critic and tend to be harder on myself, which makes me second guess my own confidence at times. I take great pride in my work and have even been told I care too much (there’s that empathy again!). However, as I’ve gotten older I’ve prioritized positive self-talk and daily affirmations, finding that the power of positive thought is truly transformative and made an enormous impact on my life. While investing in my own self-positivity, I’ve learned that surrounding myself with positive people both personally and professionally has allowed that positivity to thrive exponentially. Positivity begets more positivity and I’m excited to let the sun shine in!
