As previously spoken about in my last musings article, sometimes we feel behind. It is important to remember we are exactly where we need to be, however when advice from “experts” suggests you’re not…. what do you do?
My first chosen passion is to break into the Bay Street lifestyle and work in finance after graduating my MBA.
My second is to live an amazing life and help others along the way, which is why I own my own online business. We will chat about this another time though, as this post focuses on passion number 1: being a professional woman in Capital Markets.
Full disclosure: I DO NOT HAVE A 4.0 GPA. Not at all. It does NOT mean I am not smart by any means, I really have trouble on tests. Put me in the job however, and I guarantee I will knock it out of the park (or your money back :p) because I learn best hands on. That being said, industry standard is to have an MBA and be a superhuman, so I am at least trying to achieve half of that. My secret weapon is so cliché you might cringe a little.
Are you ready?
The secret to success in business without a 4.0 is:
Yeah that’s right you heard me, good old fashioned confidence. So today I am going to share 5 ways to pump yourself up before that big interview/life changing sales pitch. Keep in mind that YES you do need some level of ability. If you KNOW deep down you can do the job, then use these tips to remind yourself you are the B-O-M-B est #bossbitch out there and you absolutely can do this.
- Write it out The name of the game with this tactic is anticipation. I have a special notebook I write everything in for interviews, meetings, and presentations. I also have a section in this notebook where I have written a bunch of quotes I find inspiring or that amp me up for the task at hand.In this notebook I anticipate questions/what ifs and let my mind go on a wild brainstorm. THEN I pull out most likely questions or ones I am most worried about, and write out my answers to them. By doing this I have the ability to review my answers before the big show, as well as adjust for any gaps that might leave a client/interviewer confused with my initial answer.Sometimes the questions I have are a bit crazy, but that is ok. Let yourself get creative here, and then you will feel confident enough to answer any curve balls thrown at you.
- Mirror timeAs much as I don’t want to admit this, practice does indeed make perfect. I do personally perform better under pressure, but I never EVER wing it. My biggest challenge recently was securing a Co-op placement as part of my degree. Going over potential questions and answers, and really perfecting the answer to “tell me about yourself” which is probably my least favourite question in the world of interviewing definitely was a key to success. I settle in, close the door to the room I am in, and post my answer that I had written out up on the mirror. Next I read it a few times in my head, then read it off the page out loud.Finally, I take the paper down, and look myself in the eyes, and answer the question. “tell me about yourself”. This also has worked for giving presentations, in which the question is “why should I do this business?/join your team” for my side hustle, or “what is important about this analysis” when I am in the boardroom.
Believe me, we are our own worst critics. If you can get over the self doubt you see in the mirror when answering the tough questions, you will come across as cool, calm, collected and competent when communicating in a professional setting. This makes you trustworthy, and your point comes across clearly.
- Dress for warEspecially in my industry, I really do NOT mean that you require a trip to the army surplus store to feel good enough to seize the day. I mean wear something appropriate, that makes you feel like a badass. TBH, if I could wear my dad’s old “YES” tour shirt and my high-waisted lace up jeans into these situations all the time I would, however, I cannot. Instead I focus on what makes me feel like a CEO.
With three “standard” interview/presentation outfits for the financial world, I simply have to choose skirt or pants, and colour and away I go. I slip on my favourite heels strike a very silly pose in the mirror, usually take a selfie of how much of a #bossbabe I am that day and head out the door. This makes me feel good so I do it. I also look polished and professional, but stay true to my own personal style. When you feel good, it shows through, wear something professional and comfortable that you absolutely love to see yourself in. - Designated freak out timeAlso a great tactic for test taking, I let myself freak out. I allot roughly 15 minutes to thinking about all of the what-ifs, potential terrible things that could happen, obsessively checking the weather/public transit/route I plan to take, re-save my pitch deck/excel sheet 50 times and then I stop. As someone who has a mood disorder, I have come to accept that I can’t bury my anxiety away, so I may as well work with the cards I have been dealt. Between this and the writing tactic mentioned in point number 1, I am able to get the majority of my nerves out before the big show. Sometimes I need a bit of extra motivation to stop this freakout time. I find promising yourself a small treat (ie; that super expensive green juice you just can’t get enough of, or a latte, or a new book) if you stop at the 15 minute mark can help keep goals in sight. Sometimes, after the big event is over, you don’t even need that treat that you promised yourself in the first place.
- Zen ritualIt has taken me a few years to get this right, and I always adapt it as I change and grow but having what I have dubbed my “zen ritual” is a great way to ground myself, and remind myself just how amazing I am. Part of this is to smash an intense workout the day before, and listen to some badass, pump up music. That can be whatever it is for you. The reason why I workout so intensely the day before (if I have the time) is to only focus on content for the day of.I am not a morning person so if I have a choice, I like to schedule interviews/ big meetings etc 11 AM or later. Then, I once again use music, and my ever-present favourite, coffee to get my mind on track. Getting dressed and ready I pull out the pump up music again, get really excited, and go over my elevator pitch for the day, and once ready, head out the door. At this point I use either classical or acoustic music to bring myself to a more calm headspace. I try to arrive early for meetings to sit with my coffee, hopefully in a space I like the best such as a café, or my desk, and read those quotes and affirmations in the back of my book. I sit with either a citrine or white quartz crystal in my hand, and really concentrate on knowing that I am the best person for the job or that I worked really hard on this pitch and I know it is good. I personally find having the crystal as a tactile relaxant very useful, but you may not. I choose citrine or white quartz to promote clarity, manifest abundance, promote optimism, promote success, and be present in the moment. Then, I know I am ready to take on the task. (Hey guys, I warned you in the About section there might be some crystal healing in here 😉 )
After many co-op terms, many presentations, and amazing feedback from my mentors the one thing that has rang true is that when I have confidence, I preform extremely well. As someone who struggles with confidence I find a need to boost myself up before diving in, and that is totally ok. Hopefully some of my above tactics give you some ideas about harnessing your confidence to crush it in the business world. Always remember however, stay humble. Don’t be a jerk and act like you know it all, or your answer is the only right one. Sometimes the greatest learnings can come from crushing the presentation, and then getting valuable feedback.
Any questions? Hit me up ❤
Business Basic 