Are You the Fish Who Can’t See the Water?

Let’s do a little thought experiment.

Imagine asking a fish, “Hey, what’s it like living in water?”

Now, let’s assume this fish can talk and, of course, speaks English. What do you think it would say?

I bet the fish would look at you, puzzled, and respond, “What water?”

The thing is, our fish has no concept of water because it’s surrounded him every minute of his life. He doesn’t know what “not water” feels like, so he can’t even recognize the water he lives in. To him, it’s invisible.

Now, hold onto that thought while I ask you a question:

What do you bring to the table?

I’m talking about your next job interview—what skills, experiences, values, and strengths do you have that set you apart from all the other candidates? Why should a hiring manager choose you over the rest of the pack?

If you’re struggling to come up with a clear answer, don’t worry! It’s almost the same question we asked our imaginary fish.

Just like the fish doesn’t recognize the water because it’s always been there, your greatest strengths might be invisible to you. They’ve surrounded you for so long, ever since you first entered the workforce, that you might not even realize how special they are.

If you’re anything like the hundreds of people I’ve coached over the past 12 years, you probably have some idea of what you bring to the table, but you may struggle to articulate it in a clear and powerful way.

Sound familiar?

This is what I call the “fish trying to describe water” effect. And trust me, it’s more common than you think.

I wanted to bring this up today for two big reasons.

First, I don’t want you to doubt your abilities just because you can’t find the perfect words to describe them right now. So many people face this same challenge. It doesn’t mean you don’t have something valuable to offer—it just means you might need to spend a little time figuring out how to express it.

Second, once you can clearly articulate your unique strengths, values, and personality traits, you’ll have one of the most powerful tools at your disposal for absolutely owning your next interview. And yes, you do bring something unique and powerful to the table—just the fact that you’re reading this tells me that you’re a motivated, resourceful, and proactive problem solver.

So, if you’ve ever felt like the fish in our little thought experiment, just remember: it’s not that you lack strengths. They’re there, surrounding you like water, and once you recognize them, you'll be unstoppable.