My Secret Sauce

1)      I have unique experiences that many never have or will have the ability to experience. This comes from me being in the military and experiencing not only new places but a lifestyle that many will never live, like being deployed to Iraq for a year.

2)      Many things stem from the first thing that I listed as human capital such as communication skills. I had to learn to deal and speak with the locals on a daily basis while having minimum knowledge of their culture. Speaking to people in way that makes them feel comfortable is very hard to do and I am able to do it.

3)      I have the discipline to do almost any job. This spans from sitting at a computer screen for hours at a time to making hard decisions like firing someone when they aren’t meeting a standard. I believe that many people today lack discipline which is why it is unique.

4)      I am very proficient at problem solving as well. I have a very analytical mind and can separate fact and emotion in order to come to a conclusion and fix many problems. I am also good at working in a team to accomplish the same goal.

5)      Last but not least, I am very personable. I am friendly, outgoing and can strike up a conversation with anyone. I think this is a rare trait in any business and certainly plays a major role in the success of many people.

Interview 1) The first person I spoke with about my human capital told me that I was a very serious person at times and am able to focus really well. I don’t like to think of myself as too serious about anything but I can see how this could help me in a business setting.

Interview 2) I was told that I am very disciplined in many aspects of my life and that it most likely came from the time I spent in the military. I think I would agree with the assessment that it stems from the military as I used to not be as disciplined.

Interview 3) Again I was told that I’m pretty disciplined for a college student and that my friend believes that its because I was in the military and that I am older than others. He had used the fact that I wake up at the same time every morning to exercise.

Interview 4) Discipline came up once again in reference to my military experience. I think people reference that a lot because it’s foreign to them so they believe that I developed many qualities most don’t have through that part of my life.

Interview 5) I was told something different in that I am good a telling people what they want to hear and I’m very good at creating an impression when I speak with different people. It sounds like a great piece of human capital to have, but sounds a bit cynical at the same time.

I feel that the way I see myself and the way that others see me is kind of the same. I think the largest difference in the way I see myself as opposed to the way that others see me is how serious I am about different things. It is easy for me to remain focused on something and I think that in misunderstood by others. For the most part, I think the people that I interviewed are correct about what they have said in the interviews, but a few of them did cover the same point over and over. This leads me to believe that the list I created was accurate and doesn’t need to be changed. Though, it is hard to limit the extent of one’s human capital to just five different things.