Many job hunters worry that they don’t have any special anecdotes to write about in their personal PR, or that they are at a loss for words when asked about their strengths. The biggest reason why self-analysis doesn’t go well is the ``flat’’ approach of simply writing down past events in a notebook.
Human thinking is not linear, but spreads out in a web-like association. Using a “mind map” to visualize your thoughts, we will explain step-by-step how to uncover your own strengths and original experiences and sublimate them into convincing self-promotion.
Step 1: Place yourself in the center and let life branch out
Grab a large piece of plain paper (or a mind map app) and draw your name or icon in the center.
From there, thick branches are extended by age, such as childhood, junior high school, high school, and university. In addition, students from each age group will freely write down their passionate'', hardest setback’’, and ``proudest moment’’ in word level. The trick is to connect the emotions and keywords that come to mind one after another without trying to write them down into sentences.
Step 2: Repeat “Why?” 5 times to dig into the roots of your values
In response to the events you have written down, ask questions such as Why did you make that choice?'' and Why did you feel regretful at that time?’'
For example, if the branch is We planned a welcome event for new students in our club,'' we would dig deeper into the question by asking → Why?’’ → Because we saw new students feeling isolated.'' → Why?’’ → ``Because we want to create an environment where everyone feels like they belong.’’ At the top of this “why chain” are your unwavering behavioral principles (core values).
Step 3: Convert mind map to self-promotion text
Group the common features that have emerged and incorporate them into the outline of your self-promotion.
Structure your sentences in the following order: My strengths are 〇〇 (conclusion)'' → Original experiences (episodes) from my university days that symbolize them’’ → The underlying values I have from childhood'' → How will I utilize them after joining the company?’’ Anecdotes supported by mind maps will be a powerful weapon that will allow you to answer any in-depth questions asked by the interviewer consistently and confidently.