So today I was reminded of why we need to practise, practise, practise!!!!

If you think about nearly everything you do requires practise and more practise, so I should not be so surprised that I tripped over my own big left feet today.  So drum roll what was the skill of the day that I suddenly and rudely realised I had not practised enough … a job interview!!!!

I had my first job interview in about 3 years and it was a total embarrassing mess.  The worst part was that some people I totally respected were on the panel, OMG never wanted to go through the floor quicker!!!!

Sort of funny a couple of hours later after I have eaten creamy fettuccini, bread and butter pudding and 3x yellow snakes to recover.  At the time excruciating, now before you start thinking that I am over analysing the situation heres the list of whoopsies;

1. 1. I reverted to the mother language, no not a nice rounded English accent.  A totally bogan, ochre drawl that even made me cringe, I swear I was nearly calling people darl thats how bad it was.
2. I answered one particular question with such a rambling story that it made no sense even to me and I stopped myself by saying “Wow I am really on a tangent, what was the question again?”
3. I totally failed to answer a question fully instead rambling on  and on about organisational culture, without actually saying anything of relevance to the question.
4. In the end I was happy with 2 -3 answers out of about 8 questions… not a pass!!!

Ok so maybe thats not all bad but I felt like a fool, rambling on and on with stupid half formed answers.  The most frustrating part was that I knew the answer to every question and had examples in my skill set… but I didn’t sell myself.  The product that I should know so well!!!

Thats the clincher for me and why I was so pissed off with myself, I should know all my skills and experiences, what I am good at, what I need to work on.  I should be able to sell me better then any-one else.  So why even with lots of achievements do I still feel insecure and unable to actually verbalise my successes?

Susannah Breslin writes in How to sell yourself a hilarious to do list for how to sell yourself.

No 1.  Think about yourself as a product; what are your best selling points, become the product ‘Jen – Boss Lady’, an idealised version of yourself, a role in the play that is life.  Save Jen the wife, sister, fur-child mother, domestic goddess, rose gardener, track pant lover, sparkling wine fanatic for friends, family and private moments.

No 2. Annoy people, network, make your brand known, put yourself forward and be persistent.  Be the first person people think of when an opportunity comes up, ask questions and get out there in the professional sphere you want to inhabit.

No 3. Be a unicorn!!! Find your unique point and sell it, live the life others dream of.

I love these tips, separating the professional me from the personal me does make it easier.  Placing the professional me up for potential criticism, complement or even comment is far easier.  Viewing professional self as a product brings that natural separation.

Totally going to revamp my thinking this weekend and next interview look out…