Writing prompts about yourself
26 Free Writing Prompts About Yourself • JournalBuddies.com
Journal Buddies Jill | | Journal Prompts & Writing Ideas
Writing Prompts About Yourself plus two bonus prompt lists on What to Write About Myself and Writing About Yourself topics. These ideas are great for writers of all ages and for kids, too. Take a look now and enjoy!
Sometimes it can be quite a challenge to get anyone — including kids — to write. One idea to engage the interest of young writers and students is to ask them to write about themselves.
You see, the subject of “ Writing about yourself” is an interesting topic for kids and writers of all ages because, well…
It’s all about them!
Table of Contents
- Dive into Personal Information (with No Thought of Grammar nor Punctuation)
- Personal Accomplishments Are Not Everyone’s Cup of Tea
- 26 Writing Prompts About Yourself
- 15 More Ideas Focused on What to Write About Myself
- 9 NEW Writing About Yourself Ideas
- Links and Resources
Truly, who wouldn’t love the idea of writing about yourself? It’s both an easy and fun topic to write about for writers of all ages. Plus, these journaling prompts are, well…fun!
Yep, it’s time to drop all the writing rules and focus instead on accomplishments, qualifications, talents, personality traits, and all manner of good things. In other words, it’s time to get super self-aware. You could even encourage your writers to do a self-appraisal or personal inventory.
You see…
When people write about themselves, they learn about their likes and dislikes, their dreams, and their future plans. Because their writing is focused 100% on them, they may even discover some new things about themselves, like the fact that they are a talented writer or an amazing inventor or a very thoughtful, kind person.
Personal Accomplishments Are Not Everyone’s Cup of Tea
Of course…
Some writers are not comfortable focusing on themselves and may find it easier to get creative with the assignment by engaging their creative writing skills and making up stories.
They may engage their imagination and see themselves as a cartoon character and then write about themselves and their own life from the perspective of the character instead of from their own perspective.
—> Check out this creative writing prompt collection of journal prompts from blog posts available to you on our website 🙂
The key to writing success for writers of all skill levels is to make writing fun, enjoyable, and engaging. Doing so will help to ensure that writing is a positive growth experience for them.
However…
If your writer is in a reluctant frame of mind when it comes to writing about themselves, encourage them to start with the story of their life. (You could use this list of 19 Personal Story Ideas to help them find inspiration.)
The bottom line is this: find the best fit for your writers and they will not only write but also, perhaps, learn that they wildly enjoy it.
Ok, without further ado, here is that list of ideas to write about yourself. Take a look now and enjoy!
26 Writing Prompts About Yourself
Here is a luscious list of writing prompts for people of all ages that are fun and all about yourself.
Yes: you!
Use this list of things to write about yourself to write a story of your life, a personal essay, or just some random journal entries. However you choose, just get to it and use these writing about yourself prompts today (and be sure to have fun doing so)!
- What is something you are good at doing?
- What is your favorite color and why?
- What is the story behind your name?
- Which country do you want to visit and why?
- What is your favorite cartoon?
- What do you want to be when you grow up and why?
- What is your favorite thing about school?
- What one thing do you want to change about your school?
- What is your favorite season and why?
- What would you like to invent and why?
- Where do you want to travel to as a kid? As a teenager? As an adult?
- Where do you want to live as an adult?
- What is your favorite food? Describe it in detail.
- What are you scared of and why?
- Write about your very best friend.
- What is the color of your room? Describe the things in it.
- Write about your pet animal.
- Write about which pet you want but do not have.
- What is your favorite holiday and why?
- Describe the night you _______________ and what happened.
- Design a tree house for yourself and describe what you will do in it?
- What is your favorite dress/outfit and why?
- What is your biggest dream for your future?
- Ten interesting things about you are…
- What makes you happy?
- What makes you sad?
I hope you enjoyed these writing about yourself prompts. Oh, and they make good essay topics and wonderful practice ideas for those college applications, too.
15 More Ideas Focused on
What to Write About MyselfFor those of you looking to write a self-introduction cover letter and/or apply for a scholarship, check out the ideas below.
Use them to write your first draft, use a friendly tone to engage your readers, and don’t worry about using the right words.
Instead, focus on telling good stories, disclosing personal details, and, above all, enjoying the writing process, because a happy writing experience shines through in the final draft!
- Write about three goals that you have for high school. How will you accomplish these goals?
- Write about a time when you were truly frightened. What happened? How did you feel?
- Describe your most successful moment so far. What did it take to get there? How did it feel to be successful?
- Is there anyone in your life who has overcome significant challenges? How did they address those challenges? What can you learn from that person?
- What is the most important lesson that you learned in high school? What did you learn from it?
- What was the most defining moment of your childhood or adolescence? Describe that moment in detail and write about how it impacted your life today.
- Write a detailed description of a day in your life.
- When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up? How does your actual career compare to your childhood career aspirations?
- What is the most significant challenge that you have faced in your life? What did you learn from that experience?
- What animal do you feel you are most like? Why?
- Think about what life has been like during the past week.
What is one small moment that stands out to you? Describe that moment in detail. - Who do you consider to be the most important members of your family? What role do they play in your life?
- Do you know the story of how you got your name? Do you feel that your name suits you? Why or why not?
- Describe your hometown. Did you move away from your home town, or did you decide to live there in adulthood? Write about your decision to leave or stay.
- What is your favorite song right now? Why?
When you write self essays, you learn about yourself and help others learn about you, too. It’s personal growth at its best.
9 NEW Writing About Yourself Ideas
- Write about your achievements and what makes them unique. Explore why others should care about them also.
- What one habit would you like to change about yourself and why?
- You can become a better writer by sharing a personal anecdote that would be of interest to others (perhaps your family members, friends, or a college admissions counselor).
- Memoir Ideas:
- What is something that you believe strongly? Write about your belief and choose an event from your life to explain why it matters to you.
- Write about a time when you didn’t do something that you really wanted to do. Was it the right or wrong choice?
- Write about a time when you felt truly loved by someone else.
- What is the greatest struggle you have with your parents? Describe how you have clashed and the challenges you face.
- Write about a time when you learned something about yourself.
- Share the most vivid details your recall from your childhood and explore why you think they stand out to you. Perhaps you want to include your earliest childhood memories.
- What personal struggles have you faced and how have you overcome them (or explore how you are still trying to do so)?
- What are your greatest weaknesses and greatest strengths (and/or character traits)?
- What are your best qualities and how have they served you in life thus far? How do you think they will help you in the future?
- What past experiences do you wish you had not had and why? What have you learned from them that you now know is valuable?
I hope you use and enjoy these writing about yourself topics and ideas.
Now, check out these…
- Personal Journal Ideas
- 50 Memoir writing ideas
- Self Care Writing Prompts for All Ages
- How Self-Reflection Helps in Learning
- How to write about yourself in 200 words
Until next time, write on…
If you enjoyed these Writing Prompts about Yourself,
please share them on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest.
I appreciate it!
Sincerely,
Jill
journalbuddies.com
creator and curator
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Tags All Ages, journal prompts, Journal Prompts & Journal Topics, Journal Prompts about Yourself, journal prompts for kids, Journal Prompts for Students, Journal Prompts Ideas, journal writing, journal writing ideas, journal writing prompts, Journal Writing Prompts for Kids, journal writing topics, kids write, kids writing, write, writing, Writing About Yourself, writing fun, writing prompts, Writing Prompts About Yourself, writing skills100 Writing Prompts for Self-Discovery
Writing is a great tool for personal growth, but it can be challenging to think of things to write about yourself. That’s why I put together this list of creative writing prompts for adults or teens. These may be used as memoir writing prompts if you’re interested in telling the story of your life, or the could be idea starters for blog posts or journal prompts for self discovery.
You may not be able to relate to all of them, but I tried to make them pretty general! These creative writing exercises can also help you develop the characters in your short story, novel, or screenplay — just imagine your character answering them instead of you.
If you like these prompts for writing about yourself, you might want to pin or bookmark them for future reference. Take a look!
- Describe one of your earliest childhood memories.
- Write about what you see as one of your best qualities.
- Do you have the same religious beliefs that you had as a child? If so, why? If not, how and why did they change?
- Write about the benefits of being an only child—or the advantages of having siblings.
- Write about how a person can tell if they’re really in love. If you don’t know, write about how you don’t know.
- Are you shy about your body, such as when you change clothes in a locker room? Or are you comfortable with it? Why?
- Describe your favorite spot in your home, and why you like it.
- Write about one of the most admirable classmates or coworkers you’ve ever had.
- Write about one of the worst classmates or coworkers you’ve ever had.
- Tell your story about the time you succeeded at something because you just. Didn’t. Give. Up.
- Write about how you’re a typical resident of your city or town… or about how you’re different from most people there.
- Write about how you fit the stereotype of people from your country… or about how you don’t fit it at all.
- Describe your favorite toy or game when you were five years old.
- Write about one of your most useful talents.
- What superstitions do you believe in or follow? Do you do certain things to avoid bad luck, or make wishes in certain ways?
- Write about a death in your family.
- Write about a birth in your family.
- Tell your story about how you made a friend in the past five years or so. How did you meet them? What do you like about them?
- Tell your story about your first best friend as a child.
How did you meet them? How did you play together? - Describe a physical feature of yours that you really like.
- Is your home usually neat, or usually messy? Why is that? Do you think it matters? Why or why not?
- Describe a part of your job or everyday work that you love.
- Describe a part of your job or everyday work that you loathe.
- Tell your story about how you won something, like a contest, a game, or a raffle.
- Do you think your hometown is a good place to live? Why or why not?
- Do you fit your astrological sign? Why or why not?
- Write about when you think it’s morally acceptable to lie. If your answer is “never,” write about why you think that.
- Write about a trait you inherited or picked up from a parent.
- Write about a way in which you are very different from a parent.
- Discuss one of the most important qualities you think people should look for in a romantic partner.
- Discuss a quality that you think is overrated when choosing a romantic partner.
- Write about a kind of exercise or physical activity you enjoy.
- Describe the contents of a desk drawer or junk drawer in your home, and write about the thoughts or memories that the objects in there inspire.
- Write about what you wish people knew about your job, profession, or calling in life.
- Write about a habit or addiction that you’ve been struggling with for years.
- Write about an external situation that you’ve been struggling with for years.
- Discuss something you love about the people in your country.
- Discuss something you wish you could change about the people in your country.
- What was something you misunderstood as a child? It could be the definition of a word, or something about adult life.
- Describe the benefits of being an introvert or an extrovert (whichever one you are.)
- Describe the challenges of being an introvert or an extrovert (whichever one you are.)
- Tell your story about the time you spoke up for something you believed in.
How did it feel? Were there any consequences? - If you don’t have children – do you or did you want them? Why or why not?
- If you have children – what is one thing that surprised you about being a parent?
- Tell your story about when a friend (or a group of them) made your day.
- Tell your story about when a friend (or a group of them) broke your heart.
- Describe an experience at a doctor’s office, dentist’s office, or hospital.
- Describe your dream home in detail.
- Tell your story about how a teacher, coach, or boss supported or inspired you.
- Tell your story about how a teacher, coach, or boss was so awful, they didn’t deserve to have their job.
- Write about something you did in the past year that made you proud.
- Do you live in the city you grew up in? Why or why not?
- Tell your story about a trip or a visit you enjoyed when you were little.
- In what ways do you fit the stereotypes of your gender, and in what ways do you differ from the stereotypes?
- Discuss whether you think people should share their religious beliefs openly, or whether they should keep it private.
- Discuss why you do or don’t consider pets to be family members.
- Describe what you think would be a perfect romantic date.
- Write about a type or style of clothing that you feel uncomfortable wearing, or that you simply dislike.
- Describe your personal style in clothing and whether it’s changed over the years.
- Write about the worst house or apartment you’ve ever lived in.
- Tell your story about a time when, rightly or wrongly, you got in trouble at school or at work.
- Do you always vote in elections? Why or why not?
- Do you think people make snap judgments about you based on your appearance? Are they accurate or not?
- What’s something that people don’t learn about your personality unless they get to know you very well?
- Write about something that terrified you as a child.
- Write about a particular phobia or fear you have now. If you’re not scared of anything, write about that!
- Write about something you believe that isn’t a particularly popular belief.
- What’s something you wanted badly as a child? Did you get it? If so, was it everything you hoped? If not, did it matter?
- When you’re feeling sad or down, what are ways that you make yourself feel better?
- What is something that makes you almost irrationally angry?
- Write about an object you own that has religious, spiritual, or symbolic significance to you.
- If you were a billionaire, what gifts would you give to your immediate family?
- Do you consider yourself hopeful or cynical about romance? Why?
- Write a note apologizing to a part of your body for insulting it in the past.
- Write a note thanking a part of your body for doing such a good job.
- Tell your story about when you had a delightful guest in your home.
- Tell your story about when you had an unwelcome visitor in your home.
- Describe the time you were a guest in an unusual home.
- What was the strangest course or class you ever took?
- Write about a time when you tried your best – and it didn’t pan out.
How did you get over it? - Write about a small thing you accomplished this week.
- Write about the ways that your hometown has changed over the years.
- Write about a way your country is changing for the better.
- Describe someone who bullied you as a child. Why do you think they did it?
- Do you believe that things happen for a reason, or do they just happen randomly? Why do you think this?
- Do you believe that you have a lot of control over your destiny or future? Why or why not?
- Write down a funny story that your family likes to tell again and again.
- What do you consider to be “deal breakers” in a marriage or romantic relationship?
- Tell your story about a time you got injured or you were in an accident.
- Write about some of the things you do at home when you’re completely alone.
- Tell your story about how you learned a new skill.
- Describe the way you get to school or to work every day.
- Propose a frivolous or ridiculous law that you would like to implement, and explain your reasoning.
- Write about something you did (or didn’t do) that you’re proud of from a moral or religious standpoint.
- Tell your story about having a great time at a party.
- Tell your story about a party you wish you had never attended or hosted.
- Write about a tattoo you have and its significance, a tattoo you would like to get… or why you would never, ever get a tattoo.
- Tell a story that has to do with your hair, or the lack of it.
- Write about a feud or rift in your family.
- If you had a whole day free of responsibilities or chores, how would you spend it?
If you want to do more self-discovery and you could use a fresh start right about now, check out my journal, The Book Of Dreams Come True! It’s a journal about goals and manifestation, and I’m really excited to share it with you. I’m even making a sample available—here’s the free PDF download of that.
Do you have more ideas of things to write about yourself, or advice on how to do it? Let us know in the comments! Thanks so much for reading, and happy writing!
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Introducing yourself in an English interview
Introducing yourself in an English interview is your chance to make a winning first impression
A job interview is one of the most important events in our lives. And in order for this event to pass with a bang, it is extremely important to properly prepare for the questions that we are asked.
One of the most popular job interview questions, one might say, an indispensable attribute of it, is the traditional question: "Could you describe yourself?" (“Could you describe yourself?”) and its variants: “Please describe yourself”, “Tell me about yourself”, “Walk me through your background”, “What should I know about you?”.
This question is a great opportunity to present yourself and talk about yourself in English. This is your chance to make a great first impression on someone you're talking to (perhaps your future employer)!
In addition, this is a useful exercise for those who seek to "know thyself", critically reflect on their achievements and failures, draw conclusions and reach a new level of development.
Demo lesson for free and without registration!
Take a lesson, find out about the school and get a promotional code for English classes
A typical mistake is talking about personal
However, many unprepared applicants get lost, start talking in detail about themselves in English, about their private life, children, pets, hobbies etc. (more on how to talk about a hobby).
Do not forget - the question is asked at a job interview and the answer should only concern the professional aspects of your life. The only purpose for which the interviewer asks you this question is to make sure that you are the ideal candidate for this or that vacancy. Therefore, focus on your professional qualities that are useful for the employer (and to find out which of your advantages the employer will appreciate, optimize your description of yourself in English by studying the company profile and detailed job description in advance).
3 components of a successful story about yourself in English:
1. Introduce yourself and indicate who you are professionally.
| Correct: | |
| I’m an HR manager with 8 years of experience for Fortune 500 companies. | I am an HR manager with 8 years of experience in US Top 500 companies. |
| - Brief but informative. Wrong: | |
| Well, I grew up in Cincinnati. | Well, I grew up in Cincinnati. |
| As a child, I wanted to be a fireman, then later became interested in dinosaurs. | As a child, I wanted to be a firefighter, but then I became interested in dinosaurs. |
I excelled in the sciences from early on, placing first in my fourth-grade science fair. | From an early age, I excelled in the sciences: in the fourth grade, I won first place in an exhibition in natural history. |
| Funny story about that… | I'll tell you a funny story about this... |
| - Too much unnecessary information. | |
2. In a nutshell, tell us about your education, relevant to the selected job (for example, if you are applying for the position of a system administrator, you can not mention the completion of astrology courses).
- Read on this topic: Preparing for an interview: a story about education in English
3. Briefly describe your professional experience. Make special mention of the most reputable and well-known firms you have worked for.
| Correct: | |
I have spent the last six years developing my skills as a customer service manager for Megacompany Inc. , where I have won several performance awards and been promoted twice. | For the past 6 years, I have been a Customer Service Manager at Megacompany Inc., where I have received several awards for excellent work and two promotions. |
| — Emphasis is placed on experience and recognition of professional achievements. Wrong: | |
| My first job was as an administrative assistant for Macy's in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. | My first job was as an administrative assistant in the Macy's chain division in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. |
| I learned a great deal in that role that served me well over the next 12 years. | In this position, I learned a lot that served me well for the next twelve years. |
| At the time, I wasn’t sure about my career path, so I next took a position selling real estate. | At the time I wasn't sure which career path I should take, so I moved on to selling real estate. |
| It only lasted for six months, but I sure enjoyed it. | I only worked in this position for half a year, but I definitely liked the job. |
| - In fact, few people are interested in where you worked 12 years ago. Starting your story at your first job (usually the least prestigious one) runs the risk of tiring the interviewer before you even get to the most important part of the story. | |
If you are just starting your career, try to convince the interlocutor that you are highly motivated to learn and are ready to move mountains for the benefit of the company. And don't be afraid to overdo it with enthusiasm!
Read on this topic: Career question: giving answers
4. Tell us about the skills that make you an ideal candidate for the selected vacancy
Temporarily turn off modesty : you to work.
And be concise: mention only 2-4 of your most notable achievements that will make you stand out from the crowd of candidates, for example:
| I am proficient in managing teams and solving customer problems. | I am an expert in team management and customer problem solving. |
5. “And here I am”: end the story by explaining why you are applying for the job opening
| Correct: | |
| Although I love my current role, I feel I’m now ready for a more challenging assignment and this position really excites me. | Even though I enjoy my current position, I feel ready for more responsible tasks and this position really inspires me. |
| - Concise and positive. Wrong: | |
| Because of the company’s financial problems I’m worried about my job’s stability and decided to start looking for new opportunities. | Due to the financial problems of the company, I am worried about the instability of my work, so I decided to start looking for new options. |
| - In such cases, you should not reveal the whole sad truth about the state of affairs in your company, otherwise you risk coming across as a pessimist. In addition, it seems that you are not interested in a specific position in a specific company, but in any job that comes up. | |
Do not try to fit all the information from the resume into your answer, otherwise you risk tiring the interviewer. The word "interview" comes from the verb "conversate", so keep your answers short so that the interviewer can ask the questions he wants without interrupting you.
Here are some more tips on how to talk about yourself in English at an interview:
3 important nuances when talking about yourself in English:
- Self-confidence. The biggest mistake made by many candidates is hesitant, confused speech. Pauses and hesitations in response demonstrate a low level of concentration and self-confidence. Naturally, the chances of success in this case fall.
- Clarity, accuracy, relevance. Do not complicate your story, speak in short sentences. But try to put in them as much information that is useful for the employer.
- Be honest. Nowadays, any false data is easy to detect. Many companies blacklist even very promising candidates if they are caught even in the slightest lie.
Therefore, do not embellish reality.
As a confirmation of your words, bring to the first interview diplomas and certificates, author's certificates and letters of thanks - any evidence of your professional competence.
7 original ways to start a story about yourself in English:
1. “I can summarize who I am in three words:…”
This option will definitely attract the attention of the interviewer : it demonstrates your ability to generalize, highlight the main thing and creatively approach the problem. Choose the cherished three words from the list of your valuable business qualities (read below about what the employer considers the strengths of the future employee).
2. “The main principle I live my life by is…” . In addition, this way you demonstrate the ability to self-organize and self-motivate.
3.
“My personal philosophy is…” — “My personal philosophy is…”
and obedience", ignore this paragraph).
4. People who know me best say that I’m… Excellent qualities!
5. “Well, I googled myself this morning, and here's what I found…” frets ”… This is how the interviewer will think of you. And it will definitely set you apart from the crowd of candidates. And is it important!
6. “If Hollywood made a movie about my life, it would be called…” — “If Hollywood made a movie about my life, it would be called:…”
Non-trivial, funny, memorable.
7. “The compliment people give me most frequently is…”
This beginning of the answer also indicates that you are ready to adequately perceive someone else's opinion about yourself. For the team, such a person is a godsend!
But the proposed options are just the beginning of the story.
.. And now let's think about how to continue the self-presentation so that your interviewer looks up from the cold coffee, looks up at you with tired eyes and mentally exclaims: “Wow! This is the best answer all day!”.
Telling about yourself in English in a job interview
When talking about yourself in English, emphasize your strengths
From your arsenal of professional qualities, you should highlight those qualities that your future employer needs. Here are some aspects that you can mention as strengths:
Learning agility (fast-learner)
Even work experience is not as important as the candidate's ability to master a new technology in a short time. Such people are valued by management.
Self-motivated and determined - initiative and purposeful
People say that initiative is punishable, but lack of initiative is a direct path to vegetating even in the most promising position.
Success-oriented and natural leader
No matter how smart and educated a specialist is, they will hire the candidate who is more motivated to succeed. This characteristic is mandatory for leaders.
Team player
To achieve success, a person often needs a group of like-minded people. Therefore, the ability to get along with people in a team is almost as important as a diploma of higher education.
Hardworking
Both a successful leader and an effective performer are inconceivable without the ability to work conscientiously (to work hard). They say that success depends only 10% on the mental abilities of a person, and 90% on his ability to work.
Intelligence and self-confidence
Having intelligence does not mean knowing everything in the world: it is enough, as they say, “to have a head on your shoulders”, that is, to have basic worldly logic (especially if you lead a team) .
Telling about yourself in English when applying for a job
Other positive professional characteristics when talking about yourself in English:
| able to keep deadlines successfully | able to complete work on time |
| able to prioritize | able to prioritize |
| able to work independently with little or no supervision | able to work independently, without supervision (or with minimal supervision) |
| adapt well to new situations | easily adapt to new situations |
| have good communication / interpersonal skills | have good communication skills |
| have planning skills | have planning skills |
| multitasking | able to successfully work with several projects, "multi-tasking" |
| open to change | ready to change, not retrograde |
| optimistic | optimistic |
| patient | patient |
| possess proactive approach | I have an active life position, initiative |
| quality-oriented | focused on quality |
| trying to learn from past mistakes | try to learn from mistakes |
| well-organized | organized by |
| have a stable work history | my professional background is stable |
| versatile | versatile, versatile |
| a quick learner (enjoy learning new things) | fast learner (love to learn new things) |
| a team player who shares knowledge and ideas with colleagues | team player, sharing knowledge and ideas with colleagues |
- For other positive characteristics worth mentioning, read our article “Create a resume in English.
450 examples".
An example of a successful story about yourself in English:
| I think one of my greatest strengths is as a problem solver. | I think one of my most valuable qualities is my ability to solve problems. |
| I have the ability to see a situation from different perspectives and I can get my work done even in the face of difficult obstacles. | I can look at a situation from different points of view and do work with great difficulty. |
| I also feel that my communication skills are top notch. | I also think I have excellent communication skills. |
| I feel just as comfortable presenting to senior executives as I do mediating a conflict between junior team members. | It is equally easy for me to communicate with both senior staff and junior staff when I mediate their conflicts. |
| I worked as a programmer in the past so I have that perspective of a developer and I think that they respect me for that. | I have worked as a programmer in the past, so I understand the developers' point of view and I think they respect me for it. |
How to talk about your own shortcomings when talking about yourself in English
As a wise saying goes, "Our shortcomings are the continuation of our strengths."
Of course, it is easy and pleasant to talk about the strengths of our own personality, but sometimes we have to talk about our weaknesses .
..
If you are asked to name your weaknesses (weaknesses), choose the disadvantage that is the least significant for the selected vacancy and be sure to make it clear that you are able to cope with it, that you are already working on the problem and progress is not far off, for example:
| Although my current job doesn't require public speaking, I know it's an important job skill. | Although my current job does not involve public speaking, I recognize that this is an important professional quality. |
| So I recently started attending discussion club meetings and I am already starting to feel much more comfortable speaking in front of a group. | So I recently started attending debating club meetings and already feel much more at ease when I need to speak to a group. |
Below is a list of qualities that can be presented as shortcomings without much damage to the professional image (it is not recommended to deny the existence of shortcomings, because even the Sun has spots):
Getting nervous around people
Nowadays, when an employee often works all day in an isolated office space, a working cell (cubicle) or remotely (distance working), some of us have become introverts. Such people may feel uncomfortable having to perform in front of a large audience. Well, a number of vacancies do not provide for either public speaking or intensive communication with people.
Having trouble delegating tasks
In every organization there are people who find it easier to do the work themselves than to outsource it to someone else. For the company, such people are real wealth, but for colleagues, they often turn out to be an annoying factor.
Lacking some skills — lack of certain knowledge and skills
No one can boast of absolute versatility (“No one will embrace the immensity”, Kozma Prutkov).
Being too sensitive
You take everything to heart, but you also perceive failures at work as personal!
An example of the correct approach to the story in English about one's own shortcomings:
| Well, nobody is perfect. | Well, no one is perfect. |
| I definitely get impatient with team members who are making mistakes or delivering substandard work. | I definitely lose patience with team members who make mistakes or do poor work. |
| But I've learned over the past that it's more effective way to approach those team members with professionalism and constructive criticism rather than jump to conclusions about who's to blame for the cause of the problem. | But over time, I realized that it is more effective to deal with such people from the standpoint of professionalism and constructive criticism, without sliding into a controversy about who exactly is to blame for the problem that has arisen. |
| It doesn't come naturally to me but I think the blame game is just a waste of time and it's better to focus on where to go from here. | I didn't succeed immediately, but I think that the game "Who is to blame?" is a waste of time and it is better to focus on finding a solution to the problem. |
So, tell us about yourself!
By properly preparing for this question and rehearsing the answer, you will no doubt have the desired effect on your future employer and get the job of your dreams.
good luck!
Check if you know the words on the topic
Read more:
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Skype interview: turned on, saw, convinced!
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Career question: giving answers
16 tips on how to start writing better – AIN.UA
March 20, 2016, 13:00
13162
The ability to write can come in handy in a variety of situations, even if you have never dreamed of journalism. Product descriptions, launch press releases, even writing Facebook statuses all require basic skills in what the US calls storytelling. Tom Ailung shared on his blog the story of how, with the help of 16 tips, he was able to become a writer, initially being frankly bad at it.
I was a certified bad writer. I even have a diploma to prove it.
This document was supposed to confirm how bad my writing skills were, so that no one could really deny it.
This document is an IEP (an American document confirming a person’s inability to do something, akin to a disability certificate - approx.).
To give a better picture: since kindergarten, in 12 years I've studied with, give or take, 1,700 people. If you create a list of authors, from best to worst, I would be at the very end. And this does not correlate very well with the conditions for admission to the university.
So all my friends went to universities in other cities, and I went to the local one, becoming a hermit. In my first two years of study, I did three things: I wrote, I read, and I practiced.
My life has been entirely dedicated to improving my skills.
Since I am not good at math either, I did not understand how to develop my skills. It seemed to me that constant practice would improve my skills in general on the principle of 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 4, but I was wrong. General skills, in fact, grow exponentially: 1+2+4+8+16=31.
Skill improvement can be exponential in practice and progressively increasing in reverse.
I am not trying to say that I have become a great writer, I am saying that you can become one by applying the tips below. Many become good practitioners, many become good teachers, and only a few become both. I don’t know if this applies to me, but I do know that each of the techniques described below has fundamentally improved my writing skills.
1. Become a killer
Kill this filter in your head. Let the creator within you take action. And then edit.
2. Grab the reader's attention
Find the most exciting part of your story and start there. And it doesn't matter where it is in the story - at the beginning, middle or end.
PS: This trick also works great with oral stories (For example: “Did I tell you how I was hit by a car?”).
3. The shorter the better
There is a Flesh-Kincaid score, developed by the US Navy in 1975, which measures the readability of a text.
Simply put, the Flesch-Kincaid Readability Test is divided into two components: Flush Reading Ease (determines how easy it is to read this text) and Flesch-Kincaid Level of Education (determines how many years of training a person needs to understand the text they read).
That is, a score of 5.1 means that this text requires 5 years of study.
The question remains - do you want to write on a low readability score or a high one? Think about your audience. In order to better understand what we are talking about, here are some examples:
- Health Reform Project - 13
- Academic paper on reading - 11.5
- JK Rowling - 5.5
- Stephen King - 6.1
4. David's Theory
August 1504: Crowds admire Michelangelo's masterpiece, David.
“Creating such a masterpiece must have been very difficult. How did you manage it? the brave boy asks.
“It's simple. It was just necessary to cut off everything that did not look like David, ”Michelangelo replies.
You cannot edit a blank page. The key to writing good lyrics is to allow yourself to write badly. Write. Write. Write. Then write more. All you can do after that is start editing by removing large chunks of your work, like Michelangelo did with the marble slab.
5. Write the way you speak
You have communicated this way all your life. So write, avoiding rigidity and bureaucracy.
6. Add value with every offer
Put simply: get rid of the clutter. Move the story forward with each line. Value can be increased by facts, anecdotes, humor, dialogue, and so on.
7. Constancy
If it seems to you that today is not the day to write something, then you need to sit down and write. The fastest way I know of to catch a rhythm is to write in the same place, at the same time, every day.
The key to productivity is consistency.
8. Read every day
I listen to podcasts several times a week. Speakers are usually asked “What are you reading right now?”. Not once have I heard a speaker not know what to say to that. These people read all the time. However, we cannot say this about everyone.
According to Statistics Brain, 33% of university graduates do not read a single book after graduation.
42% of college graduates don't read a single book after college.
It blows my mind. A book is one of the best possible investments of both time and money.
9. Pop science or fiction?
I read non-fiction to improve my erudition, and "artist" to improve my creative and textual skills. It's not enough to just read books - they have to be GREAT books.
10. Always write down
Inspiration awakens possibilities. Wherever you are, as soon as an idea comes to you, write it down.
Richard Branson, Mark Twain, Ernest Hemmingway and Beethoven always carried a notebook with them.
11. Hold on to opportunities
If you don't hold on to something, you will lose everything. A lost opportunity is gone forever. Grab opportunities.
12. Publish and repeat
Sixty years ago, writers could spend 4 years writing a book, getting it published, and waiting for a response. It was painful, especially when the reviews were negative.
It killed writers (quite literally).
Today you can write an article for half an hour, edit it for another half an hour, and then “publish” and get thousands of views in less than a week. Response time: instant.
13. You reap what you sow
I am always afraid to share my ideas, stories and experiences; I think it's safer to keep them to yourself. However, when I don't let my emotions flow when writing, I create shitty content.
You reap what you sow. If I want my reader to be touched, that emotion must be conveyed through my words, even if it's scary.
14. Expert error
“I'm not an expert on this. This guy here is better at it. I shouldn't even touch on this topic." Comparison knocks the spirit out of creativity.
15. Fear of information (understand your reader)
Before we entered the information age, information was expensive and difficult to obtain. Now information is everywhere, and we have entered a creative era.
Getting the reader's attention is getting harder and harder due to easier access to information.
