“A man is a success if he gets up in the morning, goes to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do.”- Bob Dylan
Yesterday, besides bills, bills, bills, my mail included the wonderful gift of a bottle of tequila and a thank you note from a generous client, who, within an absurdly short time period, evolved from (understandable) anxiety to confidence, as he applied for, and received a great new job! Oh, they grow up so fast...It’s not a contest, I’m proud of all my clients, but not gonna lie, there’s a special place in my two-sizes-too-small heart for people who send me booze. *getting emotional* I’m just going to need a moment...
Maybe I’m especially proud of this client, because I know the job search was dumped into his lap. Out of the blue, he was given his walking papers, and had to start making intense changes to survive, and take care of his family. When we began working together, he was anxious, wondering if someone, anyone would ever see their way to hiring him. And yet, when push came to shove, he grit his teeth, and used his anxieties as motivation, not obstacles. The tequila was lovely and delicious, but the best gift was watching him embrace his ambition, and get out there and sell, sell, sell!
Ambition is, after all, a contact sport requiring courage, determination and philosophy. Life’s hard enough, and success—whatever that amorphous term means to you—comes at a heavy price. True success depends on us knowing ourselves, and having the guts to fight for what we want...even when it’s 3am, and we’re tossing and turning in bed, thinking about all the reasons we’re never going to make it. Good times!
“Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win...”-Shakespeare
If you’ve been hearing that creaky voice of doubt and despair...I know how it is, kid. I’ve been there. But have you ever had a job you loved? Have you ever had a job that made you leap out of bed in the morning, before the alarm went off, you’re so excited to get to the office and start having fun? Have you ever had a job that fully engages your talents, and potential and intellect? A job that, at the end of a hard day, makes you think, “What I did today mattered.” That’s a very special feeling. I’m not sure that this client has ever personally experienced this sensation, yet he had the courage to believe that he deserved it, that his talents were worth the hustle, that his ambition was more than an awkward joke. And believing is half the battle...
If you’re wondering what the client and I did to change so radically his professional fortunes...
1. We revised his LinkedIn profile, photos, headline, experience, to speak to the types of employers and recruiters, that the client wanted to attract. We reorganized his entire LinkedIn presence to aggressively reflect his accomplishments, education and professional goals.
2. Once his LinkedIn branding was on-point, the client identified a list of the companies he was interested in, and why. We figured out his six degrees of separation to his chosen businesses, so as to make a plan of attack. Why would any of those companies be interested in hiring him? What specifically did he have to offer? Why was his experience relevant? We crafted industry-appropriate cover letters, and elevator pitches. We did painfully extensive interview prep, in which I drove him crazy, asking him question after question, forcing him to think about what story he was telling potential employers, in order to get organized in his own mind.
3. When things didn’t go his way, my client got in touch with his sensitive feelings at the gym.
“As soon as you know you’re in prison, you have a possibility to escape.”- William S. Burroughs
