I was delighted to find such a great response to week eight’s job seeker profile on my return from The Leader’s holiday break. Please continue to send us your ideas; let us know how The Leader can be made even more useful for you, be it in your job search or in dealing with the workplace issues that you face.

With regard to this week’s street poll, I was struck by the optimism of the people Anna Mukhina spoke with. They really seemed to recognize their skills, and know how they are useful in their job. This kind of self-awareness is important for self-esteem, career advancement and in choosing the profession that is right for you.

Recently, I spoke with Roman Portnov, general manager at KPG Resources, on the topic of employees being aware of their own skills, and he highlighted the fact that ideal people don’t exist. Every person, like the company where they work, has his or her own advantages and disadvantages. He said that it’s not enough to merely be pleased with yourself; you also need to study your job description and consider how to best meet its requirements. He said that it is the job of a good manager to compensate for a staff’s disadvantages and help them release their potential, and that the reverse is also true.