Every person faces rejection at some point in life, but what separates the successful from the mediocre is how that person reacts. Most people have ambition and passion to accomplish great things in their lives, however, few choose to pursue them because they fear feeling the emotions of failure and rejection.
Have you ever...
Chose to apply only to safe schools instead of shooting for the moon with an Ivy League?
Sat back and watched as other guys/ girls walked up to the beautiful/ handsome person across the room?
Didn't apply for that dream job because you thought you were under qualified?
Well here are a few steps to consider next time an opportunity crosses your path:
Understand your fears. Why are you afraid of applying for that
dream job? Why are you afraid of taking a risk? Are you afraid of
failure or rejection? Are you afraid of commitment? Are you afraid of
trying something new?
Analyze your emotions. Take a third person view in understanding why you get angry or frustrated in certain situations.
Challenge your fears. The only way to grow as an individual is to do things that scare you. What's the worse that could happen?
Practice. Do one thing every day that scares you. If you are uncomfortable in social situations, spur up a conversation with a stranger. Who knows who you might meet?
Facing rejection is very difficult. It makes a person feel unwanted, unsuccessful and unappreciated. But remember that understanding your fears and emotions will help you grow as an individual. Next time you face failure or rejection, try to understand the other side's perspective. Once you learn why you were rejected, learn from your mistakes.
Over the weekend I had the chance to talk to a few scout counselors for Plast, a Ukrainian scouting organization whose mission is to develop honest and hardworking individuals who possess personal responsibility, self-discipline and leadership skills. The counselors were worried that attendance in their weekly meetings was very low. They pondered ways to motivate their thirteen to seventeen year-old scouts to attend their weekly meetings.
At first, they felt that the best way to increase attendance was to use various advertising and marketing strategies to out-compete other activities such as soccer practice or parties with friends. However, they finally realized that the best way to motivate each scout is to help him/her understand how the activities at the weekly meetings help develop character traits of the individuals they want to become.
If you are having difficulty finding a job or profession, you could benefit from a similar paradigm shift in your approach. Many of my articles talk about the practical side of making good career decisions, but this article focuses on connecting your personal life goals to your career choice. If you purchase my system, you can read much more about your personal ambitions and aligning it with your career choices. But here is a small taste of what you should consider:
Who do you admire and why? Think about individuals you respect and admire. What similar character traits do they have? Are they impeccably dressed? Are they good speakers? Are they interesting? Do they tell good stories? Are they honest? Hardworking? Are they effective motivators?
What do you want to accomplish? What is your mission in life? Do you want to raise a happy family? Be the CEO of a large company? Do you want to be rich? Do you want to travel? Do you want to impact the world? Do you want to improve the environment?
What character traits do you need to accomplish your life goals? Should you mimic the individuals you admire (question 1)? Should you be honest? Do you need to be a good leader, motivator, speaker?
If you had unlimited funds, what would you do with it and why? Would you travel? Would you buy a yacht and sail around the world? Would you donate 90% of it to charity?
And finally, what kind of career will get you there?
Although each one of these questions is difficult the answer, the fifth one should be the easiest of all. Once you understand who you want to be and why, it will be much easier for you to find a career that will help you develop your individuality.
If you want to read more about finding your individuality and a career that supports it, read more about my system.
FACT 1: More than two out of every eight hours at work (not including lunch and breaks) are wasted on activities that are non-work-related such as Internet Browsing.
FACT 2: The top cause of stress at work is lack of time to "get things done"
To quote Alanis Morisette, "Isn't it ironic... don't think you think?"
We all need our downtime to reduce stress and clear our brains, but couldn't you use your downtime more effectively? Here are a few ways to fill your downtime at work:
DO...
Start a Blog
Organize your email, calendar, and files
Read and take notes on developmental e book
Go speak to a mentor with a formalized agenda
Walk around your office and say hello to a few individuals
Talk to others and find out what they do in their job - make sure it does not turn into complaining
Research and think of ways to improve the way the business functions
DON'T...
Read news sites. Save that for the car-ride home.
Read non-educational blogs.
Browse "Video Websites" like ebaumsworld or break. They add no value
It's the beginning of spring. Spring break has past and there are only a few more months of school before freedom of the summer. You and your friends are all talking about plans for the upcoming months. Maybe you will be renting a beach house or traveling for a few weeks around Europe then bumming around the house getting a nice tan.
And why not? You have definitely deserved it after all the hard work you have done this year!
I completely agree that you need a break from your stressful lives. However, one of the best ways you can set yourself up for a great career while you are still in college is working an internship or co-op in the summer. Because internships are generally about 8 weeks long, this still gives you plenty of opportunity to relax and have a good summer vacation.
Here are a few reasons why it's a good idea:
Experience - talk to some of your friends who have recently graduated and currently seeking employment. Most of the time, the reason they can't find a job because employers want to see experience. So you have a Bachelors or Masters degree, but you have not been able to put it to practice yet. Get some experience - whether it's a paid or non-paid internship, you will still be able to put it down on your resume.
Networking - in working an internship or co-op, you are able to align yourself to people in your field. It gives you the perfect opportunity to be able to talk to people, establish relationships and learn as much as you can. Who knows, when you graduate, they might even have a job opening for you. That's how I got my first job out of college!
Speak the Language - college may teach you the "technical" skills and knowledge you need to know in your career, but they don't teach you much of the "practical" skills that are required. If you are able to understand the lingo, you will sound much more qualified during your interviews when you graduate.
Money - depending obviously on the internship, you can make a lot more money as an intern at a corporation than painting houses or working at a bar. As a freshmen college intern, I made an equivalent to $38,000/yr. Not a bad deal for someone with no degree and no experience.
Decisions about a career track - you have thousands of dollars in student loans, your parents are scrounging for cash to pay for your tuition, and your not even sure if you like what you are studying! In working an internship in your career, you will be able to tell first hand whether or not you like the career you are aiming to reach.
So there are 5 really good reasons why you should work an internship or co-op this summer. What are some of your success stories?
Despite what your high school guidance counselors and teachers tell you, you are not really preparing yourself for college throughout high school - you are really preparing yourself for your career. Though you may not know exactly what you want to do with your life in high school or even college, you are still building on the fundamental skills that you will need to be successful in your career. These include:
and a few others which you can read about in other parts of my blog
So even if you don't know what career you want, you can still begin building on these fundamentals to make you a stronger candidate for whatever career you will eventually choose.
If you want to be ahead of your peers in high school and be generally more mature and ready for college, career, and life, here are a few practical things you can do:
Find a mentor - mentors are one of the most valuable sources of information in my opinion. Early in your high school life and definitely in college, you should find someone who you respect and emulate. Begin speaking with them about their career and what they know. This also sets you up for more relationships with other successful individuals since successful people tend to flock together. Talk about your interests, but more importantly, listen to what they have to say.
Read - read books, blogs, magazines, newspapers, anything you can get your hands on. The more well-rounded you are, the more marketable you become. If you don't know what career you want yet, reading might help you develop an interest in something. If you know the career you want, learn more about it. Read books about leadership, communication, anything that is written by successful and intelligent people that can teach you something useful.
Practice - once you have read some material and learned more about leadership, communication, or maybe even specific knowledge to a potential career, put it to use. Begin exhibiting leadership skills. Try public speaking or giving presentations. Go shadow a doctor or physical therapist, or build a website on your own. The more you put your knowledge to practice, the more you will retain.
So remember, you're not preparing for college in high-school, you're preparing for life. Make a conscious effort to find a mentor, read, and practice fundamental skills like work ethic, communication, and leadership.
Most of you by now have heard of Borat infamous,
fictional Kazakh journalist, depicted by a talented and intelligent British
comedian, Sacha Baron Cohen. He has embraced millions of viewers by
interviewing people who believe he is a true Kazakh journalist. If you have
ever watched a Borat clip or seen his movie Borat:
Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
it is amazing to see how Sacha Cohen can act his part so well and lead the
conversation in his favor without revealing his goal.
The talents of the infamous Borat are
attributed to his intense success as a marketer of himself. The ability to
market yourself is what the job hunt is all about. How do you make yourself
visible? How do you make a recruiter remember you? How do you tell the recruiters
what they want to hear and at the same time be honest with them?
Let’s analyze Borat’s approach to
marketing…
Lesson #1 Borat can teach you – “Know
Your Audience”
Borat comes into the interview with a set
of questions on a clipboard. He thinks about his audience and thinks up
creative and relevant questions which pertain to the individual.
Before your interview, write down the goals you want to reflect in
the interview, and practice
accomplishing those goals with someone prior to the meeting. You want to
feel comfortable conversing with the individual and make sure that you know how
you want to lead the conversation to best suit your needs. In my system, I have
a set of example interview questions which are asked in most interviews. You
will also be able to hear an example interview conducted by a professional
recruiter.
Lesson #2 Borat can teach you – “Use
Questions to Lead the Interview”
Now that you have your goals in mind, and
you have the answers to your questions prepared, you want to make sure that
those points are addressed in your interview. However, you can’t just rehearse
your answers –there needs to be a flow to the interview. So you ask questions
or direct the conversation towards your goal.
This is a productive, structured approach
in allowing you to answer questions that are relevant to your experiences,
talents, and qualities. The interviewer doesn’t know you, so it will take a
while for them to ask the right questions. Help them!
Want an example?
Let’s say the requirements of the job
description state that applicants need 3 years working knowledge of Microsoft Excel.
And you only have 1.5 years. You know that in the back of the recruiter’s mind,
he knows that you do not meet the qualifications. So you should have an
explanation which convinces the recruiter that you are still a good candidate
despite the fact that you technically don’t fulfill the requirement. But don’t
go right out and say it!
Lead the conversation to that issue to
let the interviewer know that you are aware of it and have an illustrative
example of your capability to do the job. So while talking about a project you
performed in a certain internship, say “and this is how I utilized my spreadsheet
skills and learned a great deal about the program.” At that point, they will
most likely ask you more about your skills in working with spreadsheets to test
your knowledge instead of just assuming you are unqualified and do not meet
their criteria.
Lesson #3 Borat can teach you – “Leave an
Impression!”
Although Borat leaves an impression on
the person he is interviewing, it is probably an impression that is less than
desired. But from the first time you see a Borat clip, I’m sure you will remember
who he is!
You should strive to do the same and
leave a positive impression at your
interview. There are possibly hundreds of candidates interviewing for the same
job, so if you have something unique about yourself to share, verbalize it.
Take the robot example. A friend came
into an interview with one of his engineering projects – a small robotics
project he worked on in school. The interviewer interviewed 23 candidates who
were just as qualified, if not more,
than this friend. We’re convinced, that it was the robot that made him stand
out from the competition which helped him land the job.
Lesson #4 Borat can teach you – “Show
Confidence & Friendliness – Be Honest”
When Borat interviews people, although he
makes some horrible and risqué comments, many people do not react in a negative
way. One possible reason, is because they like him! Although this seems quite
ironic, Borat acts like a genuine
individual who wants to ask questions for his show. Although his comments
maybe insulting, his confidence makes his subjects believe that he is a
likeable human being with a mission.
Be the same way. Although you need to be
very polite and professional, you want to show confidence in your answers and
questions. Smile and give positive verbal and non-verbal acknowledgement. When
you watch Borat communicate, he looks
into the eyes of the person he is interviewing and is constantly nodding
his head. He never interrupts the person when they are talking, and he always listens
to what the interviewees are saying. Make sure that you are honest – a recruiter’s job is to be
able to cut to the truth!
And finally, though this may seem
obvious, make sure you actually ask for
the job and show the interviewer you are interested. Show enthusiasm and ask for any next steps, follow up items, or whether
they require any additional information from you. Ask the interviewer for their
impression on how the interview went, however, if they say they can not discuss
that with you, respect their interest.
To review… Write down the goals for your interview, and practice them with another person. Use questions to lead the conversation towards your goals. Make
sure you are remembered in a
positive way. And always show confidence
in yourself and be “likeable” by
giving strong and positive verbal and non-verbal acknowledgments. Be honest and make sure to “ask for the job”!
A strong work ethic is one of the most important character traits to exhibit when starting out your career. One of the easiest traits to witness as a manager is an employee who works hard and gets things done. As a manager, those are the kind of people you look for and those are the kind of people you promote.
Every now and then, I take a lap around the office just to see who is working and who is not. You would think that it varies depending on certain factors, but it doesn't. Some people work hard all day and some people play solitaire on their computers all day - majority of the people are somewhere in between. But the point is, it's those hard workers that I want on my winning team.
There are plenty of ways to look busy, but everyone can see right through that. Take on more projects, never say "no" to a job that's asked of you, never say you are too busy to get something done.
Here are a few reasons why:
Earn Respect - When you're young, the way to earn people's respect is by getting things done. Unfortunately, age/ experience is a huge factor when trying to earn people's respect.
Knowledge - The more you are exposed to different aspects of business and different projects, the more experience you gain in a faster period of time. People will eventually be coming to you for answers, instead of the other way around
Networking - The more projects you work on, the more relationships you build. Next time, when you need to find an answer to a question, you will know who to go to and the right questions to ask
Setting an example - When you begin managing project teams or even employees, the best way to make them work hard is by setting the example yourself. They will strive to be as hardworking as you. Believe me, this works!
So you graduated college with a Master's degree and you are ready to work! If you are lucky enough to find a job you are qualified for, you may find that small menial tasks are delegated to you - you know, "BS work". If you are like me, it can sometimes get you disgruntled.
My advice - do it and do it well!
In a career interview with one of my mentors, I asked how he got to be in an executive level position. His answer - leadership and doing everything that no one else wanted to do. He told me about his entry-level position, where there were certain jobs or projects that no one else in the company wanted to work on because they were boring and uninteresting - so he volunteered.
After a while, people started recognizing the fact that my mentor worked on many projects (regardless of size) and he would always get everything done on time, on budget, and with great results. He established a very positive reputation & credibility in the company and before he knew it, he was managing larger and much bigger projects. The rest... is history.
So next time your boss asks you work on something seemingly insignificant, try to figure out how doing that task will benefit you and your career. There must be something you can learn from doing the task. Here are a few:
Exposure - maybe you will have to work with someone outside your team or department with whom you will have to work for again
Education - maybe you will actually learn something! Managing people, time lines, budget, new MS Excel skills, communication skills, presentation skills, knowledge of the business?
Credibility - just like my mentor, maybe you will do such a great job, that you will get more projects to work on.
Responsibility - because the task may be small and seemingly meaningless, you will be solely responsible for following it through. On larger, more "interesting" projects, you will most likely have to work under someone.
Credit - hey, it may not be the most important thing in the world, but you still did it and did it well
So next time you are asked to do some "BS work", instead of grumbling about it, think about how you can benefit!
The day I graduated college, I was faced with a decision to choose between two good job offers. Each of the jobs had its pros and its cons, but it seemed like they were perfectly balanced - making my decision nearly impossible. My decision would also sway depending on my mood, the people I was talking to at the time, or the books or articles I was reading. Although having to decide between two job offers is a good problem to have, the decision nonetheless required me to take a systematic approach.
I finally sat down with a piece of paper and pen and decided to write down all the factors that I was considering in the decision. I then went down my list of factors and assigned a priority to each, on a scale of 1-5, 5 being the most important and 1 being the least important. A week later I revisited my priorities and made any necessary changes to the priorities after talking to people, reading articles, etc. I then assigned a score on a scale of 1-5, 5 being the best and 1 being the worst, to how well each of the jobs met those factors. I multiplied the priority by the score, added up the list, and found that the highest-scoring job was the right choice.
While reviewing my list below, notice that I did not include salary as one of the factors. Money can blind you while making the correct career decision. To me, money is too volatile and uncertain to be considered a good factor. Once you totaled your score and know who the clear winner is, you can then examine the cost/ benefit to making your choice. People tend to heavily way salary when starting their first job, because it seems so appealing and exciting to them. So my suggestion is to exclude starting salary from your factors and focus on everything else. And remember, these are the the factors that I considered important. You should modify the factors to accurately reflect what's important to you.
Now that the new year is here, it is the perfect time to take a look back at your career accomplishments of 2006 and evaluate if you are on track towards accomplishing your career goals.
With each new accomplishment at work, you should reflect it immediately in your resume to make sure that your resume stays current. Here are a few reasons:
You are less likely to miss any accomplishments
The accomplishments you include will be fresher in your mind, so the descriptions will be more relevant & meaningful
If someone asks to see your resume, it will be ready to go
In writing down your accomplishments, you can ponder how these accomplishments get you one step closer to your career goals
Next time someone asks "so what are you doing at work", you will actually be able to answer!
I also read an article on Yahoo the other day about "How to Jumpstart Your Career" with the new year. They have some great suggestions on 8 Career New Year's Resolutions which will help you move your career forward.
