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Don't trip; just do you.
I’m legally retarded
Hey, as long as it's legal.
Does this count as a diversity hire?
I always make it a point to talk about empathy in my interviews. I think coming across as genuine and human is a huge asset, and thats how I've tried to differentiate myself in interviews given I haven't had much experience to lean on.
IMO, I believe most firms are rational and will look at cost of laying off an individual. Firms have a threshold where the cost of firing an induvial would be too great (i.e close relationship with five existing clients). But this may only apply to higher-level management
I typically try to have as many interactions with higher level management (MD, VP) and also be very effective at my role. When it comes time to downsizing, it's the MD or VP that compiles the list of people to let go.
One of the differentiators through most of my career has been my ability to give presentations. I give very, very good presentations.
I prepare well, I have strong visuals and I have the ability to explain complex topics. Put me in front of 5 people or 5,000, I don't care, I never get nervous and I can talk all day. My skill in this is usually cited in my yearly reviews and when I was doing consulting independently, I had clients tell me that they hired me off videos of my presentations that they found on the web.
I likely have more expereince in more industries, job types, job titles, and businesses than anyone on this board. I guess that makes me exactly the same as everyone else.
The correct answer here is nothing.
There is always someone smarter, someone willing to grind more hours. Do your best. But at the end of the day, don’t worry about stuff out of your control and enjoy your life.
Wrong. This isn't about being better, its about being different. You can always have skills that make you valuable to a team without trying to "out grind" anyone.
Except those skills have to make you better at your job. The fact that someone drinks their own piss three times a day certainly makes them different, but it doesn't make them better or more qualified.
Focusing on being good at one aspect of your job differentiates you, even if it's not actually any different than any of your peers. Frankly, not everyone is destined to be a special unicorn who is rising to the top of their industry. Most people are destined to be just okay, and the presumption that you're the main character and need to level up your skill tree or whatever so you can do better than your peers is pretty corrosive. OP should focus on doing his job well enough that he rises, not on some gimmick that makes him stand out. If your company/boss isn't going to give you credit for doing a very good job, then the issue is where you're working and not what you're doing to stand out from a crowd.
You should always develop a unique skill that makes you different, so you're more valuable instead of just trying to "out grind".
Excellent manners with a dash of aggression
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