Being Authentic

By Conny Lee.

Being authentic means being true to who we really are – being honest and transparent. Being authentic helps you relate to your audience. Authenticity means:

• We know, or figure out, who we truly are, and what our values, interests, dreams, and strengths are.
• We find the courage to face the fear of not being liked or accepted.
• We stop conforming to who we believe we should be.
• We let our unique, individual self shine through.

Some of the benefits of being authentic are that we are happier because we no longer have to be someone we aren’t. As we start being true to ourselves we make better decisions, and we make things happen in our lives in accordance to our goals and dreams. When we stop worrying about what others think, and just be exactly who we are, we show our unique gifts and talents.

As Career Practitioners, by being true to ourselves we build a brand that is reflective of our true nature. This will allow us to confidently reach and serve the audience that is in alignment, an audience that will see us as reliable and trustworthy.

We can then encourage and inspire our clients to be authentic in their career search, from beginning to end. When our clients know who they authentically are, what their values, interests, strengths and goals are, they can look for and consider roles, companies, and industries, that align with those. Furthermore, when they believe in the same things as their targeted companies, at the interview they can share who they are with confidence.

Oscar Wilde said it best, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

Additional reading:

In the Workplace – Authenticity in Business

Did you know that authenticity elevates your business above the competition? Tapping into your authentic nature in the workplace not only helps alleviate stress, it has a myriad of benefits!  Use the checklist by James Noble to help bring more authenticity into your workplace.

Know Yourself? 6 Specific Ways to Know Who You Are

Meg Selig outlines the benefits of self-knowledge with six reasons that you might want to know your own nature.

Why It’s Important to Be Authentic

Brian Kim suggests that your authenticity can make its mark on not just your creations, but in everything you do. It can touch every aspect of your life from your social life to your environment … even to the smallest tasks you undertake.