Answering the question, “So, what do you do?”
What goes through your head when you hear that question? Are you excited to answer it? Or does it make heart sink as you say something like: “Oh, I’m a project finance partner at XYZ law firm?”
If you are still at that stage where what you do is a statement of your job title and your employer, this is for you.
While there’s comfort and familiarity in the expected, it can also be mundane. How about telling your new acquaintance a story? Something unexpected and memorable.
Something like: “I build bridges. Not literally. I help major cities in developing countries expand commercial activity by connecting through bridge construction projects. It’s so rewarding to help them build relationships and work through complex legal issues with multiple parties including state and local government and financial institutions like the World Bank. I am a lawyer.”
This has the following elements:
A who: Not you but the who you help. In reality people care less about who you are than how you can help them or someone they know.
A what: What do you actually do that helps people. In other words, what benefit or value do you add?
A how: How do you help them? This enables you to showcase a skill.
It also happens to be concise, clear, and creative, and demonstrates persuasion, passion, and positivity.
Let’s look again: “I build bridges. (Creative) Not literally. I help major cities in developing countries (Who) expand commercial activity by connecting through bridge construction projects (What). It’s so rewarding (Passionate/Positive) to help them build relationships and work through complex legal issues (How) with multiple parties including state and local government and financial institutions like the World Bank. (Persuasive) I am a lawyer.”
Who would you be more likely to have questions for or want to strike up a conversation with? Who are you more likely to remember? The project finance partner? Or the bridge builder?
About the author
Nicholas Jelfs-Jelf
nicholas.jelfs@voltapeople.com
“Thank you to Diane Costigan, my friend and former colleague, whose chapter on Profile Building: Your Professional Brand for The Lawyer’s Career Management Handbook inspired me.”
