x - the X-Factor

A very efficient way to introduce yourself to others, make friends, network or give an interesting twist to a cover letter or an interview, is to talk about your X-factor. What is it that you have and that no one could suspect? Of course, you do not have to reveal your deepest secrets! But thinking about your x-factor is an interesting a powerful exercise, for at least 3 reasons.  

1. You may have noticed that you are often put in a big category. “Non-Finnish speakers”, “immigrants”, “foreigners” are all categories that tend to homogenize a group of people highly heterogeneous. Knowing your X-factor, sharing it with others and hearing other peoples can be a very welcome reminder of how unique each of us is. 
   

1. As a foreign partner with a Finnish partner, we may tend to become dependent on our Finnish partner. We share his/her friends, maybe hobbies, family traditions, food. We use a third language, watch the same movies. Slowly, many of our participants have expressed that they have felt like they were losing themselves. Looking for your X-factor, your own unexpected interests, will help your own self-esteem and feeling of independence.  
   

1. Lastly, knowing your X-factors and sharing them is a very efficient way to break the ice or be remembered. The more you give a unique a specific information about yourself, the easier you make it for the other person to remind you.  ​