You will be unable to present yourself effectively if you find it uncomfortable to speak highly of yourself - to promote yourself - to speak out about why the organization needs you, can't do without you, and why you are uniquely qualified to do the job. Don't let that little voice in your head now advising you that I'm not speaking about you, take charge. It will convince you that if I knew you I'd know that the organization could easily do without you. Don't let that voice say another word. That's just your monkey mind speaking. Pay no attention to it.
Besides believing you're unique and valuable, you must feel confident that you are great at job interviewing before you head out for your next interview. Do I have to tell you how many people say - I have things to offer, but I'm "lousy at interviews"? Just get the coaching you need to be "great at interviews". Thoughts do become things. Which of these two thoughts do you want to take to a job interview - I'm lousy or I'm great?
What prompted this Power Byte was being told by one of my clients about how she handled compliments. She felt embarrassed by them and negated them. You know what I'm speaking about don't you? You say to someone, "What a great job you've done" - and they say, "Oh, it was nothing". You say, "I love your sweater" and they say "What, this old thing?" I asked my client where the inability to accept a compliment came from and she said she was told that it was good to be modest and humble.
What does being humble mean?
I was doing a Team Building for the Catholic Diocese of Rochester. The first time I was with them I experienced a group of very "modest" people. They were dressed quietly, spoke quietly, seemed to be meek and didn't appear very confident. Their homework assignment was to gather input from ten of the people they knew (friends, family, work associates) about their areas of excellence.
The next month they were asked to read what they had received. It became apparent to me very quickly that these were people that were making an enormous difference in people's lives. They were loved and admired. They had changed many people's lives. I was moved to tears and felt honored to be in their presence. They (just like you) were amazing human beings. I asked them why they didn't give me any inkling of who they were the month before and their responses were pretty much about the fact that they believed they were meant to be modest, humble, and meek. ("And the meek shall inherit the earth.")
One of the young men in the group was a student of theology. He pointed out that from the studies he was doing, being modest meant "being who you are". While it's not advisable to pretend you were more than you are, it's just as inappropriate to be less than you are. The truth be told, except for the 18% of the population who, due to their natural behavior, believe they are "king or queen of the jungle" and often think they are more than they really are - 82% are most likely being less than they are. I am begging you to find out who you are - and BE WHO YOU ARE - NO MORE - NO LESS! I promise you that is all you need be to be a gift to the rest of us.
Let those who know you tell you how amazing you are. Thank them for their contribution to you. Don't negate their point of view. If you do it's as though you're telling them they don't know what they're talking about. Don't diminish them. Honor their point of view by thanking them and telling them how much you appreciate what they said. If they're giving you a compliment it's because that's what they see. It's not immodest to thank them - but rather it's rude not to.
Make sure you are clear about how much you have to offer - how no other person on the planet can deliver what you have to deliver - and that you are the gift that others are waiting for before you head out to create the future that you desire.