This week’s inspiration comes from singer Natasha Bedingfield and her song entitled Unwritten.
In the spring of 2008 I was laid off once again from a high tech marketing job. After some intense soul-searching I decided that I needed a break from the high tech scene. In a flash of inspiration I decided that what I really wanted to do was be a speaker, an author and a consultant. I founded Parlay Communications in May of that same year and haven’t looked back. The words to this song inspired me then, and continue to inspire me now. As you read this, consider how to let your own sun shine.
Natasha Bedingfield – Unwritten
I am unwritten,
Can’t read my mind
I’m undefined
I’m just beginning
The pen’s in my hand
Ending unplanned
Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words
That you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your innovation
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten, yeah
Oh, oh
I break tradition
Sometimes my tries
Are outside the lines, oh yeah yeah
We’ve been conditioned
To not make mistakes
But I can’t live that way oh, oh
Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words
That you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
drench yourself in words unspoken
live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
the rest still unwritten
(Gospel)
Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words
That you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open *****
Today is where your book begins
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
People generally want to help you, but only if you make it easy for them
No one has enough hours in the day to juggle work, hobbies, family, church, self-care, volunteer work… no one
I personally am not flattered by requests from strangers who want to pick my brain
Likewise, just because I am connected to lots of people does not mean any of them want to speak with you
Ouch. But there it is, the cold hard truth. That’s why networking is an art. It takes talent to craft your pitch, tenacity to stay in pursuit of your goal, and a fair bit of savvy to succeed. But perhaps most importantly, you need to be specific – what exactly are you asking for? The taller the order, the less likely I can or will help. Not because I’m not inclined to be helpful. But because I simply don’t have time. Let me frame it up for you by sharing a request I received just last week:
Although my background is not in Marketing, (my friend) thought you may have some contacts who could assist me in my job search. My background is finance and general business. I have my MBA and 8+ years working experience for a small private bank and also two large retail corporations. Please let me know if you could point me in the right direction!
She was pleasant enough but I ask you, what am I supposed to do with this? Flip through my mental Rolodex of 3,000+ connections and try to come up with a few names? And then send them to her? Or perhaps make an introduction for her? What would I even say? No, this will never work. I don’t have enough RAM in my head to sort this out for her.
Here’s what she might have done – any of which I would have considered:
Ask me for 10 minutes by phone within the next 3 weeks (short call, long leeway)
Give me names of specific companies she’s targeting
Ask to connect with me on LinkedIn and do the homework herself – identify people she’d like to meet
Ask for advice on how to conduct information interviews, in which case I would refer her to a prior blog
Listen, here’s the bottom line: I want to help you. People want to help you. But do not ask for the world; don’t send me your resume and ask me to read it for you… to share it with my network. Be precise, be specific, ask for something small and succeed. You can grow the relationship from there.
If you’ve had success networking in small, specific bites, I’d love to hear about it here!
Louis Pasteur. Where would we be without him? Drinking spoiled milk and rancid wine among other things. Pasteur is cited for saying many brilliant things but this one has always stuck with me:
“Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity.”
Job-hunting, even in a booming economy, is not for the meek. It takes courage, strength and above all, perseverance. When you think you can’t go on, when you look in the mirror and can find evidence of neither bravery nor might, you must still persevere.
Make time this week to not just look for work but also to work on your dreams. Be tenacious in your pursuits and you will be rewarded.
Inspiration Of The Week: Fail While Daring Greatly
Sunday, October 17th, 2010
This week’s inspiration comes from Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States. I’m not a history buff; it is in fact one of my worst subjects. I’m not even sure where I first read this one, but it’s been on my list of favorites since I was a young woman fresh out of school. I hope it inspires you the way it does me.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
We’ve talked about SEO for your job search. Think of SEO as Skills and Experience Optimization and be mindful of the keywords you use to “optimize” your search tools, especially your cover letter and resume! But there’s another and equally important layer of optimization that you must consider: social media.
Social Media Optimization (SMO), a term I first heard from @own_your_future on Twitter, has become a required skill for job seekers and ladder climbers alike. In a study conducted just last year by Harris Interactive for CareerBuilder.com, 45 percent of employers questioned said they are using social networks like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and LinkedIn to screen candidates.
For some of you, SMO means cleaning up your social media footprint – ensuring that there are no obviously offensive comments or snaps. In the same Harris survey, 35 percent of employers decided not to offer a job to a candidate based on the content uncovered on a social networking site. I trust you know how to clean up your act.
The folks I’m really worried about are those who shun the entire idea of social networking. Just last week when I had the privilege of speaking at JobCamp in Milwaukee, I met more than a handful of people who thought that creating a social network was optional, and many more who had a basic social profile but couldn’t remember the last time they logged in. If you fall into one of these two buckets, it’s time to step up and take ownership of your online personal brand.
It is not a nice-to-have, it’s a need-to-have. Your career may very well depend on it.
My colleague Charlotte Weeks and I are hosting a 1-hour teleseminar this month for job-seekers! Sign up to learn 28 proven yet underutilized strategies to find a new a job faster. The big day is Tuesday, October 26th at 12 Noon Central Time. Can’t make it? No worries! The playback link will be provided to all registrants so even if you get called away for an interview, you’ll still be able to access the material. And all registrants will receive several Bonus Gifts including a Job Search Log, Goal Planner, LinkedIn Tip Sheet for Job Seekers and more!
I’m introducing a new blog series entitled Inspiration of the Week. If you have a favorite quote, poem, saying or verse that inspires you, be it a famous person’s meanderings or just something your grandpa used to say, send it my way. If I like it, I’ll use it!
To get things started, here is one of my favorite quotes from author Mary Anne Radmacher. I don’t remember where I read it first, but every time I read it I am reminded that I am the captain of my ship; only I know where true north is.
LIVE with intention.
Walk to the EDGE.
LISTEN hard.
Practice WELLNESS.
PLAY with abandon.
LAUGH.
CHOOSE with no regret.
Continue to LEARN.
APPRECIATE your friends.
Do what you LOVE.
LOVE as if this is all there is.
This week’s inspiration comes from singer Natasha Bedingfield and her song entitled Unwritten.
