When A Strength Becomes A Weakness

May 17, 2010

I may not know you very well, but I can tell you one thing about yourself — you have some things you do well, and then there are things you don’t do so well. It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out, it’s true of all of us. Part of being human is the fact that we all have strengths and we all have weaknesses. And everyone’s goal should be to promote his strengths while improving on his weaknesses. Or just finding a way to keep weaknesses out of the equation.

Sometimes it can be difficult to identify your own strengths and weakness. Perhaps you don’t identify them on your own. It may take someone else’s insight and feedback to open your eyes. Or maybe your friends confirm what you already know about yourself. Whatever the case may be, what’s important is that you learn what you’re good at and what you’re not so good at.

I strive to be logical. In any situation, I try to be the voice of reason. And if I may say so, I do a damn good job at it. Sometimes, depending on the situation, it’s best not to go with your impulses. There are times when you want to take a second to think before you react. At least that’s how I see things. My wife has commented that I’m good at seeing the other side of the situation. She says that I’m good at understanding my opponent’s argument, I can see where the other person is coming from. I do find this to be one of my greatest strengths.

I find that another of my strengths is my humility. As I have said numerous times on this blog, there are very few things that I am an expert at. And I never try to pretend that I am one. Instead, I try to keep my ears open and listen to others. I try to soak up every bit of information that I can. I try to keep an open mind. Everyone is different and has a different way of seeing things. Sometimes seeing things from their view will open your eyes to possibilities you would have never seen on your own.

Unfortunately, sometimes you find that your strength can be a weakness. And in some ways, one of my greatest strengths is my greatest weakness. How can this be possible, you may ask.

There is a time to be humble. But there is also a time to be confident. Maybe even cocky. And that time comes during the job search. Most notably when you’re putting together your resume.

We all know what the purpose of a resume is. It’s your chance to brag on yourself. Your chance to share your accomplishments and separate yourself from the crowd. It’s your chance to shine.

And this is where humility can get in the way.

I have a hard time building up my accomplishments. Why? The humble man in me feels as if I don’t have much to celebrate. I feel as if I haven’t accomplished much, so there’s nothing to showcase. And this is where I hold myself down. And my resume gets passed over. And I don’t get called for an interview. Instead, less impressive people who are better at marketing themselves get the phone call and ultimately, the job.

This is something that I’ve struggled with for a while, and it’s wall that I’m trying to tear down. Progress is not being made as quickly as I would like, but I know that I will get past this in time. There are enough things in this world getting in my way, I don’t need to hold myself back as well.

The good news is that my buddy Ryan Rancatore believes that resumes may be extinct by 2020. To be honest, I hope they’re extinct before that.