Standing Out in a Sea of Sameness

To Sell is Human Meets Field Notes' Aaron Draplin

Commemorating publication of his new book, To Sell is Human, Dan Pink is including a limited and customized edition of the Field Notes Memo Book. Here is the rest of the freebies you get if you pre-order the book before December 31, 2012. Should you decide to take advantage of this one time offer, simply follow the What You Need to do directions in Dan's post.

You know, this isn't about spending sixteen dollars and some odd change for a book. It's learning about a mindset that will help you navigate society today, in the 21st century. It's tapping into the essence of what makes us human and using it to communicate with others. And to get a feel for what humanness looks like, I'd like you to meet Aaron Draplin, creator of Field Notes. Talk about a guy, a regular guy. I love Aaron's passion-to-know!!

Tell me that you don't want to collect something after watching Aaron. I dare you. 

Field Notes Brand: From Seed from Coudal Partners on Vimeo.

Aaron is the kind of guy that Dan partners with? That's reason enough to buy his book! Again, go here to take advantage of the freebies and pre-order your book.

Did You Always Wanna be a....?

Dear Old Adult,

Did you always want to be a...(fill in your present job or career)? Are you content with the path taken to get there? Could there have been a more effective route?

When asked these questions most people say they wouldn't change a thing. Mostly because their experience forged who they are today. Of course there is truth to that. But still, dontcha wish just a teeny bit? To know then what you know now.

Now, how about all those kids walking towards the same cliff that you and I blindly and naively walked over? Sure life is about the experience, the journey. But wouldn't it be nice to alleviate some of their pain? Wouldn't it be nice to help them become more effective at an earlier age? Wouldn't it be nice to see them be able to make a difference in other's lives earlier in their lives? And about this nice-thing. It might end up in the top five of joy-givers in your life. We're getting around to that.

So how do you help young adults from meeting their demise on the jagged rocks below?

You paint a vivid picture of your profession's landscape, illustrating required education, job-related details, challenging, worthwhile and frustrating job aspects and career pathways. You tell them what you like and what you dislike. The intent is to supply information to help them make a decision as to whether or not your profession is worthy of a higher level of consideration.

Most young adults do not have a firm grasp on what people working in fields of interest actually do. An example is engineering. It's not uncommon for nearly fifty percent of the students in engineering schools to drop their major by the end of their freshman year. They just didn't realize what engineers do. (Getting Real, Gray, page 9)

The onus however, is not on you my old adult friend. It is on the student or as I refer to them, the explorer. It is up to them to find you. Or for them to utilize a person such as myself to help facilitate a connection.

Here is my working theory that is behind what I write. A young adult asks you for twenty to thirty minutes of your time. She is gathering information to assist in guiding career path decisions. She arrives smartly dressed and on time at your place of business. As she asks questions you cannot help but to notice how passionately curious she is to learn. It's in her body language, her eyes and her voice. And, unlike other people you encounter during the workday, she listens to you. Finishing up the conversation she asks if you could refer someone who would be willing to hold a similar conversation. You were so impressed by the respect she afforded and her demeanor, you offered to personally call your colleague and set up an appointment.

The next day a hand-written thank you note arrives in the mail. The young lady thanks you again for your time and reflects back on a point or two that you made. You feel quite satsified with the whole experience and wonder how her future will turn out. Later on in the year you receive another card from her and six months later another card. Five years later and you're still receiving cards from this young woman. She continuously updates you on her career and educational progress. A few times she reflected back on advice that you had given her and in the manner it helped you. That made you feel good. Real good.

One day you receive a phone call from our diligent young adult. She is wondering if you might be able to make a connection for her. I don't have to tell you how fast you acted in helping her. And that made you feel good. Real good.

The effort it took you to originally speak with this young adult: minimal (and enjoyable). The time spent on that first interview: thirty minutes. Time collectively spent reading all her correspondence: forty-five minutes. Value that YOU receieved from this relationship: priceless. 

There is a more than fair chance that you are taking me up on my suggestion to read this. If so, and you are interested in helping to guide and offer career advice to a young adult, please contact me.

Again, the onus is on the explorer to seek you out. Please consider allowing me to point them in the right direction.

 

Exploring Career Pathways: Need Project Participants

For every one-hundred kids who enter ninth grade, approximately twelve graduate from college and find work that is commensurate with their degree*. And how many of those twelve do you suppose are really happy doing what they're doing? Statistically speaking, about 5.4. And these figures are based on kidsgoing to college. 

How do you avoid the agony of not being able to score a job that's commensurate with your abilities and one that you love? How do you avoid the excruciating financial pain of paying tens of thousands of dollars for a college degree only to discover you're really not interested in that field? How do you stand out from the thousands of other young adults who are following your career path?

You explore career pathways or enhance the one you're already on. 

How do you do that you ask?

The secret is to learn from those on the road ahead of you and stay connected to them.

I am looking for a half dozen or so people between the ages of sixteen and twenty-one who would like to participate in a project designed to help young adults explore and or enhance career pathways. The ideal candidate will possess:

• a strong desire to learn
• an insatiable and passionate curiosity
• ease in communicating via Skype and or Google docs
• a commitment to explore
• respect for themself and others

If you fit the bill or know of anyone who is interested, please contact me at david (dot) rothacker (at) gmail (dot) com.

I've been working with one gentleman for the last month or so and we've made considerable progress. It's amped up my enthusiasm to the point where I'm anxious to help others! (Jason is available for a referral upon request).

 We're going to be following the Storytelling and Brand Light points I describe here in my Standing Out in a Sea of Sameness methodology. I am also very big on Design Thinking but for the present will not be using it.

 *Getting Real by Kenneth Gray

Storytellers

Storytellers are those who have traveled down the road before you. They possess the knowledge, wisdom and understanding that you're in need of. They might or might not be in your chosen field. And if you do not as yet have a chosen field, many will be in a position to provide information that will assist in helping you choose one. Your intent is to learn from storytellers.

Storytellers come in all shapes and sizes. They could be upper classmen, graduates, professors, alumni, businesspeople, association members, managers, relatives, the guy who cuts your hair or the girl who does your nails.

 

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.

Visit our Standing Out in a Sea of Sameness Facebook page for more.