You’re better than that

Phrase of the day: Shoot for the stars.

Most children grow up with their mothers, fathers, and mentors telling that them that they can be anything that you want to be. That inspirational speak carries over to movie scripts, television programs, and books too. Sure seems cut and dry to me. There’s nothing you can’t do.So why then did Penelope Trunk feel it was necessary to include the third rule, “Just Apply,” in her how-to-get-a-job-you’re-not-qualified-for list? Here is a little made-up case study demonstrating what I have seen happen to several friends and classmates.

A friend of mine, let’s call him Ralph, recently graduated from the University of Oregon, which made him the happiest man on the planet. The happiness only lasted a second. A month after graduation, Ralph wound up working at a locally owned restaurant. Sure, it’s common for freshly graduated students to run out and find a job immediately to start paying off student loans and credit card debts. But with Ralph showing no urgency to ditch the restaurant and start an actual career, it puzzled me. My theory for Ralph’s complacency grows from another phrase that most students learn as they approach the end of their college careers: “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” What an awful and confusing saying that is so grossly counter-intuitive to what we were taught growing up. In essence - and correct me if I am wrong - the time, money, and energy spent through my four years of higher learning was a waste. If I haven’t met someone influential that can help you land a job, than I’m out of luck.

While that may be part of it, Trunk’s second rule, “Take responsibility for your own education,” gives the power back to the graduate. She doesn’t say it directly, but Trunk’s second rule addresses the notion that when college is over, the learning is not.

When I see good people like Ralph feverishly trying to network while working a dead-end job, it is just another lesson learned for me! Whatever I learn about a possible employer after college may be more valuable to landing that job than the skills I learned in college.And if you’ve been keeping up with my blog, it looks like I’m doing just fine. Three posts and already two lessons learned to help me become successful in PR!