3 Tips on How Self-Awareness Makes You a Stronger Hire

Ever freeze up when asked about your strengths and weaknesses? 😅 In this episode, I break down why self-awareness isn’t just a personal trait — it’s a professional superpower.

🎯 Learn how understanding who you are, where you shine, and how you’re growing can make you a stronger candidate and a better teammate. Whether you’re transitioning from the military or leveling up your civilian career, this episode will help you turn reflection into results.

🔖 Chapters
00:00 – Have you ever been asked this question? 🤔
01:05 – What the data says about self-aware professionals 📊
02:30 – Three pro tips to strengthen your personal brand 💪
04:10 – How self-awareness builds trust, growth, and opportunity 🌱

💬 Takeaway: Self-awareness builds confidence, credibility, and character — three traits every company wants to hire.

👊 Support the Mission: Subscribe or become a member on YouTube — your support fuels Unarmored Talk and helps fund programs through Still Serving, Inc., our nonprofit dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty through student skill development.

Chapters

• 0:00 The Interview Anxiety Hook
• 0:10 Show Purpose And Audience
• 0:28 Why Self-Awareness Matters
• 0:47 Support The Mission And Charity
• 1:13 Data That Proves The Point
• 1:34 Tip 1: Own Your Strengths
• 1:54 Tip 2: Admit Weakness, Show Growth
• 2:26 Tip 3: Daily Self-Reflection
• 2:47 Coachability And Leadership Traits
• 3:02 Closing Thanks And Call To Action

Transcript

Mario P. Fields: 0:00

Have you ever been asked what are your strengths and weaknesses during a job interview? And realized you didn't really know how to answer that question with confidence. Welcome back to Unarmored Talk Pro Tips, where I will share quick and practical advice to help service members, veterans, professionals, or anyone who listens to the Unarmored Talk podcast or watch. Succeed Beyond the Uniform. I'm your host, Mario P. Field. So today, we're talking about self-awareness, a skill that gives you an edge. When you understand your strengths, your weaknesses, and you can acknowledge them, then you can take steps to improve and show employers clarity, confidence, and leadership potential during that interview. Before I get into the actual three tips and some statistics, if you find these tips valuable, please subscribe or become a member on my YouTube channel. And this supports the show. Not only that, it supports Still Serving Incorporated and all monies that are generated from this podcast are donated to that charity. If you want to learn more, go to www.stillservinginc.com. So recent stats from Harvard Business Review found that leaders with high self-awareness are about 32% more effective and twice as likely to be promoted when compared to their other colleagues. So self-awareness isn't just a personal growth. You can use it as a professional leverage. So here's some three pro tips. Number one, know your strengths and then own them. Identify what you naturally do well, how it benefits the mission of the team, and clear examples of how it will help employers see your value. The key thing is connect your strength to the benefit of that company. Number two, recognize your weaknesses, but show growth. Don't dodge blind spots. If someone tells you something about yourself, they give you feedback, own it, right? And be honest, but pair each weakness with an action plan. It shows maturity and initiative. So if you say, hey, this is one of my weaknesses, demonstrate how you are applying um skill sets to make that weakness become a strength and how that can benefit a potential employer. And number three, practical daily self-reflection. Ask yourself each week, each day, however you want to do it. What did I do well? Write it down. What can I improve? And write it down. This builds adaptability, improves your coachable, you're trainable, and more. Major traits that every leader values is can I coach you? Can I develop you? Are you trainable? So self-awareness builds confidence, credibility, character, and more. And there's more traits that will make you stand out as a professional. If this helped you, don't forget to hit that subscribe button, join as a member on YouTube, and continue to support the Unarmored Talk podcast, which really helps Steel Serving Incorporated. I appreciate you guys tuning in. I appreciate all the questions that keep coming in, keep coming. And until next Unarmored Talk Pro Tips, I will continue to pray for the you, the listeners and viewers, your family, your friends, and all living beings around you. Take care.