Something I have always worked to improve over the years is how to best present myself, conveying the authority, strength, and intelligence that I do posses. As a young woman, I find it can be a challenge to get others to truly believe this during my presentation, be it in the boardroom or during the interview process.
I find myself having to work harder to convince the people I interact with that I am as strong and can influence others as well as I have within my work. When I was twenty and interviewing for jobs after college, I would get looks and receive commentary as to "why a girl like you" would want to do "work like this". At the time, I was interviewing with government agencies, including the ATF, Homeland Security, US Army, Air Force, and Navy. I was told that a "girl like you" with a college education and all, should be doing "something different". I didn't want to be a nurse, pre-school teacher, lawyer or doctor. I never wanted something normal. I thrive on challenges and pushing the envelope. I couldn't convey this, and felt very hurt by their commentary, resigning myself that a girl like me, however that was interpreted by others, would always have to push a little harder, to prove that I can indeed "kick ass."
Recently, while seeking new avenues within my career, I met with a strategist. I told her about this particular experience when I was twenty and how it has led me to prove myself even more within my career, feeling as though I will always have to do so. She stopped me, looked at me for a few minutes as the silence mounted, and let me know that the challenging work that I have mastered at different levels over the past 10 years, proves that I can command authority and deserve the respect of those I work with and work for. I work with criminals in a profession where many are seen as nurturing care givers who give hugs and wipe noses.
I continue to change my perspective on things, believing that my work and the industry in which I do this work, speaks for itself. Physically, I am not intimidating. I'm a skinny white girl from a small town who could pass as a college student. I believe that this works to my advantage and utilize it fully with my unsuspecting patients, who are notorious for seeking out insecurities and manipulate as often as possible. I need to translate the confidence that I have in a room full of criminals to the boardroom. After all, what I am realizing is that confidence stands out far more than many other qualifiers, truly conveying the strength and power that I do possess.
