Describe your character

This is a common question you are asked in interviews or self-introduction, “Describe your character in short words.”

I often say my strength is being positive, and my weakness is thoughtlessness. One of my friends said it’s a good one as it has unity. A positive person can be thoughtless. But I am not sure if companies or organization want that kind of unity in their staffs’ characters. They surely want a thoughtful positive person.

However, as some says, no people are perfect. So I think my thoughtlessness should be acceptable. I just need a careful person around me and warn or question me. I started thinking this way after working in a company with more than 150 people.

When I was working in a much smaller group, there was some pressure on me that I should be perfect, or my lack affects the entire group. But now I think in this way – other people can cover my lack and may have better idea. If you know who is strong in what, you can just ask them. Build a better network is being more important than making myself a better person. This is a big change in my way of thinking in the past two years.

In a company, there can be many mannerists; one could be mean, one could speak too much, one work very slowly, self-centered, etc. etc. At the same time, the ones can be very speedy, patient, and skilled in particular fields. It seems to me that people are working very peacefully accepting each other’s character. I don’t want to imagine how people working with me describe me in this way, though.

This atmosphere is a little different from Japan; where people care of their characters or background quite a lot at work place. Being a nice person is sometimes much more important than working efficient. Being nice take lots of effort; we can use the energy for other parts of the work.

Do I not get self-improvement in this way of thiking? Maybe so.