The benefit statement

I have been thinking about how we introduce ourselves. We all have resumes and we update them for different jobs, but when someone asks us to introduce ourselves in person, we keep saying the same thing every time.

"I am a professor."
"I am a data engineer."
"I am a research scientist."

I call these tax return professions. They answer a form, they do not start a conversation. The other person nods politely and moves on. There is nothing to hold onto.

During my PhD, I started saying something different. Instead of "I am a research scientist," I would say "I help people find ways to see." It sounds simple but the response changed. People leaned in, they asked questions, they remembered me. That is the benefit statement. Instead of describing what you do, you describe how your work helps people.

But here is the thing. The answer should change depending on who you are talking to. If you are meeting a potential employer or a collaborator, yes, lead with how your work benefits them. But if you are meeting a potential friend or someone you want in your life, you need to make your life sound fun. Nobody wants to befriend a job description. They want to befriend a person who seems interesting, who has stories, who does things outside of work.

I call these exciting stock answers. Little pockets of story you keep ready so that when someone asks what you do, you do not fumble. You give them something that makes them curious, something that opens a door instead of closing one.

I still have to remind myself of this. When I am tired or caught off guard, I default back to the tax return profession. But when I catch myself, I try to answer a better question. How does my life benefit yours? Or if the moment calls for it, how does my life sound like one you would want to be part of?