The Rubik's Cube of your skills
Rediscover and re-combine all of your skills for successful job interviews
Published on by Gernot Sauerborn
Step one step back and check your standard answers to interview questions. Do they feel short, grey, and one‑dimensional?
“What are you good at?” – “I manage timelines.”
“What makes you stand out?” – “I am reliable.”
“What do you enjoy most?” – “Getting things done.”
Sometimes, our view of our own abilities is like a Rubik's Cube frozen in one single position. We can only see the one side – e.g., the side of “getting by”, “doing my duty”, “not failing”. The other five sides are invisible to us.
This one‑dimensional view affets everything: Written applications sound flat, interviews are low‑energy. Because our brain is stuck in problem mode: e.g., “I still don't have a follow‑up job.” Neurologically, that narrows your perception. You see threats and deficits – not your full range.
But here is the good news: you can turn the Rubik's Cube yourself. With the following structured exercise.
The Rubik's Cube exercise: Re-discover your hidden sides
Take a distraction-free moment and use a notebook. Now, imagine 4-6 very specific moments in your professional and personal life. Imagine yourself in each situtation again.
Step 1: List your abilities – from as many perspectives as possible. For each ability, ask: What attitude and what experience allow me to show this?
Think thereby across different perspectives, e.g.:
- Technical & functional skills (e.g., Excel, coding, machine operation)
- Leadership & communication (e.g., feedback, conflict moderation, stakeholder coordination)
- Resilience & motivation (e.g., staying calm under pressure, getting up after rejection, team motivation)
- Creativity & problem‑solving (e.g., improvised solutions, connecting unrelated fields)
- Perspective‑taking (e.g., understanding customer, boss, other cultures)
- Passion & drive (what you do even without pay – topics that excite you)
Include easy situations, but also difficult ones – even situations where you had no direct success. A failed project can still show resilience or courage.
Step 2: Combine into a new image. Ask yourself:
- How could I present myself differently in my next job interview?
- Which other job profiles could I fulfill with these newly seen abilities?
- What job ads that were previously outside my focus will I now apply for?
- How will my approach to speculative applications (Initiativbewerbungen) change?
Step 3: Test with a small experiment. Rewrite one CV paragraph. Practise one interview question out loud. Apply to one job that was a “stretch”.
Moving on With Systemic Solution Oriented Coaching
The Rubik's Cube exercise works. I have seen clients turn their entire application strategy around in one quiet afternoon. But some people try it alone and still get stuck – because the inner voice that says “No, that doesn't count” or “That was just luck” is too loud.
That is where systemic solution‑focused coaching helps:
- Uncover the several hidden abilities that your brain is currently filtering out.
- Identify which attitudes and experiences make those abilities real – a credible narritive for your next job interview.
- Translate them into application and interview language that feels authentic, not exaggerated.
I have designed a compact 90‑minute session exactly for this purpose. It is not a long coaching series. It is a focused, high‑impact conversation that turns your Rubik's Cube in your hands – so you leave with a new image of yourself and concrete next steps.
If you are tired of flat, low‑energy applications – book a 90‑minute cube‑turning session. In German, Spanish, or English. Let us make your hidden sides visible.
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My insights are grounded in my daily work with international professionals and executives navigating the job market and workplace culture in German-speaking countries. As an experienced manager, management consultant, systemic coach, and business-oriented German language teacher, I combine a practical understanding of business expectations with a deep appreciation of the challenges of working across cultures. Having lived and worked internationally, I understand how to make professional experience, individual strengths, and personal identity visible in a new professional environment.
I offer a free chemistry call to personally connect, share how I work with clients, and see if my coaching approach aligns with your goals.
It's the perfect opportunity to decide if we're a good match for your interview preparation.