What is memory?
According to me, it is an intangible space in which I spend a certain amount of focus. It’s a place that remains no longer, yet it is a time that once was. Sometimes I wonder if I wear out my memory just analyzing it as much as I do!
I find it interesting and mildly disturbing that the mind actually reconstructs events in the form of memories. I only learned this in recent years. Does this mean that memories are pure fiction?
Is it even possible to remember something accurately?
Maria Popova writes that, “To be aware of memory’s chimera is to recognize the slippery, shape-shifting nature of even those truths we think we are grasping most firmly” (2021). Popova refers to the ways memories are formed and the ways in which they fail us. Her article is certainly worth a thorough read, and includes two insightful TEDEd videos that tackle the concepts of “How do you know what’s true” and “How memories form and how we lose them”. I’d say these questions certainly pertain to the job hunter!
While we can’t actually relive a memory, we can sharpen our memory skills, which will make the remembered product more reliable, and thus more marketable.
We use our memory skills to:
-search
-network
-write about our lives
-prepare to answer questions
Tiago Forte wrote an article, providing a dash of enlightenment in the very title: “The most successful people are always ‘sharpening their memory power,’ says brain expert—here’s how” (2022). Along with this clever hook, Forte follows through with some sound advice, definitely worth perusal. He elaborates upon the following recommendations:
- Capture: only keep what resonates
- Organize: save for accountability
- Distill: find the essence
- Express: show your work
Memory helps us retain information and apply it to our tasks at hand. We (hopefully) learn lessons from lived experiences, process what we think and feel, and then figure out how to package and deliver the new information. As job hunters, we aim to persuade someone to hire us, so we need to tell the most accurate story possible, with a focus on the relevant skills we have to offer for a specific role. It’s a lot of work and requires strong memory muscles.
How can we sharpen our memory, so as to clear up the fuzzy edges and access the most authentic information?
Janet Stilson recommends the following:
- Eat well and make it yummy
- Get enough sleep
- Get off your seat and exercise
- Practice living in the present
- Practice remembering and actively learn new things
Along with these simple life enhancements, she shares and reflects upon an interesting TED video: “Feats of Memory Anyone Can Do”. Stilson gathers from the piece that “…people who have great memories aren’t any smarter than the rest of us. It’s what they do, actively engaging their minds on a regular basis, that makes all the difference” (2023). This is hopeful news!
Remember that no matter your personal past, your history of employment, or your eras of unemployment, you are valuable and unique. Everything has built up to who you are today.
You might forget someone’s name. You might forget the former location of a job. You might forget what was said that cold Thursday evening in March five years ago. It’s okay!
Memorize this:
It is human to forget, just as much as it is human to remember.
Homework:
Vow to keep learning and growing every chance you get.
Extra Credit:
Check out the following 3 articles and reach out in our comments section with your thoughts:
“How novelty boosts memory retention”
by Tianna Hicklin, PhD
“7 ways to keep your memory sharp at any age”
by Harvard Health Publishing
“5 expert-backed ways to boost your memory and improve brain health at every age”
by Jordyn Bradley
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