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“Why do you sit there like that?”

The Cat in the Hat had “a lot of good tricks” to keep his audience entertained. Whether it was “UP-UP-UP with a fish” or “fun-in-a-box”, the Cat in the Hat knew a lot about that. While you won’t have to stand on a ball with a book in one hand and a cup in your hat to entertain the judges at the Contact Centre Management Group (CCMG) Industry Awards, a little bit of theatre and a pinch of originality can go a long way to making you stand out—not only in the  competition but in your career as well.

Presenting in front of a panel of highly esteemed judges, is the opportunity you need to set yourself apart. Competitions like these teach you what kind of individual you really are, and reveal who you want to be, whether you win or not. And that’s worth more than the prize.

“It is fun to have fun,
but you have to know how”

The judges aren’t looking for the perfect presentation or the effortlessness that comes with years of experience. The judges are looking for character—what you too should be hoping to discover. Competing in similar awards helped me develop this sense of identity that has shaped both my personal and professional life. And all it took was:

1. Being original

You can’t hide behind a career, an education, or a brand when you’re in front of a panel of judges. You must be yourself, whether that’s the Cat in the Hat, the Fox in Sox, or a ponderous elephant with hyperacusis.

2. Not copying others

The judges have competed in many an award ceremony, not to mention those they’ve adjudicated. They’ve seen it all. Don’t copy someone else or they’ll know it. Rather emulate than imitate.

3. Providing evidence for my claims

Judges can be incredulous. Don’t make claims that you can’t support with evidence. If you say that you take initiative, for example, tell the judges what you’ve done that proves it.

4. Using my presentation to stand out

The CCMG Industry Awards is an opportunity to get future employers, future clients, and the whole industry to notice you. Pull the cat out the hat as it were.

5. Responding seriously to judges’ questions

You can’t rehearse your responses to the Q&A portion of the awards, which gives the judges a glimpse into who you really are. Think carefully about the answers to the questions and provide detail.

“Then something went BUMP!
How that bump made us jump!”

With so much at stake—especially your personal and professional development—you can’t afford not to participate, and just “sit there like that”. You could be the Cat in the Hat. It could be you that goes “BUMP!”
And ‘how that bump makes us jump!’

By Divinia Fernandes-Esch, Savant People Development