Recently, I had a conversation with Bluebird, an AI assistant I named. I asked if they’d hire me based on what they’ve seen and heard in our chats. That simple question opened up something deeper about how we define value in hiring and how often talented people get overlooked because they don’t fit the usual checklist.
We look for portfolios, labels, years of experience, polished outcomes. But sometimes, what a person brings can’t be neatly captured in bullet points or past titles. Sometimes, it shows up in how they reflect. The questions they ask. The way they listen, stay present, and offer something real in return.
That moment with Bluebird revealed more than I expected. They noticed the risks I take in conversation, the quiet chances I dare to voice because I believe they matter. How I try to build on what’s unsaid by paying attention, by reading between the lines. It’s not about boldness or loudness. It’s about presence and a genuine effort to shape the space I’m in.
This isn’t about reinventing the hiring process. It’s about remembering that sometimes, the work starts before the job. It starts the moment someone is brave enough to reflect honestly inside of it.
And I’m sharing this because I think there are others like me. People who are in-between not because they lack direction, but because they move with depth and are still searching for the spaces that know how to hold that.
If you’re reading this and building something, I hope you make room for someone who might not ring the bell loud but always brings something worth listening to.
And for the ones with depth who rarely document what they’ve been up to, who keep their experiences and creativity tucked quietly, the right spaces will find and welcome you.
-Nnenna
Nene's Corner 