Who are you?

I’m back people… and yes! You are right to think I am terribly rusty… after braving baptism by fire courtesy of some professional examiner, I have had this conviction to steer clear of any form of evaluation. 

Now, of all the goings-on there have been in the last few weeks, since I so delightedly exited the formal miseducation system, one event has sought to re-educate me on the inescapable reality that being subjected to judgement is an integral part of life. 

It made me realize that every day you wake up, close the door behind you and step into the world you are like that candidate sitting for an exam. You have no idea what kind of questions are waiting for you. Worse, even you can’t be really sure about the kind of responses the examiner would deem appropriate. How you dress, walk, speak and even eat! is under scrutiny by somebody whether consciously or subconsciously and is the basis with which people form an opinion about you. Whatever explaining you have about whatever you do, or who you are is quite secondary.

So like any other enthusiastic job seeker I started sending application letters to virtually any employer who is even remotely related to my industry. It’s interesting how certain things gain so much importance when they suddenly seem to offer a chance at solving your immediate problems. A few months ago I would have casually commented on how sites like brightermonday have become so popular with job seekers and most probably laughed off the idea. Today, I have subscribed to job feeds from several such sites and I have never been more punctual at checking my mail (in fact I have to refresh to make sure feeds are up to date).

Then came my very first invitation for an interview, quite unexpected and the hirer, a leading media company with promise of profound industry experience. I was excited and thankful (I had just beaten the wizard of tarmacking at her game, or so I thought). I did dress quite well on the material day that myself, I was surprised, all bespoke and sharp.

It’s the first question that I have been re-answering for a while now. ‘Tell us about yourself?’ Pretty simple and straightforward. A ready answer should be forthcoming even if you were to be woken in the middle of a dream. Funny enough, this was the hardest question I had to answer. I was prepared for all manner of questions related to the job offer, current affairs and the entire industry, even forecasts, but this one, didn’t cross my mind.

I considered several options; my skills, ambitions, passion, religion, education, strengths, weaknesses and pretty much what you can think of in the few seconds between the interviewer’s pause and your answering. Having no precedent to borrow from I just let words flow and gave the very response any Kamau, Njoroge or Kinuthia would think of; A short autobiography of me. It was over as fast as I had started. Frankly, I cant exactly remember how I described myself that day. 

Now after doing some bit of ‘research’ I realize how I massively undersold myself; apparently according to ‘experienced’ recruiters its being given an easy way into convincing the panel you are the right man for the job. Instead of pulling a classical autobiography they say I should have listed my achievements and any characteristic that aligns me with the job opening at hand.

That in mind, I’d say getting a solid definition of oneself is quite an elusive endeavor; the understanding of the self is more evolutionary and dynamic than we would want to acknowledge. Circumstances that we encounter every other day and experiences we have constructively create a new self in us that more often we discover at a future date. That may explain situations where people around us realize changes in our personality way before we become conscious of them. Some people have we say are living in denial (like some MP told Ruto) pointing at the possibility of them appreciating their apparent self rather than the real. But this then tends to suggest rather strongly that there is a yardstick against which to evaluate what someone is supposed to be.

So what really defines us? Is it our skills, competencies, aspirations, religion, friends we hang out with or places we hang out, education, talents, temperaments, of is it height? Tell me what is that perfect definition of self that would capture the whole essence of who you are, yet delivered in briefest sentence possible?

Obviously, you might have realized that I didn’t quite get the job. To this I’d like to think of myself of being too good for the job – as you well might know the flip side of it, is a thought inconceivable. It’s walking out of an interview knowing that the employer would have been lucky to have you.

 

So I’ve been considering this cliché mainstream mis-educators have been flaunting all over about churning ‘job-creators’ rather that ‘-seeker’ and soon I might be giving Mwaniki a call. He’s the one person I know who can get a buyer for anything that is up for sale and I realize pretty much anything is a potential sale given the right persuasion; even that phone you are holding!

Give this a try: Describe yourself in one sentence (149 characters!)