Choose a career that matches your personality

Don’t beat yourself up if you have the type of personality where you get easily bored or distracted. You’re not alone. And as long as you choose a job or career that matches your natural temperament, there’s no reason you can’t be successful. For example, you might consider entrepreneurship, a career path that provides lots of variety. From coming up with an idea, to finding the resources to turn that idea into action, to interacting with customers or clients, there’s rarely time for boredom or routine. If you have difficulty switching off or disconnecting, you may want to consider a career in public relations or media production. There’s never a dull moment in those jobs where you have to be prepared to react to news, or learn how to communicate with very different audiences in a wide range of media. Another career if you want to avoid monotony and routine is consulting, where you regularly interact with new clients and take on novel problems. Your personality is an inherent part of who you are. Identifying a role that is a fit for your natural disposition will help you improve your job performance and maximise your career potential.

(This tip is adapted from “4 Careers for People Who Are Easily Distracted,” by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic.)

Silence your inner critic before your next job interview

Job interviews can make even the most confident person question themselves. But it’s important to quash those negative thoughts so that you can allow your best self to shine. First, remember that the interview isn’t about proving your technical expertise or subject matter mastery. You already demonstrated that in your application, and the interviewers want to know what it will be like to work with you. So let go of needing the interview to be technically perfect. As with every skill, the more you do it, the better you’ll be, so practice, practice and practice some more. As your aptitude improves, so will your confidence level. Manage your anxiety by focusing on the elements you can control. For example, if you’re worried about arriving on time, try taking multiple routes to your destination before the day of the interview to see which one gets you there fastest. Above all, put yourself in the hiring manager’s shoes. Articulate the team’s needs as you understand them, and tell a story of how you’ve solved similar problems. Following these tips will help you overcome your nerves and place yourself head and shoulders above the competition.

(This tip is adapted from “Don’t Let Impostor Syndrome Derail Your Next Interview,” by Susan Peppercorn.)

Put your audience’s needs first when preparing for a speech

When you’re giving a speech or presentation, it’s not your job to get the audience to like you. In fact, if the audience is paying too close attention to you, they may actually miss your message. Instead, focus on being present and staying attuned to your audience’s needs. From the moment you begin to prepare, think about who will be in the room. Each time you practice, maintain focus on your imaginary audience. The moment you catch yourself going into autopilot, stop and restart your sentence. And right before you speak, take a moment to breathe and look directly at your audience. Then begin with a “you” statement, e.g., “Each of you in this room … ” or “I want to share a story with you about the power of … ” This immediately signals to your audience that you are there to help them.

(This tip is adapted from “Do You Need Charisma to Be a Great Public Speaker?” by Sarah Gershman.)

Help your team make better decisions

Every manager wants employees to have good judgment. The good news is that judgment is a muscle that you can help your team build. Start by talking through how you make important decisions. Explain the criteria and stakeholders you consider, as well as any risks and trade-offs you assess. This will teach people how you think, help them understand company priorities and demonstrate the factors you want them to consider when they’re making future judgment calls. Acknowledge that mistakes will happen, and that it’s OK. You need to let your team members make big or hard decisions on their own from time to time. Remind yourself of the mistakes that you made that helped you grow. And, be curious, not dismissive, when team members make poor judgment calls. Ask them questions that help you understand their thought process and push their thinking for the next time.

(This tip is adapted from “Do You Really Trust Your Team? (And Do They Trust You?),” by Amy Jen Su.)

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, February 10th, 2020