If you really want a specific job the best way to get it is to take the risk of fully be-ing yourself, then watch the magic happen.
HAS THIS EVER HAPPENED TO YOU?
You go for a job interview. You become nervous and instead of being yourself, you try to be the person they want you to be for the position open. In other words, instead of being yourself, you depress yourself.
Several years ago, I went for an interview and was about to play the old game of "pretending" to be the person they wanted me to be rather than being myself. I had done it many times before. This time I decided not to do it even though I was terrified that if they 'knew" who I really was they would never hire me.
You see, I am too straightforward and direct. I am irreverent and passionate. Sometimes I'm too loud and other times I talk too much. I have a outrageous sense of humor that many people do not understand. My personality is a bit over the top for many companies I know but this time I was going to be myself whether I got the job or not. This was hard to do because I desperately needed the job and I was down to my last three hundred bucks.
Nevertheless, when I met the CEO who was hiring for the position, the very first thing I told him is that I didn't do interviews well. His eyes glazed over and almost rolled to the back of his head. I knew what he was thinking but I knew what I was doing, I was being myself.....and after I gave him time to settle back down...I said to him:
"I don't do interviews well because I am employed all of the time. This hasn't given me much time to practice becoming an expert at doing interviews."
He knew what I was talking about and roared with laughter and that set me free to show up as the full blown ME..... I spoke too loud and talked too much, I was straightforward and direct and I didn't back down from being me. I shared my strange sense of humor with him that made his eyes glaze over, once again, but you know what?
When all was said and done, out of the 10 finalists for the VP position I was the one he hired for the job despite the fact the other nine finalists were more qualified for the job.
The CEO told me later he hired me because he liked my style and my ability to be myself. He knew he could trust me more than most of the people, in his company, who were always kissing up to him. He found my honesty refreshing and sincere, something the other nine people never revealed to him.
It was a best job I ever had because I was hired into the job being myself and I was able to be myself every single day on that job. The best part is, I made more money on that job than any job that I had before when I was "pretending" to be something I was not!
Footnote:
I resigned my vice-president position in 1998. It wasn't the logical thing to do because the money was excellent and the perks were out of this world. However, I did resigned after receiving a life changing letter (see below) from a close friend of mine.
"Few people are brave enough to follow their hearts. It’s all too easy to opt for the security of a 9-to-5 job with good benefits and tell that voice within to shut up. Sadly, it seems that shutting up that voice tends to shut up some vital creative, spiritual element inside of us that becomes trapped, alone in the dark, able only to exert strange longings within us. However, for a fortunate few, the strange longings become too strong to ignore and the prisoner is released"
My friend's letter gave me goose bumps because it rang so powerfully true for me. My desire to inspire other people through my writings with no guarantee of making a dollar was stronger for me than all the guarantees and all the money in the world and so I resigned my vice president position and haven't looked back since.
You go for a job interview. You become nervous and instead of being yourself, you try to be the person they want you to be for the position open. In other words, instead of being yourself, you depress yourself.
Several years ago, I went for an interview and was about to play the old game of "pretending" to be the person they wanted me to be rather than being myself. I had done it many times before. This time I decided not to do it even though I was terrified that if they 'knew" who I really was they would never hire me.
You see, I am too straightforward and direct. I am irreverent and passionate. Sometimes I'm too loud and other times I talk too much. I have a outrageous sense of humor that many people do not understand. My personality is a bit over the top for many companies I know but this time I was going to be myself whether I got the job or not. This was hard to do because I desperately needed the job and I was down to my last three hundred bucks.
Nevertheless, when I met the CEO who was hiring for the position, the very first thing I told him is that I didn't do interviews well. His eyes glazed over and almost rolled to the back of his head. I knew what he was thinking but I knew what I was doing, I was being myself.....and after I gave him time to settle back down...I said to him:
"I don't do interviews well because I am employed all of the time. This hasn't given me much time to practice becoming an expert at doing interviews."
He knew what I was talking about and roared with laughter and that set me free to show up as the full blown ME..... I spoke too loud and talked too much, I was straightforward and direct and I didn't back down from being me. I shared my strange sense of humor with him that made his eyes glaze over, once again, but you know what?
When all was said and done, out of the 10 finalists for the VP position I was the one he hired for the job despite the fact the other nine finalists were more qualified for the job.
The CEO told me later he hired me because he liked my style and my ability to be myself. He knew he could trust me more than most of the people, in his company, who were always kissing up to him. He found my honesty refreshing and sincere, something the other nine people never revealed to him.
It was a best job I ever had because I was hired into the job being myself and I was able to be myself every single day on that job. The best part is, I made more money on that job than any job that I had before when I was "pretending" to be something I was not!
Footnote:
I resigned my vice-president position in 1998. It wasn't the logical thing to do because the money was excellent and the perks were out of this world. However, I did resigned after receiving a life changing letter (see below) from a close friend of mine.
"Few people are brave enough to follow their hearts. It’s all too easy to opt for the security of a 9-to-5 job with good benefits and tell that voice within to shut up. Sadly, it seems that shutting up that voice tends to shut up some vital creative, spiritual element inside of us that becomes trapped, alone in the dark, able only to exert strange longings within us. However, for a fortunate few, the strange longings become too strong to ignore and the prisoner is released"
My friend's letter gave me goose bumps because it rang so powerfully true for me. My desire to inspire other people through my writings with no guarantee of making a dollar was stronger for me than all the guarantees and all the money in the world and so I resigned my vice president position and haven't looked back since.
That was over 20 years ago and while I may not be rich from my writings, I am rich with the satisfaction of doing what I love. That kind of wealth is priceless to me.
Frederick Zappone
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