thanks, Mr. Jon; a lesson on how to differentiate yourself
When I was in high school, I had a social studies teacher who, for the purposes of this blog, we will call Mr. Jon. Mr. Jon was also my swim coach, as well as the school’s ceramics teacher. No offense to Mr. Jon, but I never found history very exciting. I spent a good portion of my time in his room slumped at my desk in the back of the room sleeping against the wall. To be fair, it was my first class of the day, the lights were often turned off, and I was occasionally coming from a 5:30 AM swim practice (which is probably why I got away with sleeping in class). Needless to say, I do not remember much of the curriculum from Mr. Jon’s class. However, there is one thing he said one day that I think about often. The man of many talents was also known for getting into deep and meaningful conversations about life. I remember one day he started explaining how he got his job at the school. He said he applied for the job of social studies teacher and was not completely confident that he would get it. During his interview, he was asked the common question- “Tell me about yourself!” He brought up the fact that he enjoyed ceramics. He was unaware at the time that the school was also looking to hire another ceramics teacher. This obviously seemed like a perfect hire for the school as he could fill the role of two teachers, so “lucky” Mr. Jon got the job. He explained the moral of his story as this- learn everything you can because you never know when your knowledge will come in handy.
I loved this message, but I took something else away from this story as well. Maybe Mr. Jon wasn’t just lucky. If Mr. Jon had not been so genuine in his interview, he may have answered the typical interview question in a way that seemed to make him more fit for teaching social studies. For example, he could have said he is interested in World War II and spends his time reading books and watching movies about this topic. Or, he could have made the common mistake of answering this question by giving an overview of his resume. Since he talked about something that made him unique, it gave him an edge over the other applicants, even if they hadn’t been looking for a ceramics teacher.
Similarly, my dad often discussed this same idea with me- the value of being different. Being the cute dad that he is, he occasionally emails my sister and me articles he finds that are interesting and/or relevant in our lives. In an email with the subject line “More boring life stuff from Dad,” he sent an article titled “This is the best answer I ever received to ‘Tell me about yourself’—after 20 years of interviewing.” See, Dad? I told you I read these! Anyways, the article tells the story of a woman who answered that question by saying she has climbed the highest mountain on every continent. The reason that this answer was so successful in the interview was not that it is such an impressive feat, but rather because it showed so much about her as a person. It showed that as an applicant, she was “adventurous, curious, goal-oriented, and disciplined,” as well as the fact that she “had the ability to apply lessons learned from past experiences to new challenges.” The interviewer was able to see all these impressive qualities through her genuine answer. Additionally, it made the applicant memorable. Out of all of the interviews the author conducted, you can bet he won’t forget about hers. The interviewer then went on to say that her answer to the follow-up question is what ultimately landed her the job. When asked what was going through her head when she reached the top of Mount Everest, she didn’t go off on some philosophical tangent, but instead answered by laughing and saying “How the heck am I going to get down?”
It is natural to walk into a job interview and try to mold yourself into the candidate you believe the interviewer wants. It is natural to go through life and try to mold yourself into the person you believe other people want you to be, or the way other people are. So why is it that the most successful people are the ones who are different from everyone else? The most successful businesses are the ones that can differentiate themselves from those who are selling the same product or service. When you think about your personal brand, think about how you can differentiate yourself from everyone else. What is something that you have, that you believe, that you do, that is different than anyone else in the room? You never know when your hobby of photography or your alternative ideas of team management are going to get you to where you want to be.
If you’re struggling to think about what makes you different, try these exercises:
List of Personal Achievements: Create a list of anything you have done in your life that you are proud of. Whether it is running a marathon, graduating school, winning the championship game, or finishing a book a month for a year.
My Skill Set Chart: This chart was part of a personal branding assignment in my college marketing class (Tom Marchese deserves another shout out here). Think of 3-4 things you do/have done that could prove you obtain the following skills many interviewers look for:
Ask your friends and family what makes you different! Introspection can be extremely challenging if you are not used to reflecting on your own self (although I highly recommend working on this skill… it is very valuable to be in tune with yourself!) If you really cannot come up with anything you are proud of or anything that gives you an edge, ask the people who know you best.
Ultimately, the most valuable thing you can do in life is being yourself. Explore your interests and see where it takes you. As cliché as it sounds, don’t be afraid to be you! Being like everyone else won’t get you far. Having a unique hobby or skill will make you memorable and valuable. Continue to challenge yourself and grow, and as always…
Stay Stoked,
B