Having multiple skills does not mean that you can implement them concurrently.
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Editor’s Note
Welcome to this brand new column, HR Insights with JENNIFER OYELADE. In a world that has undergone rapid changes, mostly disruptive, due to a ravaging coronavirus pandemic, many things have been through resets and reappraisals, including careers, the workplace and the ways we actually work. In this new column, Jennifer will leverage her expertise to provide 360-degree forward looking insights on different issues in HR, including but not limited to, Career Strategy, Market Trends, Organisation Transformation, Employee Engagement, and Capacity Building for future growth. It will touch on the organisation, the employee and the market place where they interact. Keep a date with her every week, and enjoy this second instalment.
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CV Writing can be tough, we are caught between giving an overview and writing one that resembles a dissertation. What is even harder is the ability to conceptualise your skill set to sell yourself accurately and successfully.
Tell me about yourself? Everyone has been in an interview where this very common question has been asked at some point during a recruitment process. While it sounds like a very basic question, it actually has its complexities. Some employers use this question as an icebreaker; as a form of getting a candidate to feel relaxed before the competency questions arise. Some Hiring Managers use it to gauge the level of your communication and story-telling skills. Some also use the content of your answer to determine if there are any professional skill gaps that need unboxing as they progress further into the interview, and then there are others who use this question to guide an unscripted interview session.
Whichever the case may be, this is an opportunity to market yourself as a brand. This question opens the door to tell your career journey and demonstrate your thought process at every milestone. By articulating your academics, why you chose the courses you did, your professional development journey, post-graduate, your work experience and notable achievements.
Understanding how to sell yourself is a skill that has to be consistently nurtured and developed. Firstly, it helps you articulate your expertise, from where you came from; to where you are now, and where you aspire to be. Secondly, it is also a constant reminder to hold yourself accountable to your professional development.
When selling yourself, it’s essential that you are using descriptive words that depict your level of expertise correctly. You don’t want to be misunderstood and labelled a “Jack or Jill of all trades, and a master of none.” After all, you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.
For example, saying you’re a multi-faceted professional usually means your skillset is diverse (e.g., you are an Operations Manager and a Certified Business Analyst), which means you can wear multiple hats. Both these areas of specialism complement each other. So, it’s possible to work in this capacity without losing sight of your core.
Saying you’re a multi-functional professional means you have the ability to multitask (perform both tasks, concurrently; such as Reviewing Data highlighting key areas of focus and extracting into a Report). These are usually relatable tasks which can be completed and not so far-fetched from each other.
My advice would be to refrain from using words that are not sustainable to your character. For example: Saying you are “enthusiastic, hardworking, or dynamic” are unsustainable. There is no individual that is enthusiastic and dynamic every day, some days you may not be working hard but you are working smart. Use works that describe your level of expertise and the attributes that you demonstrate to ensure that you are a success.
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