Don’t just be in the photo. Get involved to find out who you are!
If you were to look at my high school yearbook, you’d think I was a natural leader. I played sports and was involved in many student organizations. As a result, I was in quite a few yearbook photos. Well, looks can be deceiving! I may have been in the photos, but my contribution to those student organizations was minimal.
At the time I was happy to blend into the background as others spoke up and led the charge. As a result, I did not develop valuable skills that would have allowed me to maximize my personal and professional growth during this critical time, and more importantly, understand what I was all about when it came to entering college and identifying a major/career. My effort to contribute was seriously lacking, and I completely missed opportunities to gain self-awareness. Fortunately in college I found my voice and, by jumping into classes and student organizations with my whole heart and mind, discovered the first steps on a path that has led to incredible employment opportunities and personal fulfillment.
As I entered the work world and then became a recruiter, I realized that it’s a case of buyer beware if you judge a candidate solely based upon his or her resume. It’s not the nicely packaged work experience synopsis under each job entry that matters, or the impressive list of extracurricular pursuits. It comes down to the quality of each and every experience, how you have grown from your challenges and achievements, and how you can leverage your skills and abilities to add value to a potential employer. Through those experiences you figure out what you like, and more importantly, what you don’t like! From there you take what you learn to create a career path that is authentic and fulfilling. By giving it your all and gaining self-awareness, you build confidence that can propel you forward into new professional challenges.
Don’t just be in the photo. Make every experience count. Do things that matter to you. It may be tough to put yourself out there again and again, but trust me, the sacrifices you make and the lessons you learn will lead to amazing opportunities.
