The Long Winding Road

Hey guys.

I know it's been way too long since I last updated the blog. As such I've most likely lost a lot of people who were interested in it (the hoards adoring fans). The reason for the absence correlates directly with the intensity of my job hunt. I understand this is a really weak excuse, but the fact of the matter is that I had to prioritize, and unfortunately the blog got to ride in the backseat, while a lot of new developments started to materialize.

The last few months have been, and not to exaggerate, RIDICULOUS. I experienced everything from a solo 50 hour drive across North America, sleeping in the mountains in Montana, MANY amazing conversations with family and friends, and currently, I'm comfortably settling into a new city with the help of many close friends.

As I mentioned in a previous post, in order to put myself in the best position for success, I created a plan which would involve physically putting myself where the action was. After a bit of contemplation, I decided the city in question would be Toronto. I spent the last few weeks in California contacting everyone I knew, so that when I arrived in Toronto, I'd have a few meetings and interviews set up. And without any sort of tangible opportunity, or incoming income, I packed up my bags, loaded them in the car, and took off. I only mentioned this to a few people, but now that I'm a few weeks removed, I think it's alright to admit that I was completely terrified. I mean, come on... moving to a brand new, EXPENSIVE city, with extremely high standards of where I wanted to be employed was incredibly intimidating. I kept telling myself that this was the best decision, and while the idea of warm weather, family, and a comfortable routine was enticing, that's what it was: comfortable. It was time to jump out of the safety net, and start walking the tight rope, 20 floors up, above hungry sharks (felt the imagery would help put in perspective the ulcers growing in my stomach from uncertainty). I understand EVERYONE has these stressful periods in their lives, and it's clear to me now, how they deal with it, and the support they receive is the difference between succeeding and falling short.

The first week of my arrival in Toronto, I had six meetings/interviews. I used everything I had learned and spoken about in this blog. I had the tools and the know-how to succeed, it was just about executing, and getting a little lucky. I set up some great relationships, and really targeted the opportunities that I was most interested in. The most important thing I learned during this process, was to give everything a fair chance. Most of the time I was surprised how much I enjoyed talking and learning about jobs I didn't think I'd be interested in. I had done all the necessary research, and prepared myself as well as I could have, and as a result, each meeting went as well as possible. After a round of thank yous and follow ups, it was time to get back to searching for new opportunities...as always, hoping for the best, but planning for the worst.

After a few days, I heard back from one of the prospects that I was very excited about, with really good news. I had landed an amazing position, at an incredibly interesting company. Now I can be ignorant, and say that all that time spent re-doing my resume and writing cover letters was a waste of time, but it's clear it wasn't. As I've pretty much said on repeat, I learned more about myself, my objectives, and my ambitions during this period, compared to any other time in my life. It's easy to look in retrospect after you reached the end of a long journey. I started to look back at the decisions I've made that got me here; both good and bad. I think it's human tendency to dissect each move, and over-analyze every step along the way, but at the end of the day, it's about how much you really want something, and what you're willing to do to get it. The risks, the fails, the successes, the bad ideas and the good ideas, all combined, are what got me here today. I had to have to learn to TRUST myself. I know I've said this one hundred times before, but part of the reason I say it so much is to convince myself of this as well. It's easy to get lost in your worries, the stress, and other people's opinions, but it's about shutting all that out, and moving on.

Another recurring theme throughout this blog that I once again wanted to stress, is my complete appreciation for all the support that I've received. It's clear to see that everyone is busy. Everyone has their own schedules, responsibilities, motives, ambitions and objectives, which is why it makes it all the more humbling when they take time out of their day to simply ask how things are going. A small gesture like that goes a long way to someone who may be in a little bit of a rut. To those people, ALL those people, a big thank you is in order.

This is by no means the end of the road. I think of it as another gateway into more uncharted land. The hard work doesn't stop here; more than likely, I don't even know what hard work really is yet. All I can really do is continue preparing myself as best as possible, ask as many questions as I can along the way, and keep rolling with the punches. The journey really starts now.

Passengers Seat in Life

If I had to sum up the last week in one word, it would either be 'delay' or 'waiting'. I feel like I've done nothing but wait on others, which is quite frustrating, but sometimes it's the only thing you can do. I do however, have this overwhelming sense that I have not done enough this week. Unfortunately, as a result of all this waiting, there isn't anything major to update you on.

Earlier in the week I had a tele-meeting scheduled with the founder of a company in Ottawa. Going in, I assumed it was going to be somewhere in between a job interview and an informational interview. I prepared for it the same way I've done for all the rest; researched the company, the employer, the employees, ETC. and it went really well, in fact, I was amazed how confident I felt throughout it. After about six to seven interviews, I think I'm finally starting to really progress. With a complete shift in my demeanor, tone and aggressiveness, I felt like I was able to communicate my skills and abilities much better than I had before. I still hate telephone interviews and meetings, but hopefully I'll get to a point where I can visualize how the person on the other side is reacting to my questions and responses.

The topic of today's post is something that has been brewing for quite a while, and not only something that I've noticed, but after speaking to many others in similar situations, a trend. This period of finding out what journey/path you want to take is truly an exercise in self-reflection. You have to look within for the answers, as it's the only place they exist. However, with the input, anxiety, pressure, and advice coming from every single angle, it's easy to unknowingly silence that inner voice, and proceed the way you think others would like you to. It's important to not confuse this type of presence with support. I have spoken to a few people in similar situations who understand where they want to be, know exactly what they have to do to get there, and have a systematic approach accomplish it; however, in order to please the desires of everyone else they take an alternative approach which usually leads them in a completely different direction. Everyone and I mean EVERYONE, has an opinion of exactly what you should be doing, but this isn't the issue, the issue is that more often than not, everyone's opinion is completely different. What ends up happening, as the title of this post insists, is you take a back seat to your own life (at least during this period of it). It's clear that everyone has valid points, and that they only offer their point of views because they really care, but it can be overwhelming. At the end of the day, the person who knows best is you, and only you. It's a very simple concept, but similar to the interviews and tele-meetings, there is an injection of self doubt and depreciation, which are two things you absolutely cannot have during this process. Through all the external clutter, it's imperative to simply appreciate that while you may not have all the answers, you know what's best for you, and where you want to be and possess the audacity to take the risks to get there, and when necessary ask for help when you need it. I speak out of personal experience and interactions with a few others, so while this sounds familiar to some, I'm sure this isn't inclusive for everyone.

Again, I wanted to reiterate that the prior is not to be confused with support. The staggering amount of support that I have received during this process has been surreal and humbling. I appreciate every last bit of it, as it's been one of the major contributing factors that has helped me move forward.

Thanks for listening,
Rob Baral

Youthful Ambitions

As promised, here is the second part of the previous post. I'm doing my best with a computer that keeps randomly turning off, so if this post seems a little fragmented (more than usual), it's because I started a thought, the computer turned off, and then I tried completing it twenty minutes later.

I still haven't heard from any of the companies that I interviewed with. I'm getting a little antsy, but as I mentioned, I'm moving on, and already have had some solid results. Starting back at square one is definitely tiring, as I feel I've been here before, but I have to learn to expect set backs. After this experience, I've decided that I need to take a different approach, as I'm two months down the road with this one and haven't had the success that I was aiming for. After a lengthy conversation with a friend, I agree it's time to shake things up, and start attacking more directly. My anxiety levels may skyrocket, but it's time to get off my ass. More to come on this in later posts.

Just as a side note, I was sent a very interesting link on informational interviews which explains the strategy and objectives that you should have going in. It's long, but if you're interested (and like me, don't know a lot about them), it's a worthwhile read. http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/how-to-use-natural-networking-to-connect-with-anyone-including-the-exact-email-scripts/


The topic of this post, which has been sort of a recurring theme throughout the blog so far, is ambition. I'm reminded of one of my favorite television quotes (please don't judge which show it's from),

"I guess it’s because we all want to believe that what we do is very important, that people hang onto our every word, that they care what we think. The truth is: you should consider yourself lucky if you even occasionally get to make someone, anyone, feel a little better. After that it’s all about the people that you let into your life."

I think back to high school, and even further, my childhood, and remember some of my goals and ambitions. I'm pretty sure we all had aspirations and dreams of changing the world. Whether you wanted to be a firefighter, an astronaut, or the Prime Minister/President, the goal was to help out as many people as possible. I think we still strive for that throughout our entire lives. Unfortunately, what I'm finding out while I spend time talking to people, working, and interviewing, is that slowly, but surely you're forced to compromise these initiatives to succeed. I hate to say it because it's incredibly cliche, but it's a dog eat dog world.

It's all about beating out your competitors. It's all about winning. When was the last time you saw someone sacrifice a job, a position, a promotion or even a spot on a crowded bus (or any form of transportation) for someone else because it was simply 'the right thing to do'. That's not to say there are no kind acts anymore, but it's rare to see someone minimizing their own well-being for someone else. I've been asked to talk about the merits of a thick skin in the workplace, nurturing a win-at-all cost mentality and having an I in team mindset. I genuinely hate these topics, but unfortunately this is how it is. If you don't beat out the competition, you probably won't get into the school you want, get the job you dreamt about, or even get the girl you're interested in. I'm not here to talk about girls, or schools, but I wanted to make an example. The 12 year old version of myself who wanted to save the world, would once again be kicking my ass. But as the quote above says we can't think of ourselves as any different or more important than anyone else. To change the world, you need to succeed in what you do, and to succeed in what you do, you need to be better than your competition. Everyone wants to change the world, but that's just not really possible anymore, at least at the early stages of your career. It really is about the people you let into your life, the people that support you, and the people you support, as they will inevitably have more of an effect on your future then anyone else. As always, I'll do my best to stay optimistic and hope that somehow in the future I'll be able to succeed and save the world at the same time.

As a last note, I would definitely appreciate if you guys started leaving some comments at the bottom of the page. One of the reasons I wanted to do the blog was to get some other opinions on some of these topics. What I write in these posts are just reflections of what I have experienced in my very short career so far. I know that there is a lot to be learned, so I would like to hear what other people have encountered. If you think back to your childhood, would you say you are where you thought you'd be 10-15 years ago? Do you act and treat competition in a way that you're always proud of, and if not, why?

As always, thanks for listening.

Rob Baral

Facing the Interview

Where should I begin? Well, I think I should start with the standard apology for taking so long between posts; I've been traveling and just came home. I'll get better at this, and in return you guys can keep reading. I think it's a fair trade.

Since there is a lot to update on, this post will only feature the happenings of the past two weeks. I will have a follow up post either tomorrow, or on Tuesday, which will touch on an important realization that is starting to set in 2-3 months in the search. 

As I just mentioned, I spent the last two weeks traveling across North America via LONG bus rides, airplanes, subways, trains, and cars. Lots of amazing times, but I'm definitely excited to not have another 10 hour bus ride on the horizon. I'll focus on the latter half of the trip (Toronto), as I can't imagine you guys are overly interested in Sushi dinners with my family.

A whirlwind of a trip, which was scheduled due a second interview with one of the companies that I interviewed with in November. When I first spoke to this company, I casually mentioned that sometime in January I'd be visiting Toronto (with no solid plans to actually do so), as I thought it could possibly better my chances, even if just by a minuscule amount. A week after the first interview, I got an email saying they wanted to see me in Toronto the first week of this month. With the help of my family, we did everything possible to get me to the interview (see: two 10 hour overnight bus rides).

I prepared by reviewing pages upon pages of strategic planning notes, reading other blogs on the topic, and having conversations with people who knew a lot on the topic. Even though I felt very prepared on the day of the interview, my nerves started kicking in, starting with (don't judge), what I was going to wear. I arrived at the building 45 minutes early, and decided to stroll in 15-20 minutes early. I don't know if any of these factors (how early you arrive, tie/no tie, carrying a notebook or not, etc.) really matter in the long run, but for some reason they seemed important. I decided to bring a small notebook, which definitely helped as I was able to take some notes on the position, and make some small reminders of things I wanted to touch on.  The interview was pretty standard, although, I was barely able to bring up any of the topics that I had spent the week prior learning, and understanding. This was slightly frustrating, as I really think it would have helped my chances if I had the opportunity to talk about them. The silver lining is even though I didn't get to use the knowledge this time, it may come up in the future, and I'll be happy that I'm familiar with it. The toughest question in the interview was surprisingly a question that I had been practicing and rehearsing for since I started interviewing. I don't know why it fazed me as much as it did, but I've never been asked it point blank like that. The million dollar question: "Why should we hire you?" So simple, but so complex at the same time. In past interviews, I've been asked similar, easier questions, such as "what are your strengths?" or "what makes you good for this position?" 'Why should we hire you' brings up other factors like comparing you to your competitors. Either way, they couldn't have asked another question that I was more prepared for, and that caused me the most difficulty. After a few interviews now (my very modest experience), I've come to the conclusion that the questions you ask at the end is one of the most important aspects of the interviews. They have the ability to leave a lasting impression, and also start some really good discussions about the organization. I left feeling pretty good about the whole experience, and they advised me that I'll know whether or not I got the job this upcoming week. In the meantime, it's back to the grind, looking for new opportunities and new contacts. Comparing my first interview to now, there has been a drastic change in how comfortable I feel. Conclusion: people are right, the more you do the easier they become. I think it's impossible to completely calm your nerves, but knowing what to expect makes things 100% percent easier.

Another highlight in Toronto was my first informational interview. In one of the first posts, I mentioned how I was briefed on the importance of 'informational interviews'. I was told that if you wanted an effective way of expanding your network, you should contact employees at companies you were interested in, and ask them for some time to sit down and converse about their careers, what they do on a daily basis, and how they got a job at the company. I have to admit, I'm still not 100% on the strategy of these meetings, as I've been told that you're not supposed to ask for a job at these meetings, only more contacts. I decided that my time in Toronto would be best served by arranging a few of these meetings. The most beneficial interview I had was over the phone with an owner of a consulting firm. She advised me that I had 15 minutes, so I dove straight into a list of questions that I had prepared. Reflecting on the experience, I'm not sure if our 15 minutes got me any closer to getting a job, but I definitely got to listen to someone who really knew her stuff, and gave me some new material that I may be able to bring up in a future interview.

Toronto was a great learning experience, and I'm starting to make some important decisions (if I don't get this job), which I'll touch on in the next few posts. Again, the more interviews that come and go, the better I feel I perform. Hopefully, I get some good news this week, but if not, I just have to make sure that I don't get too discouraged, and just keep moving forward.

Thanks for listening,
Rob Baral

Stepping Stones

As I mentioned last time, this post will be the last in the 'education series'. It will include my response to the previous post, and then we will get back on track with an update on the current situation and a brand new, extremely exciting topic.

For simplicity, I will be referring to the author of the last post as Z (I'm sorry I wasn't able to come up with anything more clever than that).

The hardest part about writing this response, is even though Z's post was very cynical and presented a very gloomy image for the future of our generation, I don't completely disagree. There is one glaring difference, and while I maintain Z's notion that we're left unprepared for the future after graduation, I disagree that our generation is lazy, and unambitious.

I'll start with the first part, the part that I agree with. It was right around the middle of March 2009, a month before graduation, when I started to get the feeling that I wasn't ready to leave the bubble that school had created for me. I started to apply for 'real jobs' (still haven't really come to a constant definition for that term, so excuse the changing use of it), and I started to realize that my rock solid education, and the piece paper that I was about to receive, which proved my intelligence, wasn't going to cut it. All of a sudden, a number of people in my graduating year, including myself, found ourselves in a grey area between school and our future careers. I have to admit, looking back, I was probably a little more anxious than I reasonably should have been (which I'll touch on later), but I remember talking to Engineers (who really expected great jobs out of the gate) who were still unemployed 4-5 months after graduation. We worked (what we thought was) very hard, to get great marks and were still left with few options after graduation. I'm not suggesting that I have a more effective way of preparing graduates of what to expect, but I agree with Z that what we expected and the reality we faced, were miles apart.

I do, however, think that there is a double effect of these expectations, regardless of whom implanted them in our minds. As I mentioned, I was probably much more anxious and nervous right before graduation, because I was expecting to have a nice, well paying job lined up. The problem is that while we have these expectations, there are also these expectations put on us. The truth of the matter is, I was so stressed out because I didn't have that job, that I felt that I was letting down people who pushed the hard work good grades school good job model. This was the model that had worked for so many people before me, so why wasn't it working for me?

We are an interesting generation; a generation that really began the transition to the Internet, and being connected. Not that this is really relevant, but I remember growing up, typing in the address to a web page, leaving the room for 4-6 minutes, and coming back to it being half loaded. Now, we get upset if it takes more than 7 seconds. I disagree with Z's statement that we are ignorant and lazy. I believe that we quickly get complacent with whatever we are doing, and there is a looming sense of anxiousness and anxiety that follows. We have been taught to not wait for things, to have a killer instinct, and to expect the best and only the best. Now obviously, my argument, and Z's argument have major exceptions, and clearly do not speak for everyone in the generation, but I argue that the reason we possess a sense of entitlement is because we have been taught to expect it. Similar to how we get frustrated waiting a whole seven seconds for a web page to load, we are defeated if success doesn't come quickly and easily. We lack the ability to deal with failure. This deficiency, I believe, is due to everything happening at warp speed compared to the way it did two + decades ago.

Even though things are moving so quickly, the hard work good job model has so many more stages and stops along the way than it did for previous generations. Therefore, it's unfair to compare our model to the one of the past. The formula for success is constantly changing (fundamentally, on the changing definition of success, relative to past generations). There is a whole new set of standards expected of us, and a whole new set of standards we are taught to expect of ourselves.

Wrapping up, it's the fact that we have been trained to expect success without hitting any obstacles, combined with our generations transition to rapid speed, that presents the image of ignorance. Instead, I think we're just trying to find stability, in a previously uncharted present and future. First, we'll have to learn how to deal with delays and obstacles on the road to success, and also realize that success doesn't come at the drop of a hat or possibly even when we believe we have earned it. Once we learn to scrap the standards of past generations and learn how to integrate a new set of standards, to this period of innovation and speed, we'll be able to re-write the formula for success. I believe, that once we learn this, the gap between our expectations and our reality will cease to exist. At this rapid speed, it's possible that all we really need is a montage and not the whole movie.

-Rob Baral

The Superstar Slacker

This is part two of the last post regarding education. As I mentioned, these posts would work a little different. The following is written by a close friend, for a new perspective (as it's probably nice not hear mine for once). Hopefully, this will fuel some debate on the topic, but either way, the post that follows this one will be my response (slightly less cynical and discouraging, just in case you feel a little down after this one). If anyone else would like to write a post on a certain topic related to the blog, I would definitely be happy to post and debate.

Finally, one last thing before his post, I would like to extend a big thank you to the author of this post. Many of you will probably be able to figure out who it is, but in any case, I appreciate the time he took to write this. Enjoy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alright, I already have a job, so I’m not sure why I am contributing to this blog. I guess I am just extremely opinionated and enjoy challenging the opinions and beliefs of my friends and family.  What that really means, is I really take pleasure in arguing with people. This tends to both annoy and frustrate people, as I get pretty passionate. A blog, on the other hand can’t get annoyed; worst case scenario is people will just stop reading it. Luckily, this isn’t my blog so I guess it’s a win-win for me. 

In Rob’s last post, he brought up the subject of university, and the expectations that many people have regarding the impact it will have on our lives.  For our parents, the formula for success and happiness was simple; hard work    good grades    school  good job. For the most part, that formula worked and it seemed like a good model for past generations to use in laying out the path to success for our generation. However, something has changed since our parent’s time that has caused this formula to be insufficient as a blueprint for well being. Today, it’s clear that an undergraduate degree is not what it used to be. You’re still better off having one than not, but the days where a degree guaranteed you a decent job are long gone. 

The value of an undergraduate degree is not the real issue to me. The issue I’m concerned with is us. The kids who grew up in 90s (myself included) are all for the most part a bunch of slackers. We are entitled, ignorant and lazy. We were all told that we were special; that we can do anything we wanted. “Follow your dreams!” our parents supportively told us as they handed us a participation trophy for coming in 7^th place. Pop-culture taught us to cheer for the underdog, that no matter how unprepared and unworthy you were that you could still be a superstar. The villains in our favorite movies were usually smart, successful well-prepared people who worked hard and stood in the way of a lazy hero (Billy Madison, the Mighty Ducks, any Judd Apatow movie, etc.) simply by existing and doing well for themselves. Aren’t those “villains” a better example of the type of person that we should be idolizing and cheering for? 

An education is a terrible thing to waste. Unfortunately, I see a massive portion of my generation doing exactly that. At its core I don’t believe the formula to success has changed all that much.  Rather, it is our standards have changed. Knowing that we’ll get a pat on the back, or a passing grade even for a mediocre effort, it seems like most of us (not all) are just coasting by until the part of the movie where we bust our asses in a montage leading up to our ultimate redemption. An undergrad degree may not be what it used to be, but ultimately we have only ourselves to blame.

Questioning School

Another week, another few major life altering events (being a little dramatic). To quickly sum up, I finished up the last few interviews that I had planned, got food poisoning (no details needed) and wrote my GMAT exam. Of course, the only time I've gotten sick in the past few months would be the day right before I write one of the most important exams I've written in a long time. Murphy's Law. Sometimes it seems that as much as you work, study or prepare yourself there is always something unexpected that comes along and completely derails your plan. I've learned this the hard way, but it's important to just go with the punches. It's impossible to prepare for those kinds of factors, and there is no reason to dwell on it for too long. Either way, it went alright, and I made it out alive.

I'm still waiting to hear back from the interviews. I'm trying to stay as positive and optimistic as possible, but I need to continue looking for different opportunities. This is a little different for me, as I'm used to getting the job I interview for. It's a small blow to the confidence, but I was warned this would happen. I was told not to expect the first, or the second or even the fifth job that I interviewed for. The best thing I can do right now is just to forge on and look for more opportunities that fit what I'm looking for. Even if I don't hear back from the companies I interviewed with, there are still two things I can take from this. The first is a new list of connections/contacts. I plan to stay in contact with these companies, and everyone I spoke with, in hopes that it could potentially lead to information about new jobs. The second is everything I learned from these interviews including, but not limited to, what I need to improve on and what I did well. My fingers are still crossed to hear back though (hasn't been too long).

Now to the main topic of the post. This post and the following one are actually going to work a little differently than the typical ones I've posted before. I was having an interesting argument with a friend recently, (sounding a little like a broken record machine) and asked him if he would write a little post regarding it. Being the fiery, young professional he is, he kindly obliged. I will introduce the topic in this post and then the next post will be his take on the topic, written by him, and then I will follow that up with my response to it.

It all started one afternoon, after watching yet another 'legitimate' university's advertisement on television. More promises that if you attend their school, you will graduate, get the job of your dreams, and live a long very successful life. As many of us have come to know about these schools, they don't quite come through on these promises, as they most likely spend more on advertising than on anything else. While cracking a joke about one of these schools, my friend remarked that many, if not all schools make these same very promises and fail to come through. I mean when you look back on your undergraduate degree, are you satisfied with what you got from it? I remember being told that when I graduate, the sky was the limit. This message wasn't only coming from the school itself, but from a number of sources including, friends, family, and society. While I know there aren't many other wise options other than to go back to school after high-school, I start to question if school, upon more school, upon more school is truly the most efficient way of getting to where you want to be or if this is just what has been pounded into our heads over the years. Without getting too far into my opinion, where I am right now in life, it seems that many more companies are looking for people with years of specific experience, experience I could have probably gotten after high school, while I was in university. I'll continue on my opinion in my response to the cameo post. I'm definitely interested in everyone's opinion on this, as I feel that most people reading this have very strong feelings on the topic.

Thanks for listening,
Rob Baral