I want to share a lesson I had learned over the years working in corporate America. When I was growing up I wasn’t an outstanding student or athlete but I did pretty good. I was taught not to flaunt anything and be humble about my accomplishments. This served me well until I got into the workforce and then it actually hurt me in the long run.
A mentor that made me read the book “Brag! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn” about five years ago and it changed my life professionally. You have to confident and very sure of who are you. Now I am not saying to intentionally go to the extreme with it but it is rare to get recognized unless you are going into a field that is highly specialized where the transition is seamless.
Do not…I repeat do not show up too humble. I worked with an Air Force officer and I got a copy of his resume so I could get a feel for his background. When he showed up for our meeting, I told him that he was being way to humble because his background was outstanding.
Veterans can be really humble at times and that is what we love about them. One of my favorite questions to ask during an interview is why I should hire you. When you are transitioning into the civilian world, you’ve got to really showcase your background because being humble may get your put into the no pile of resumes.
