Why is it important to practice talking about your work? Because talking about yourself in a way that’s interesting and memorable can help you land your next job.
I want to assure you it’s totally possible to talk about yourself and your work without the ick of sounding awkward or arrogant or all me, me, me.
You may believe your’re very good at our job (I hope you do!), you may even be a friendly conversationalist, but when the spotlight is on you it’s easy to freeze up faster than a cup of coffee in an ice house.
And when you need to perform a personal yet subtle “I’m awesome and you should hire me” campaign, it’s not the time to freeze! It’s time to shine.
These types of conversations often come up at networking events (and if networking makes you cringe, check out Networking Doesn’t Have to Be a Dirty Word).
But they also pop into friendly personal barbecues and social events, which can be perfect networking opportunities to practice talking about yourself.
Be Clear, Interesting & Memorable
When you’re networking, you want to make warm connections. You want to be memorable. You want the people you meet to know easily what kind of work you do. Because they’re likely friendly and helpful. And they’ll likely want to support you and your work, should they get the chance.
And through your warm introduction and expertly crafted why statement (which we’ll discuss below!), if your work and your value is of interest to the other party, they’ll identify it right away.
Because you were clear, interesting, and memorable.
Use meaning to practice talking about yourself (since it feels awkward!)
One way to practice talking about yourself and position yourself for hiring opportunities is to craft a why statement. A why statement can help connect you to your purpose and how you help people, so it feels less awkward to talk about yourself.
An effective way to create a why statement, is to journal about your Why. What inspires you? What brings meaning to your work (beyond the salary and benefits, of course!).
When you can connect to why you work, and then craft it in a statement that supports your target job, you’ll convey purpose and value in conversations.
In his book, Find Your Why, Simon Sinek suggests the the following format for a powerful why statement:
To ________, so that ____________ (impact).
For example, here’s my own WHY statement:
To help people discover their own why so that they can live lives of purpose and meaning.
That is my why, and I execute it through writing expert resumes, helping people develop compelling personal brands, skilled and empathetic interview coaching and career coaching.
How to ease the pressure of talking about yourself.
Back when I worked for a startup software company, I learned a tech term: iterate.
As you know, by definition, iterate means:
- To utter again or repeatedly
- To do (something) over again or repeatedly
So here’s a hint: one way to get really good at talking about your work without the ick is to do it, out loud, repeatedly. (I can feel your resistance! But hang with me, yeah?)
If you’re familiar with tech-speak, you’ll be familiar with the iterative approach: the first attempt of any new code or new product is not expected to be fully successful. Nor is the first attempt expected to be the last.
It is expected that there will be numerous iterations for each piece of a project. But that doesn’t mean they wait until it’s perfect to release. Far from it. They release iterations along the way, then improve on those iterations based on user experience and practice.
And boy, doesn’t that take the pressure off? Knowing that the first time may be rough. But that through repeating the actions, and making small improvements each time, eventually you’ll arrive at a complete product?
Through practice.
Practice, or iterate.
Imagine applying that same concept of iterating to how to practice talking about yourself to others (as in…networking!) in an interesting way that highlights your skills. And make warm connections with others at the same time.
The first time you do it, that first iteration will be rough. Perhaps unpolished. And that’s okay.
Iterate. (Do it again.)
The second time, you’ll evolve. You’ll make some kind of adjustment in your explanation, and it’ll be a little smoother. Ah, getting a little better.
Iterate. (Again)
Now, you’re feeling more confident. But, there’s still room for improvement. You’ll further refine and begin feeling better about talking about yourself in a memorable way.
Iterate. (Are you starting to pick up where I’m going with this? I thought so!)
Practice talking about yourself to become an opportunity magnet.
No need to wait until some supposed perfect introduction to network.
Rather, get out there and connect. Utter something about your work. Then utter something again. Then adapt what you utter, based on how it felt and how well it landed. You’re iterating!
Instead of being awkward or boring or sounding narcissistic, you’ll gain skill in making warm connections at a networking or social event. You’ll know how to be clear, memorable, of service.
Because you iterated. And as you continue to iterate, you’ll only get better.
If you adopt this iterative approach to talking about yourself, guess what is more likely to happen: When you’re looking for a new opportunity, you’ll have a network of folks who know you and your work and the value you deliver. They’ll think of you when they’re ready to hire. They’ll refer you when opportunities arise.
You’ll be an opportunity magnet!
P.S. If you’d like to practice some specific introduction techniques, I’m planning a workshop on the topic, so stay tuned!
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Struggle to talk about what you do, or feel like you’re driving a bus with no steering wheel when it comes to promoting yourself in your career? (Hey, you’re not alone! Almost all my clients say the same, at first. And I’m here to help.): FREE 5 Minute Magnetic Makeover – Make It Rain Job Offers and Opportunities.
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