Tom Terez blogged “When Rules Clash with Common Sense” about the craziness of following non-functioning traffic lights. Why do we follow rules when they’re broken? It got me thinking today about rule-making when it comes to finding a job.
My comment to his blog: “Most people follow the ‘rules’ of the game – define your brand, write a resume, submit your resume to jobs in industries that appeal, and wait for the calls. While it may feel like breaking the rules, if you don’t go further than these steps, and get in the habit of sharing your story face-to-face with lots of people, and continue to build on what you cared about most in your career (becoming more compassionate about what you do), you will be sitting at the traffic light called unemployed or underemployed for a long time. Good article.”
When you are driving for your next job, think bigger, and be willing to take some risks. Motor on through a few red lights, and you’ll really have less stress. In the words of Garr Reynolds in Presentation Zen (and I think he was paraphrasing Brenda Ueland in If You Want to Write), so I’m paraphrasing them both!:
“What matters is to not close yourself down too early in the process of exploration. Failing is fine, necessary in fact. But avoiding experimentation or risk? That will become something that will gnaw at your gut more than any failed interview. A failed interview is in the past; really; it’s done and over. In fact, it doesn’t exist. But worrying about ‘what might be if . . .’ or ‘what might have been if I had . . .’ are pieces of baggage you may carry around for a long time. Take chances and stretch yourself. You’re only on this planet once (unless, I guess, you believe in reincarnation), and for a very short time at that.”