The minute you step into an interview or new role, everyone around you will start asking themselves three questions:
Your job is to convince your interviewer, manager, and coworkers that the answer to all three questions is a resounding “Yes!”
As a Harvard career advisor who’s worked with thousands of early career professionals, I know that when you demonstrate all three Cs — competence, commitment, compatibility — you’ll unlock opportunities and accelerate your career. Fail to master them and you’ll find yourself getting looked over for projects, promotions, and full-time job offers.
In my experience, highly successful people:
Competence means you can do your job fully, accurately, and promptly without needing to be micromanaged — and without making others look bad. This means not undershooting to the point of looking clueless and not overshooting to the point of looking overbearing. Try:
