It is interview season in pharmacy world. Fresh grads are interviewing for their first jobs or residencies as new resident grads look to secure their “first big person job”. Ah it is an exciting time. But regardless of if you’re a pharmacist or not, in an interview you’ll likely get or have gotten the dreaded question, “Tell me about yourself.” My husband HATES this question because it is too vague. I personally love interviews and have a fun answer that usually goes something like this, “I am from southern Indiana and was raised in an IU household. If you’re unaware, IU’s rival is Purdue, which happens to be my alma mater so I’m literally the black (and gold) sheep of the family. *insert interviewer chuckle here* I grew up doing 4-H, dance, and taekwondo, all of which gave me essential life skills and lessons I still use to this day. I value teaching and better myself daily therefore I feel I am a perfect fit to position XYZ.” I’ve gotten pretty good results using various forms of this introduction in interviews, but recently I have been reflecting. What does this answer tell them about me? Well, in my honest opinion, not what I really want them to know. I gives them insight only into groups I can be associated with and a vague idea of my passions. Not really helpful other than the laugh to break the ice about the black sheep comment. What if I changed my answer? What do I want people to know about me? What do I want them to believe about me? What do I want to believe about myself?
You see, the fact is I am so much more than a Purdue alum and someone who has done 4-H. While I haven’t used my refined answer in an interview yet, my attitude towards myself changed when I started think, “What am I?” I’m not only a Boilermaker, pharmacist, wife, or daughter. I am not defined by those labels completely. Not that those are bad, but those labels can be taken away. I cannot place my identity in them solely. I know this because I lost my dad in high school. While I am still Bruce’s daughter, it rings a little different when he isn’t here to experience life with me. Knowing that life can change my labels in an instant, I began to think where I want to place my identity. How do I want to answer the who are you question? My answer now:
I am a child of God. I am love. I am intelligence. I am beauty. I am fun. I am creative. I do hard things. I am worthy. I am greater than *insert whatever I am currently facing*. These are the attributes I want people to know about me. These are where I want my identity to be. These are how I want to align my actions to get outcomes. I repeat those phrases, “I am a child of God. I am love. I am intelligence. I am beauty. I am fun. I am creative. I do hard things. I am worthy. I am greater than *insert whatever I am currently facing*,” everyday. The more often I speak them, the more often I believe them. The more I believe them, the more I act them out. The more I act them out, the easier they are to say and the more I believe them. What beautiful circle of empowering thoughts. This way I can own the labels I give myself. I can be greater than falling into boxes of predetermined identities and staying there. I can choose how I view myself, act, and want to be seen. So, if you told me about yourself in an interview, what would you say? What key information would you want to relay? How do you label yourself?
“Do not let the roles you play in life make you forget who you are.”
Roy T. Bennett
Greater Than 