College | Caffeinated

The other day, a speaker came to talk to the pledges of the business fraternity I am in about interviewing, and to an extent, networking. To be honest, there wasn’t anything new about this presentation. Firm handshake. Eye contact. Get a haircut. Have a resumé. Etcetera.

Groundbreaking advice we were getting, folks.

There's more to interviews than the handshake.

Then he said something that found a home in my mind. Something that stuck. Something that struck. A nerve, that is.

He said, “Don’t be audacious”. Then he repeated it. And proceeded to explain why audacity isn’t welcome in those settings.

Wait for it…

What the h-e-double hockey sticks!

Sorry. Not happening. I’m going to be myself, and I’ll be damned if I come off as a little too audacious for you. If you think what I do is audacious- defined as bold, daring, lively, unrestrained, uninhibited, well… great. I want to be audacious then. I want to be “extremely original” and “without restriction to prior ideas”. That sounds like something to strive for.

I am going to be audacious. And I think that’s a good thing.

Not too long after this was presented to us, I saw the post “Being Memorable Matters (Most)” by the venerable Matt Cheuvront. I felt justified. I felt inspired.

Audacity is different. Audacity is new. Audacity is memorable.

Tonight, I’m going to a networking dinner for the same business fraternity. Can you guess what I’ll be wearing? Yup. Can you guess what I’ll be doing?

Being audacious. Being bold, daring, lively, and more.

Sure, I’ll be keeping it professional. I’m not looking to be an audacious a**hole here. I’ll be bold in my statements. Daring in the way I approach things. Add lively thoughts to the discussion.

And I might give Chevy’s business cards idea a try too (hint: this means you should really watch that post).

What are you doing to be memorable, different, and new when you interview, network, or talk with recruiters? How are you making sure you stand out from the crowd of faces? Is it with non-traditional attire? A business card on a note card? Find your thing, whatever it is, and be audacious with it.

*photo courtesy of Flickr user andyrob