What’s Your Secret Sauce?

·      Describe five ways in which you think you have human capital that is truly unique. What is it about you, exactly, that makes you different? Write this up in a detailed list. 

1.    I have had great experiences while traveling and living in different countries. I believe this has given me really good insight on how people live in different places, their values, what they care about, their traditions, and this has given me a good understanding on how much a place can shape a person’s point of view and entire life. It has also made me more aware of my privilege and makes me want to give back to society and help those who are not as fortunate. It also helps me understand a broader audience in terms of cultures and customs.

2.    I am empathetic. I try to put myself in the place of others and see things in their perspective. I feel it’s important to understand how others see the world to have a better view of things, instead of just focusing on your perspective.

3.    I truly care about people. I try to help whenever I can. I am very sociable, and I like being surrounded by people, talking to them, getting to know them. I feel I am someone who gives good advice, someone they can rely on and trust.

4.    I am a great leader and I can accept mistakes. I feel it’s really important to own your mistakes in order to learn from them. I am not afraid to acknowledge when I’m wrong and apologize, I don’t care about being right as much as I care about things being done right. I feel that I’m able to inspire people and have their backs, which is why they trust me to make the right choices and represent them.

5.    I never give up and I’m optimistic. No matter how things are, I always find a way to achieve what I set myself into getting. I use my social skills to find ways around red-tape and problems. I also try to look at life with a positive view, try not to worry too much about things I can’t control, and have a positive attitude about things I can.

·      Interview the five people who know you the best. Ask them what they think makes you different -- remember, focus on your knowledge, skills, abilities, emotions -- in other words, your human capital. Try to stay away from discussing your other types of capital (such as who you know). Record each interview. In your post, please post each interview, as well as a two-three sentence summary of each interview, explaining what your key takeaways are. There is no time limit on these recordings. As long as you cover the information asked for above, that's all you need to do. 

I was only able to interview two people, my mom and my sister, because my dad is out of town on a business trip, and my friends didn't have time to complete the interviews.

My mom mentioned that I was very responsible and sociable, that I like talking to people and helping them, and that I am a little emotional. She mentioned I am good at organizing events.

My sister mentioned that I am good at business, organizing and planning events. She also said I am good at staying focused, managing people, and being social. She emphasized I have a lot of drive and I have a very chill and have a good perspective and optimism about life.

·      Reflect on the differences. How do you see yourself, and how do others see you? Are there differences in how you assess yourself compared to others? What do you think causes these differences? Do you think your interviewees are correct about you? Finally, going back to your list from part 1, would you make any corrections to the list? How? 

I think my family, who are the people who love me and know me the most, agree that I am someone who cares about others and tries to help, they also agree with me that I am sociable and a good leader, and that I focus on getting things done and achieve the best outcome. I didn’t notice many differences, my family agrees that moving to Florida and living alone has helped me understand the world better and become more responsible, I feel that maybe my own perception of myself has been shaped on the way they see me and what they say about me in the past, which is why I feel is pretty accurate. I wouldn’t make many corrections, I really liked when my sister mentioned I had drive and she admired that, I feel that I could capitalize that skill in the future. I really like knowing that people can see these good attributes about me, because it means I am doing a good job at it.