A pounding and sweaty hands
Lion. I’m walking to the Lion – well, actually it’s the Lion Block. My destination is in an area bordered by Senate Square, Market Square, Katariinankatu, and Sofiankatu in Helsinki's Empire style centre. My steps take me in the direction of Helsinki’s City Hall. Fortunately, the labyrinthine building has good guideposts, because I am going to where the Helsinki City Council holds its meetings.
My watch is ticking at an even pace and so is my heart. The closer my presentation comes, the more frequently I glance at my watch My heart speeds up for a moment until it is my turn to step up to the podium. Then I suddenly feel quite confident and relaxed again. Fortunately, this is how it goes nowadays.
“What if I say something about which no final decision has been made?”
Just over a year ago when I first got the opportunity to appear at big events to tell about our Job Market service, which was still in the making, I was not nearly as confident and relaxed as I am now. At that time, I was also just figuring out my new job description and the Job Market to be set up in the TE digital project.
In the early stages I felt somehow unsure of myself, specifically because I was not very familiar with our service at that point. I had no great performance anxiety even then. My mind was full of all kinds of thoughts, such as “what if someone asks a question that I can't answer?”, or “what if I say something about which the final decisions have not been made?”
Thoughts like these are quite typical for many who are alone describing a new job description. At least I think they are.
Public offers ideas for development of the service
Fortunately, the heart in my chest still pounds and my palms might occasionally sweat as I perform. I wonder if that perspiration might be a sign of middle-age joy. Who knows? But the most important thing in performing is not to let the tension distract too much from the good tidings of the presentation itself.
In conclusion, let's go back to the “Lion's Cave” and the training day for digital advisors of the City of Helsinki. In mid-December I had the pleasure of speaking to them for half an hour about Job Market, which we are setting up as a service for work in the future.
The best thing about this presentation, as was the case with many others, was that conversation arose and I was able to leave with new ideas for development.
Leena Rankila
Development Specialist, Job Market