You really want a job? Think Opportunity.

May 8, 2014

Mike Rowe (of Dirty Jobs fame) and Cindy Leive (Editor in Chief of Glamour magazine) have some definitive advice on getting a job. When Mike Rowe is asked for advice on jobs from a young man who “want[s] a career that will always keep me happy, but can allow me to have a family and get some time to travel,” his response is summed up at the end of an email: “Stop looking for the “right” career, and start looking for a job. Any job. Forget about what you like. Focus on what’s available. Get yourself hired. Show up early. Stay late. Volunteer for the scut work. Become indispensable. You can always quit later, and be no worse off than you are today. But don’t waste another year looking for a career that doesn’t exist. And most of all, stop worrying about your happiness. Happiness does not come from a job. It comes from knowing what you truly value, and behaving in a way that’s consistent with those beliefs.” Well said Mike. And I would add “it’s not forever – its just a stepping stone.”

Cindy Leive’s recent article “Six Reasons Why I would Hire You” posted in Glamour’s states that interviewers will be impressed with the following six traits:
-You have done your homework about the company
-You have passions both professionally and personally about things you care about
-You look pulled together and look like you want the job in your appearance
-You can think on your feet—a “relax, I have this” attitude when something goes wrong
-You did not talk badly about your past employer
-You ask for the job…. “This position sounds perfect. I’d love to work here.”

What qualities are at work here? Stong work ethic, humility, and looking at a job as an opportunity.




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