Sunday, June 6, 2010

I Believe in Me: Imagine your job today to achieve it tomorrow

So you want to be a superhero.  Not sure what it pays, but it probably is life-long employment. 

Go for it. Imagine the possibilities today and be one tomorrow.  At least in your mind if not others.

Recently I hosted workshop with other seriously unemployed...serious about landing our best next opportunity sooner than later.  The workshop was for participants to imagine their next job.  Create success in their mind  when they told others.  Tell a landing speech.

To set the stage I showed this video from the 1960-era musical, How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying.  The plot has the star character "...J. Pierrepont Finch, a young window cleaner, [with] a mind for advancement. A disembodied "Book Voice" tells him that everything he needs for success is contained within the book in his hand, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. He enters the World Wide Wicket Company searching for a job..." and becomes the chairman/CEO by the final curtain.

On his journey to the top, Finch sings this song, I Believe in You.  Note who is his audience for the song.

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I Believe in Me:  Imagining my next job today to achieve it tomorrow

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And here's the complete transcript of my imagined landing speech I want to give someday soon.

My gosh it's been far too long since my last gig. It was so dark at times I could see the stars which were guiding me in the defection of my direction.

Hi, Doug Caldwell Facilitator Extraordinaire' and and in my new job: social media maven.

Thanks to the Career Transition Workshop-the 12 week program in Dallas, TX, I learned that rarely does the most qualified candidate get hired, but the best packaged and promoted. And that the most direct way to a job is a relationship with another person.

Yes, I have landed a contract job as a company facilitator with the W3 Company. How I did it started with promoting myself before people who matter. I volunteered to facilitate a meeting and met the retired chairman emeritus of W3, J. Pierrepont Finch. He started working in the company mail room when it was called World Wide Wicket Company and retired as their chairman/CEO. He had a fascinating career with W3 and I encouraged him to write a book on how to succeed in business.

The Chairman even while retired was concerned with W3's problems in the market place. I have learned that employers are not providing jobs, but hiring people to fix their problems. I came across as one who solves problems, not just asking for a job. Find the problems to find the opportunities to find the job.

Mr. J. helped because he knew somebody who knew somebody at W3. The whole process took several months from my first meeting with Chairman Finch before I received an offer.

My role as facilitator is to integrate social media into W3's corporate culture to improve revenue and exceed customer's expectations. After that it's uncharted waters as this is a new position created just for me.

Without the Chairman's help, I would not been able to convince the hiring authority that I had the skills to do the job. I have learned there is a myth about transferable skills. I had no background in the wicket business so I represented cost/risk/controversy. These can be overcome with a loyal link, platform of employment and/or create an avocation into a vocation. I had two of three; the Chairman's sponsorship and becoming a self-taught social media maven who provided a lot of pro bono services and help to others.  If you want it, give it away. That made the difference.

Two surprises for me.

  1. I had a win-win salary negotiation. The discussion went just as described at Career Transition Workshop. Their advice on how to bump the bucks was great. Especially the nugget of 'no whine [spelled w-h-i-n-e] before it's time' and the value of words not spoken.

  2. And I got hired without a resume. No one has asked for it yet, yea!!!!!

Last week I could only have imagined this opportunity. I was at a workshop that brought out how we need to feel good about ourselves. The day before we lost our jobs we were unique individuals. Just because we don't have a job doesn't define us. I sought a job to fit my identity, not a job to define my identity. I believe in me.

Thank you for all your help and support.

Now back to the real world of packaging and promoting myself in front of people who matter!!






 
 


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