Standing Out in a Sea of Sameness

I'm 51 & have a job. Do I still need to iInterview? (Informational Interview)

There are two reasons to conduct iInterviews - (Informational interviews).

1. To learn.
2. To explore jobs, companies and industries.

Notice I didn't say to promote yourself. There are a lot of slick Willies out there who preach promoting one's self while info interviewing. No worries. You'll promote yourself whether or not you try. When you try it becomes obvious that your main intention is to promote yourself and not to learn and explore. 

To Learn

You recognize that people have been on the road you're travelling longer than you. You understand that they are an excellent source of intel, intel that you'll need to navigate towards your future. 

For instance, someone passes you on the road heading in the opposite direction. You acknowledge them and move on. A half hour later and the road is under four feet of water. What if you were to have asked that person about the road ahead? You know that answer.

We iInterview to learn about the road ahead.

If one has passionate curiosity to learn, then age become irrevlent. The art of learning is a precursor to self-development. Do you want to grow within your profession? Do you want to grow within acadamia? Do you want to grow within life? 

If you want to learn, develop and grow, go out and talk with people on the road ahead of you. Go out and iInterview.

To explore jobs, companies and industries

My newspaper sold out and I was let go. After thirty years as a reporter, I think I'd like to do something different but I'm not sure how. What do I do?

Many career coaches advise people to explore themselves. Find out about their likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses, skill, talents and dreams. I suggest buying the book What Color is Your Parachute? and follow Dick Bolles' advice on this subject. 

While you are doing that however, I also suggest that you go out on the road and talk with people. Talk with people (iInterview) who are in positions and or career fields that your'e interested in. 

"What questions should I ask?"

There are a million Websites out there that all pretty much give the same advice on iInterviewing. Then there are a couple thousand college career centers Websites that apply a clinical layer of rhetoric on top that same advice. Then there is the most clear, concise and comprehensive site on iInterviewing in the universe - Quintessential Careers. 

You should ask the questions that satiate your curiosity. 

In order to warm up that onboard curiosity, stop by these two Quintessential Career sites: Questions to Ask at the Informational Interview and 200 Informational Interview Questions.

"I'm 51 & have a job. Do I still need to iInterview?"

Yes!

If you want to learn, develop and grow in your present and or desired position, the answer is yes!

If you have even the slightest notion of changing positions and or professional fields, the answer is yes!

If you have an inclination that you might want that slightest notion, the answer is yes!

Feel like making a comment on this post? Follow this link to our Standing Out in a Sea of Sameness  Facebook page and look for the post on this review dated 12/15/2013

What is an Explorer?

Are you a student or an explorer? You are an explorer. I personally love the word student. I myself am a student, a student of life. But I think there's a cultural perception to link students with conventional educational institutions e.g., student = school. And for the last thirty years, we all know about not only the perception of traditional schools, but also the reality.

Student

Aside from the relationship between student and school I just spoke of, my stumbling block to use this term is that it implies recipient... as in being on the receiving end of a teacher. Culturally, perceptually and of course literally, there is no verb association with the term student. The implication is a student is, she exists. No verb. No action.

Explorer

While the term explorer is also a noun, it evokes action, adventure and discovery. And really, if you're a person who satiates curiousity by proactively pursuing knowledge, information, wisdom and connection, aren't you also an explorer? Of course you are. So whether or not you are actually in school or a person who explores to learn, you are an explorer.

Old Adults and Young Adults

Young Adult - I trust that you are capable of determing who a young adult is.

Old Adult - If you're not a young adult you're an old adult.

This is my simple way to determine the difference. That's it.

 

Explorer

Consider yourself an explorer. I personally love the word student. I myself am a student, a student of life. But I think there's a cultural perception to link students with conventional educational institutions e.g., student = school. And for the last thirty years, we all know about not only the perception of traditional schools, but also the reality.

Student

Aside from the relationship between student and school I just spoke of, my stumbling block to use this term is that it implies recipient... as in being on the receiving end of a teacher. Culturally, perceptually and of course literally, there is no verb association with the term student. The implication is a student is, she exists. No verb. No action.

Explorer

While the term explorer is also a noun, it evokes action, adventure and discovery. And really, if you're a person who satiates curiousity by proactively pursuing knowledge, information, wisdom and connection, aren't you also an explorer?

The Difference Between a Guide and a Mentor

You're thinking about becoming a physician's assistant. You know you want to help people but you're really not sure what a PA actually does. You muster the courage to contact a PA and set up an appointment for a half hour of her time. After that phone call you were actually quite surprised that she agreed to meet with you.

Your half-hour call with Liz went by in five-minutes. Liz agreed to answer future questions. She also gave you the name of another PA working in a different field of medicine. Time spent with Liz was enlightening. You can't wait to continue exploring.

At this point, Liz the PA is a guide.

At a recent party one of your parent's friends strikes up a conversation. Bob happens to be a PA. For some reason Bob sees a younger Bob in you. As you are an Emma, you temporarily dismiss any weirdness. You run into Bob a few months later and he invites you to spend an hour with him at the office. Bob senses your curiosity and enthusiasm. He offers to meet with you on a regular basis to help guide you through school. In return you agree to be prompt and give him your undivided attention.

Bob is a mentor.

Guides - It's up to YOU to get the guide to move from a noun to a verb. You are responsible to find them. You are responsible to set up the appointment. You are responsible to interview in order to secure information. And YOU are responsible to maintain the connection. For the sake of career exploration, there are two reasons to enlist guides.

1. To provide career and job related information in regards to their particular field of interest.
2. To provide career and job related information that will help you advance in that field.

Following your initial conversation, you ask if it would be okay to contact them in the future with questions and ask if they would be willing to refer other people who might be interested in talking with you. You thank them for their time and get a handwritten thank-you note in the mail to them by 5:00 p.m. of that day.

We'll be talking in the future about how to optimize conversations with guides and how to stay in contact with them.

Mentors - I think today's society places way too much pressure on young adults to have a mentor. If you don't have one today, no worries.

A mentor offers significantly more than a guide. Both in terms of time spent and advice given. The relationship is more structured and systematic even if it is amongst friends.

At Standing Out in a Sea of Sameness however, we're going to concentrate on guides. Ironically, if you do a good job of cultivating guide relationships and move forward with passionate curiosity anchored by respect, you might have to fight off folks from wanting to be your mentor.

Image: Woodturners of Southwest Missouri

Standing Out in a Sea of Sameness

How will you stand out from thousands and thousands and thousands of others once you have completed post-secondary education? Why would an employer choose you out of an endless sea of others? Here's a hint: It has little to do with your résumé...even if the doctor who invented college career centers personally edited yours.

Standing Out in a Sea of Sameness is designed for young adults. It really is a basic concept. You simply do things on your educational journey that others are not doing. The accumulation of your practices will make you stand out. Quick. When was the last time you handed out your contact card to a non-student? Quick. When was the last time you sent a handwritten thank-you note to someone who took time out of her day to give you advice? Quick. When was the last time you tracked down a professional in your chosen field for information?

The journey towards standing out begins with those who have traveled the road before you. We'll refer to these folks as Storytellers. Your mission is to learn from Storytellers. It also involves developing your own brand through a process which we'll refer to as Brand Light. The intent is, that upon graduation, you'll have increased opportunities and options for employment that otherwise wouldn't be available to you. The hope is that you'll stand out in a sea of sameness.

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