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
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