The moment you interview or step into a new role, everyone around you will start asking themselves these three questions:
Are you good at your job? Are you excited to be here? Will you get along with us?
Your job is to convince your interviewer, manager, and colleagues that the answer to all three questions is a resounding “yes!”
As a career advisor at Harvard who has worked with thousands of early career professionals, I know that if you can demonstrate all three Cs: Competency, Commitment, and Compatibility, opportunities will open up and your career will accelerate. If you can’t master these things, you’ll find yourself hounded for projects, promotions, and full-time job offers.
In my experience, highly successful people do the following:
1. Demonstrate competency
Competency means being able to perform one’s job satisfactorily, accurately, and quickly without requiring micromanagement or creating a negative impression on others. This means not undershooting so much that you look ignorant, and not overshooting so much that you look arrogant. try:
Take control: Don’t end it with “What do I do next? Help me!” Share your thought process, suggestions, or perspectives. Minimize errors: Don’t just submit your first draft. First, double-check your work for typos, miscalculations, and formatting inconsistencies. Manage expectations: Remember what you promised when you said yes. Do what you say you’re going to do. If you can’t do that, break the bad news early.
Measuring true ability can be difficult. Managers often rely on metrics such as how far along you seem on a project, how confidently you speak in meetings, and how well you promote yourself. While your actual abilities are important, your perceived abilities are just as important, especially when it’s difficult to quantify your daily accomplishments.
Ask yourself. Am I complete, thorough, and responsive to those around me, especially those close to me or on the same level?
2. Show commitment
Commitment means being enthusiastic about doing your best to help your team achieve its goals, but not so enthusiastic that you put others on the defensive. This means not undershooting so much that it looks indifferent, or overshooting so much that it looks threatening. try:
Attend: Prior to the meeting, brainstorm questions that might be asked and show up with your perspective (or at least a notebook to take notes). Reply Immediately: Don’t wait until you’re done to let others know. Please reply at least as quickly as the people around you (or let others know if you need more time). Show curiosity: Don’t say “no!” When someone asks do you have any questions? Share what you already know and ask questions that aren’t easily answered by online searches.
Perception and reality do not always match. Small actions like showing up late, looking away during video chats, not actively participating in work, not speaking up enough, or not responding to emails as quickly as your co-workers can be enough to make you question how engaged you are.
Ask yourself. Am I proactive and present compared to the people around me, especially those close to me or at my level?
3. Aim for compatibility
Compatibility means making the other person comfortable and eager to be near you without seeming insincere or trying too hard. This means not undershooting so much that it looks passive, and not overshooting so much that it looks like a poser. try:
Building relationships: It’s not just about work. Introduce yourself and show people you’re interested. Show respect: Don’t just say nothing to anyone at any time. Reveal the implicit hierarchy of your new team and approach higher-level teams more seriously. Uncover your norms: Don’t assume that the way you worked in your last job will work in this one. Show an interest in adapting to the way the team operates.
The tricky thing about compatibility is that it depends on who you’re with and what norms and unconscious biases they have. People like people who are similar to themselves, so they tend to hire, stay with, and promote people who look like them, speak like them, and have the same backgrounds and interests as them.
Ask yourself: Am I adopting behaviors that feel authentic to me?
The workplace is not a level playing field
Some people are expected to be competent. For others, incompetence is expected. For some, commitment is a prerequisite. For others, it’s a question. For some, compatibility is easy. For others, it’s a hassle.
If you’re joining a team where people are different from you in terms of race, ethnicity, socio-economic background, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, age, degree of introversion or extroversion, or other characteristics, your identity can influence how others judge your Three Cs.
For example, women often walk the tightrope of needing to be likable and competent at the same time. Black people tend to be more closely monitored in the workplace than white people. And people with names that are easy to pronounce tend to be evaluated more favorably than people with names that are difficult to pronounce.
Is this fair? No. Do we need a better system? Yes. Will we have a better system by the time you start? If so.
Until a better world arrives, knowing the three C’s will help you diagnose what’s going on around you and equip you with the tools to become the professional you are potential to be.
Gorick Ng is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller The Unspoken Rules: Secrets to Start Your Career Off Right and How to Say It® Flashcards for Professional Communication. He went from being a first-generation professional to a career advisor at Harvard University to a Fortune 500 keynote speaker.
Join the Make It book club discussion! Request to join our LinkedIn group, ask your questions for the author in the comments section of this post, and come chat with us and Gorick Ng on Wednesday, January 28th at 10am ET.
