Sound Like You Know What You're Doing

By: Janna Parke

 

I sit back and wonder if all of the professors, teachers, and leaders really knew everything they were doing. I mean, after all, we are all human. As a leader this summer during my internship, I honestly didn’t know what I was doing sometimes, and in this situation if I didn’t take charge, I would probably have been asked to step down from my position. In a new situation, internship, or job, everyone needs a little bit of time to adjust, so in order to keep confidence from your boss, mentor, or employer, you have to sound like you know what you are doing until you really get a handle on it.

Before I give you a few examples of how to do this, understand that asking for help is OK...

Have a sense of humor and humility. Understanding that when you find yourself in cases where you really don’t know what you are doing, ask for help. Going to a boss, employer, or leader for help is not a bad thing—it is sometimes necessary. I’m not telling you otherwise! Don’t fake it if you don’t think you will make it. There is nothing wrong with asking for help or getting advice from others in a new situation, that is what they are there for—to mentor and lead you to success.

Now this is for those of you who are in a situation where you are capable of success, but need time to adjust...

Listen. Your employer will be giving you jobs and assignments from the start. The first step in getting the job done is to understand what to do. Although you might not know how to get the job done, taking time to think through and process your instructions is the first step in teaching yourself to do the assignment.

Do your homework. This summer on the new internship, I had no idea how to plan a 5k. The first few days I spend with people who’d been there for a while and asked them for advice and for suggestions on how to go about getting the job done. This helped me to develop a plan until I started to see more of how the company works and how I am able to work. Taking the time to prepare from the suggestions of the co-workers helped me show that although this was a new experience, I was jumping in with confidence

Act like a duck. Ducks look so calm and serene from above but, underneath the water, they're actually paddling like they're being chased by alligators. New situations are scary, and it's human nature to be afraid of the unknown, but the truth is that the way you feel isn't necessarily evident to anyone else. At the first few team meetings I was in charge of, inside I was nervous and panicky, and yet nobody ever noticed a thing. I was getting compliments on how I took charge of the team so quickly.

Some of this information and advice was from this article:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505125_162-57472492/how-to-sound-like-you-know-what-youre-doing/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=linkedin#!