A guest blog post from Liz Pirrie - Business Adviser for Business Gateway and Elevator in Aberdeen City & Shire.
Enter the Association of Scottish Businesswomen (ASB) awards they said, it will be fun they said!
They were right of course, it was fun. But, my goodness, it was stressful too.
The stress began with the application form. I believed that I was worthy of the title of “Professional of the Year”. However, I have had a very Scottish upbringing that has trained me not to be boastful. I had to answer the questions, give examples AND boast all within three pages. Thankfully, I had some colleagues, clients and friends that were happy to read through my application and suggest improvements.
Then came the delight of being told I was a finalist! I couldn’t quite believe that I had been chosen as a finalist for professional of the year for a national award!
Then more stress. The interview.
What would they ask me? What should I wear? Would the judges decide that my application was all lies and I was just a great big fraud? In the end, I need not have worried. The interview was very relaxed and the two ladies that interviewed me were very encouraging and never once called me a liar!
The final stress was the night of the actual awards. I travelled to Glasgow with my very own rent-a-fan-club and so many good wishes from Aberdeen I could almost have floated down the road. I genuinely mean it when I say that I am truly honoured to be a finalist, to be shortlisted for doing a job which I love so much it almost does not feel like work is nothing short of a dream come true. However, I genuinely mean it when I say that I really, really wanted to win the award.
When the name that was called out was not mine I was disappointed. I had put a lot of time and effort into those awards and for a very brief moment I was broken hearted not to be making my way up to the stage to collect an award. Then I reminded myself that I was still a finalist and I still had the best job in the world! To be a finalist in any awards is an achievement and you should never let not winning the main prize take away from that. I didn’t lose, I was a finalist and I’m still the professional of the year in the eyes of my fan club!
Was the stress worth it? Yes. Would I encourage anyone to enter themselves for an award? Yes. Would I do it again? Yes.
Was it fun? Absolutely!
If you would like to speak to Liz or any of our team of expert business advisers in Aberdeen City and Shire about starting up or growing your business, then please call the local office on 01224 289725 or check out the vast amount of Business Gateway support available to you on www.bgateway.com/aberdeen
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