You’re not a guru.  You’re not a god or goddess. You’re not a rainmaker.  And no, you’re not a rockstar either.  Not seeing many Steven Tyler-types traveling in the HR and career circles.

Be flattered and humbled if a colleague uses one of these words to describe you to others but when you use these descriptors in your LinkedIn, Twitter or other online profiles, ask yourself this: “How is my character being perceived by others? How am I being perceived by others?”

I wrote about the perception of recruiters and hiring managers on wearing diamond rings on a job interview to make the point of leaving only your skills, qualifications and character to be evaluated.  In other words, don’t let yourself be vulnerable to someone else’s (potentially false) judgment about you.  The same applies to your resume and online professional profiles.

Confidence vs. arrogance
There’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance.  Be confident and proudly share your expertise using real words that quantify the accomplishments and results from your skills and experience — words that people can relate to.  You may not be arrogant but if you call yourself a guru or rainmaker, how do you expect to be perceived?  These words scream “arrogance!” and that’s not an attractive character trait.

The successful mix
Whether you’re in a job search or just great at what you do, be real!  People want to work with folks who are on top of their game professionally but people also want to work with folks who have upstanding character and integrity.  Nothing beats authenticity and confidence with a splash of humility.

So please, I’m begging you!  Lose the narcissistic jargon and let folks get to know you for who you are and what you bring to the table.  Always remember that perception is reality.  If your online persona is perceived to be brash and egotistical, then you are brash and egotistical.

What do you think?  Feel free to share your thoughts.

Photo credit Yuri Samoilov