Modesty, good or bad?
Being back in a rural area my options are very limited in terms of what I can do to make money so my resume needed some updating. I took some time last week to take on the task of rewriting it and I realized that I am too modest about my skills and the things I have accomplished in life. I have had some rough times, I am not going to even try to deny that, but if you compared my life to many I have done a lot. I have lived in four states, physically been in 26 of the 50 states, played 9 instruments, and developed applications or websites in more than 9 languages. And most of that was only in the last 6 years, and I’m not even 24 yet.
Sometimes I wish I had more of a stable life and didn’t do so many things. I guess it is good that I have been able to try so many things, but it does have its downsides. For example, I have used so many programming languages in such a short time, I really don’t remember enough of it to use of them correctly. It makes it faster to get reacquainted, but hurts you when you are looking for a job. I only remember a couple of instruments, and I am probably so-so at reading music.
When I lived in California I worked as mortgage broker, but most of our business was done on the phone. The company I will be working for here requires me to be out meeting realtors, builders, and friends to get business. That means I need to learn to be less modest about my skills and learn to sell myself. I am sure I can do it, but it will be difficult in the beginning because I have never been much of a bragger. Sure, I have tooted my own horn a time or two, or ten…, but I don’t make a priority to promote myself all day long.
My new view on modesty is that it really doesn’t help. There are people you need to be modest around, but most of the time it is perfectly fine to toot your horn. Of course that doesn’t mean you should sound like a train everytime you talk to someone, but people should know what you are capable of. I think that it will also increase my tech business, I’ve already had 3 people discuss projects they would like me to be in charge of.
