Yup, it's true. You're never too old to do your homework. The interesting difference is, in school you are taught something new, and then you go home after school armed with the new information. Subsequently, you either practice it to make it a habit, repeat it until you memorize it, or read about it until you understand, in greater detail, what you were taught. It's about assimilating new information into your brain and making sure it sticks.
As an adult, sometimes the homework we give ourselves does nothing more than remind us what we already know. Recently, I was contacted about an opportunity with an up and coming national company. I've had phone conversations with several people in the organization. Notice, I said conversations, not interviews. It's very clear that their corporate culture is not stiff, standardized and impersonal.
In the course of those exchanges, I've had the opportunity to listen to how they operate, while at the same time, getting to know the people. It wasn't until after each phone call, when I had time to digest our conversation, that I was able to interpret what we'd talked about on a higher level. Upon sharing my experience with one of my 'job search mentors,' I started to understand what I had heard, and to translate what this information truly means in terms of how things are run, and where I could potentially fit in. I followed that up with going on the internet and reading the information available there, as well as utilizing my personal network to see what else I could uncover.
In this case, "doing my homework" shows me how much my experience really has helped me. What I mean is, sometimes you don't realize how much you know until you're put in a position to use what you've learned, especially in real life scenarios. It really gave me a boost of confidence, and has allowed me to continue down this path with a renewed sense of purpose, knowing that I have the experience and the know-how to find additional information, use my intuition, and make the right decisions along the way. Wow.
Life's too short not to Laugh
That's why I practice "Sales With A Smile"
1 comment:
That is so true! I think we underestimate the value of wisdom as well. We accumulate so much knowledge during the course of our professional lives but often second guess ourselves if the position we seek is different from what we have been doing. In the end, I think companies should look for talented people and not just the experience that the position being filled requires. It is short sighted the other way!
Have a great week!
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