Several months ago I was invited by O magazine to assist on a career makeover story that chronicled four women in different stages of their job searches. While on assignment, I had the pleasure of working with Adam Glassman, O’s Creative Director and the man behind the “Adam Says” columns in the magazine. I’ll admit that in light of Adam’s billing as Oprah’s “go-to-fashion-guru” I was initially nervous to meet him. (I have a number of fine qualities, but I will never be known as a fashionista. Despite my occasional attempts to look trendy, my style favors a tried, true and traditional mojo –think Nordstroms meets Lord & Taylor and you’ll get the picture.)
Fortunately, Adam proved to be about as down-to-earth as they come, and he quickly put my insecurities to rest. Not surprisingly, he was far more interested in my career expertise than in my fashion prowess. Nonetheless, when we went into the dressing area to watch my client Tania try on the clothes from her shopping spree, I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to ask Adam if he wouldn’t mind sharing a few fashion pointers with me. (Hey, hope springs eternal!)
And what did Adam suggest? Nude color shoes. Evidently, they are a can’t miss item for this fall.
Sure enough, as I watched Tania model her new skin-toned shoes, I instantly saw that they “magically” made her appear taller, thinner and more stately. Instead of noticing Tania’s shoes, my eyes were pulled upwards to her face and her outfit. The impact was unmistakeable.
Riding the train home that night (daydreaming about a shopping trip to buy new shoes) I got to thinking how interesting it was that shoes that blend into your skin, provide greater “oomph” than wearing shoes of a different color. And as I pondered this optical illusion, I realized that there was an interesting parallel between the power of “invisible shoes” and career reinvention.
You see, just as Tania’s skin-toned shoes made her look more elegant and stately, your “invisible” gifts — the innate talents, skills and personality traits that have been with you since the day you were conceived– are your most powerful career accessory. You may not be able to see them as they blend seamlessly into the fabric of your daily life, but they impact everything you do, say and touch. When you reinvent your career on a base of natural skills, your work becomes a glowing reflection of who you are, not a second-rate version of your lesser self.
Of course, identifying our “invisible” gifts is not so easy. Unlike accomplishments that are chronicled on a resume or an education that is validated by a diploma, we can’t see or touch our inner talents. Ironically, the very skills that come most easily to us are often the last skills that we give ourselves credit for.
So to help you uncover your inner core of invisible gifts, I’ve listed some fill-in-the-blank questions below for you to ponder. As you complete the exercise, think about what your answers say about your strengths and unique selling points.
Hope you find these thought-provoking, and when you’re done working on this, go treat yourself to some new shoes — you deserve it!
EXERCISE
Fill in the blanks:
People always turn to me for help with _____________________________________________.
I can’t stop myself from saying or doing ____________________________________________.
My friends consistently ask my advice about _________________________________________________.
I think it is so easy to ______________________________________________________________.
I have a flair for ______________________________________________________________.
P.S. To learn more about the O career makeovers, click here.