My Secret Sauce

1)      Describe five ways in which you think you have human capital that is truly unique. What is it about you, exactly, that makes you different? Write this up in a detailed list. 

a.       Emotional Intelligence

                                                              i.       Emotional intelligence is where you have the ability to manage your own emotions and the emotions of others. Sometimes while working in customer service you will get irate customers. Your initial response is to match the person’s emotions you are dealing with. With emotional intelligence, you are fully aware of your emotions and control them immediately to help deescalate the situation.

b.      Creative Thinker

                                                              i.      I have the ability to see multiple perspectives. I’m always thinking about the future. I can stand back and imagine the many routes or possibilities for a decision. I’m also constantly thinking of ways to make things better. I’m always innovating.

c.       Graphic Design

                                                              i.      I have practiced digital design for years. I have knowledge of Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator. I was in a digital design program in high school, and acquired a summer graphic design internship before starting college. Art has always been a hobby of mine.

d.      Bubbly Personality

                                                              i.      I always try to have a positive light on things. I surround myself with positive people. I also believe that it catches on. If you are uplifting, you will uplift others. Creating a positive environment for you and others is important.

e.       Independent

                                                              i.      I trust myself and my judgments. If someone else comes up with an idea that I think is a better fit then mine, I will recognize this and change. No one else is in control of my actions, but me.

2)      Interview the five people who know you the best.  Ask them what they think makes you different -- remember, focus on your knowledge, skills, abilities, emotions -- in other words, your human capital. Try to stay away from discussing your other types of capital (such as who you know). Record each interview. In your blog post, please post each interview, as well as a two-three sentence summary of each interview, explaining what your key takeaways are.

                      

a.       With my mom’s interview, I forgot that I loved architecture. I love designing things in general. Design has always been a part of my life. With this recording, she confirmed my creative abilities.

b.      My Grandmother’s interview was a little vague. I think I just caught her on the spot. My takeaway was how hard I work. I am a hard worker. I love working towards goals and seeing my success as a result.

c.       What I took away from my brother’s interview was my sales ability. I have been working in sales for a while now. That is a skill and knowledge to have. He also brought up my bubbly personality.

d.      My twin sister brought up my emotional intelligence skill with inspirational speaking. I did take away motivation from her interview. Motivation has always been a key for my success with goals.

e.       I took away hard work from my finance’s interview. I always try to push myself and put a hundred percent in anything I do. I’m also dependable.

 3)      Reflect on the differences. How do you see yourself, and how do others see you? Are there differences in how you assess yourself compared to others? What do you think causes these differences? Do you think your interviewees are correct about you? Finally, going back to your list from part 1, would you make any corrections to the list? How? 

a.       I believe my perspective on who I am and my family’s perspective was pretty similar. If anything, it confirmed elements that I already knew I had. My family sees me as a hardworking, upbeat, motivational individual. I don’t see myself as very outgoing like my mother has. I think that this was my only shock. I think it’s because I see myself as an introvert. I get my energy from within. I need time to myself to reflect and energize. I think she sees me as outgoing, because I just push myself to be. As a sales person, I have to be. I have to push all feelings aside of what people think, and just go out there to say what I want to say. I don’t think I would make any corrections to my list from part 1. In my subconscious, I know what my abilities are. I might have forgotten some things, but remembering them helps me reflect on why I do what I do.