Show them you want it

It is important to have proper perspective and balance with respect to wants and needs. If you focus more on your professional wants and make them personal, aligning them with inherent passions, skill strengths, and interests, then you limit your exposure to materialism and living beyond your means as you simply focus on needs with respect to lifestyle.

Of course, it is important to make sure that other people are aware of how badly you want the opportunities, wide-ranging or limited, that are out there for you in a given career. Unfortunately, too many people do not convey their desire effectively, especially during the process of finding a related job.

If you have the chance to read through a stack of applications for just about any job, you can tell that many fill them out without really thinking about what they are communicating with respect to their penmanship, use of language, and degree of thoroughness or following directions. As a result, those who make the commitment to maximize applications or "first impressions" automatically have the upper hand in the selection process.

Naturally, developing personal relationships with potential employers is the most effective means of securing an opportunity in a chosen career path, but it must be complimented by showing that you are committed to their needs and efforts. Applications, cover letter, and resumes, not to mention writing samples, portfolios, and other complimenting elements of a professional profile, all serve to characterize your level of competency and professionalism.

If you have to fill out an application, make sure it is complete and easy to read. Do not simply tell the employer to refer to your resume. Take the time to fill out all of the information requested, even if it seems duplicitous. It shows that you are willing to make whatever effort is necessary to meet the expectations of others, whether they be coworkers, supervisors, or customers.

Even if resumes and cover letters are not specifically requested, make sure you include them. Also make sure that the cover letter is written directly to the given employer and does not read like a mass produced letter one could find with a dozen different applications.

These measures require taking additional time. If you are applying for many jobs, it can significantly lengthen your time commitment if you apply it to every job. So what? If you want a certain career, isn't any investment worth it?

It is important to never believe that your passion will lead you to an opportunity on its own. Effort is everything, and the example you set when you prepare materials for the job selection process is the first step obtaining a career opportunity that will maximize opportunities for personal achievement.

Fatherhood & Achievement

Yep, it's time for a corny, manufactured holiday-inspired commentary designed to draw attention to my blog. Just remember that I am not the first to utilize this lame form of synergy, nor will I be the last.

Father's Day is not really a day of rest, relaxation, or celebration. That does not diminish its importance, but in all honesty, do many fathers actually have time to just sit back and let the day pass by?

Just like with Mother's Day, the thought is the reward, as we may enjoy a little more leisurely pace at breakfast, but will find ourselves back in the grind of a normal Sunday rather quickly, squeezing out every possible minute to take care of those things (both pleasurable or laborious) requiring our attention before the demands of our professional lives returns tomorrow. For some, real "work" is as much a part of today as any other, given the realities of our modern seven-day-workweek culture.

There is an opportunity, albeit brief, for fathers to use today to reflect on their personal progress, as parents, spouses, friends, and career-minded professionals. It is not inappropriately selfish for us to ask ourselves today, "has fatherhood made me a better person?"; or, "has fatherhood enhanced my professional life?"

Personal achievement is self-defined, but our ability to ascertain our progress or level of success is heavily dependent on external factors. Daily experiences, along with life-changing events of less frequency, alter our career path, challenge our dedication to pursuits of passions and interests, and necessitate individual decisions that either lead us closer or further from the goals we set for ourselves, for better and for worse.

Parenthood is a life-changing event. My wife and I knew it would be, never mind the dozens of coworkers, friends, and family who told us relentlessly to be prepared once we found out my wife was pregnant. Since our daughter was born last February, we have worked hard to meet the challenges her presence presents for ourselves, our time, and our desire to give her the best life possible.

Most adults possess a desire, at some level, to become parents. This natural instinct does require nurturing in order to prepare oneself for the true reality of the situation once it arrives. For some, the interest never turns into a passion close to, equal, or greater than their other pursuits. Sometimes, they counteract their lack of strong desire by expressing frustration with those who are parents.

Television shows, particularly sitcoms, feature episodes where professionals without children lament and complain about their coworkers never work late or leave early because their son or daughter has a game or recital, or how they cannot enjoy a meal in a restaurant because of some crying baby in a booth across the dining room. They may even go as far as some hair brained scheme to shame the parents among them of how selfish they are in forcing their children, indirectly, upon the lives of those who "choose" not to have them, as if being childless provides a greater benefit to society.

However, this is not an article about whether or not we have a responsibility as adults, especially if we are happily and lovingly married, to have children and accept the duty of parenthood. Regardless of how you feel now, it is likely you felt differently about it at another point in life, or will feel different about it in the future. With the exception of a few (among them, my wife, whose strongest personal passion was and is motherhood) there is little consistency in our beliefs on the issue, consistent with the dominant traits of humanity.

Therefore, what does fatherhood (or motherhood) yield that enhances our lives from a professional perspective? How do we identify the arrival of our sons and daughters, and the daily challenges they create in our pursuit of personal passions and interests that often drive our goals and visible life successes, as providing strength and benefit to our careers?

First, having children often elevates our status with those around us. Parenthood is a milestone that is perceived by society to possess additional responsibility and commitment that can add value to how others assess our character. If new parents choose to recognize this change in external perspective and respond in kind by setting the right example in raising their children, as well as in their handling of professional duties, then the circumstances only magnify our potential. If we ignore and behave unprofessionally, or hold on too much to our pre-parenthood pasts, then the bestowed stature will be lost, and our presence at the workplace or within a community will fade into irrelevance.

Next, if we choose to embrace the roles and responsibilities of parenthood, we are forced to make decisions that reduce or restructure our involvement in various pursuits. Broad career goals are often drilled down to those that apply most to the skills and interests we either have the most involvement in or tie strongest to personal passions. Choosing to carefully evaluate and improve one's focus in order to strengthen career opportunities enables us to establish ourselves as knowledgeable and experienced authorities on specific topics, subjects, or skill sets, increasing our professional value. Without this channeling, an unfocused career tends not to gain master competency of anything, weakening an individuals ability to market themselves for advancement over time.

Finally, our decision-making skills as parents set examples that can greatly influence not only our like abilities in the professional world, but also the consideration of current and future supervisors, bosses, investors, or clients. Children may not always behave properly, and at times can be downright nasty. A parent's response to these circumstances, and the manner in which it either changes their child's behavior or modifies the situation as a whole, are critical evaluations of our capabilities as mature adults in the eyes of many onlookers. Mothers and fathers who handle the situation in a manner that displays confidence and obtains a positive end result earn praise and opportunities, while those who only magnify the problem with their own antics usually receive public disapproval.

In each example, the manner in which we approach the gift of parenthood is the key to its potential impact on our ability to pursue and achieve in the professional world. Whether we want it or not, the arrival of a child does automatically identify us to everyone else as mothers and fathers. We cannot avoid these labels, and it is in our best interest, with respect to the future of our newest family members and the potential for personal career success, to embrace these new identities and display the same commitment to their responsibilities as we have to our other passions and interests.

On this Father's Day, I can reflect on the year-and-a-half of experience my daughter has provided me and recognize how she is responsible for a great deal of success in my own career. This is not the best gift she gives me today, for her presence, love, and trust are far greater blessings that cannot be compared. However, we would all be blind if we did not see just how much the lives of our children add not only to our world at home with family, but also to our success in the professional workplace.

How's your portfolio?

One of the best things I did when I started looking for work as a college graduate was to assemble a comprehensive portfolio that both listed and provided examples of my education, professional experience, and skill sets.

Whether your are employed or unemployed, novice or experienced, a career portfolio is a strong personal asset, both in hard and electronic format. Recent UNC-CH graduate and employed professional Courtney Miller provides some excellent starting tips in a guest post to Tar Heels in Transit. Along with some common-sense (and often ignored) suggestions on formatting and regular updating of information, Courtney recommends providing summaries of writing summaries so the reader/interviewer can understand the context of your submission. This is an excellent idea, and I look forward to incorporating it with my portfolio in the future.

Can friends really help you overcome setbacks?

Among the recommendations Alexandra Levit offers in her recent Wall Street Journal column on overcoming career setbacks is to rely upon friends to help deal with negativity and rejection. As suggested in the article by author Tim Ferriss, "I recommend long dinners with at least two friends... (and) Ignore naysayers unless they've specifically done what you're trying to do."

This may sound like an effective response to many. However, as much as we enjoy the positive support of those we know, we have to be careful not to let too much positive reinforcement enable or increase personal ego to an unacceptable level. Friends and family who chose to simply offer positive feedback without any critical analysis are not much better than a empty-headed "yes man" if their advice hinders your recognition of potential personal deficiencies.

Isolation is a tough environment, but it is often critical to understanding your strengths, abilities, and passions. Achievement does not stop with setbacks. In fact, it is often driven and enhanced from the lessons we learn from times of difficulty, as the Levit article also suggests. If the cloud of empty praise clouds your ability to honestly evaluate yourself, future success depends on independent self-reflection.

When it comes to your life and college, be selfish

Britney Wasserman, a student at UNC-Chapel Hill and intern at the Pope Center for High Education Policy, contributed a first-hand account of the decisions that landed her in an unpleasant predicament for the first 2 years of her collegiate experience. Initially, she started at North Florida University, after passing up an opportunity to attend Florida State (where my sister will soon start her Master's program) due to the interests of someone other than her self: her boyfriend.

It is very easy for any of us, especially in our early years, to attempt to please those whom we care about most (teachers, parents, mentors, significant others) by valuing their interests above ours. This is perfectly fine when we are thinking about where to go out to dinner, but there is no place for it when we are faced with life-changing events like going to college or choosing a career path. Advice and counsel can be welcomed, but in the end, our personal interests must take priority above all other factors, even those of loved ones, in guiding our final choices.

Britney's story had a happy ending, even with the breakup with her boyfriend. I saw this to some degree while an undergrad, given that Tennessee Tech did have a regional student body with plenty of high school couples. Unlike a weaker and disinterested North Florida, TTU is a proven institution with a strong academic tradition, respected programs, and an overachieving faculty in numerous subjects. However, regardless of the prestige of the college, if it is not the right fit for the individual student, the chances of success are minimal (as they were for many of my former temporary classmates).

Being selfish when it comes to your college (especially given the money involved), or your career, is the responsible course of action. It could even mean that the best interest of your future would be better served on a path that doesn't involve traditional higher education (though will require some form of lifelong learning, as all careers and pursuits do). Regardless the case, if you have researched and identified a prudent path to achieving through the pursuit of personal passions, do not let the interests of anyone stand in your way.

Read "Shop Class as Soulcraft"

Last week, I took the time to read the original "Shop Class as Soulcraft" essay by Matthew Crawford from the Summer 2006 issue of The New Atlantis. He recently extended the argument for the importance of industrial arts in academics and society as a whole into a book receiving strong positive reviews. If you are still uncertain of your future, or uncertain how society should address problems related to employment, personal prosperity, and encouraging self worth, this is definitely a piece worth your time.

Do not take Crawford literally in a manner that would lead you believe that he wants to turn back the clock on progress. Instead, if we consider his case for the reemergence of "craftsmanship" as a positive professional characteristic, as opposed to the current state of a culture of generalist, this links directly to the focus on personal passion with respect to dominant skills sets and talents many are encouraging as guides for future individual success. Not all craftsman may be proficient with tools, but their success lies in a skilled, physical approach to their careers. Redirecting our enthusiasm to what we can create rather than what we can consume is essential in order to diversify our individual and societal economies.

I will buy the book soon and work on an extended review of its content and application to personal career development.

Handling the "Worthless Crap" label

I knew I would eventually find one of these posts to work with that was recent and relevant. Courtesy of "Captain Capitalism" (h/t Phi Beta Cons) we have another example of perhaps the most common criticism made of many seeking career opportunities or life direction that do not "have a plan" or know where to go: they are "worthless crap."

In this case, the blogger hypothesizes that government does not work because its officials have the wrong backgrounds. Using his home state (Minnesota) legislature as an example, he argues that only 19% of its members earned college degrees in "worthy" subjects. He considers worth degrees to be those that "actually have some kind of net positive benefit to society," while the remainder majored in "'worthless freaking crap'... degrees rich spoiled kids pursue as a hobby with no real intention of ever finding a real job."

There is no need to provide his lists for each category. You know them already because your academic pursuits (past, present, or future) have likely been labeled by many people (parents, teachers, friends, and so on) as either having tangible, productive value, or simply "worthless" endeavors that will provide no benefit beyond the classroom. Captain Capitalism does argue that many business management degrees (not Accounting or Economics, but those involving procedural topics such as general management and HR) as worthless, too.

In the end, our theorist contends that the difference between worthy and worthless has to do with the presence (or lack thereof) of mathematics in the chose field of study:

"The MORE math a major has, the LESS likely these lazy slobs are to pick it as a major. Ergo, they are not majoring in a discipline or study that actually will produce something of worth to society, they choose to major in a hobby that requires little to no math simply because math is difficult."

Of course, all of this is only serving to depress many of you. Perhaps you are thinking back to your classroom days, whether it be high school or college, and are asking yourself "if I had only done my math homework" or "I should have listened to that career counselor and chosen medicine over philosophy."

Nothing will change your past. Honestly, you really do not need to. If you are not sure about your interest in such an intensive career as medicine, engineering, accounting, or another form of applied science, there is no guarantee that you would have continued on the path to completion. More than likely, you would have dropped off somewhere along the way, feeling even more disenchanted with your future. That does not mean that you can simply ignore the importance of work ethic and understanding the concept of certainty (both developed through the study of math and applied sciences) either.

The key fact to consider is that your choices are not "worthless," even if they are wrong. A former (and my only) college roommate earned his first degree in music education. I could tell he had strong analytical characteristics and impressive work ethic and personal discipline that enabled him to excel at his chosen instruments. However, less than a year after graduating, with a few months of high school music teaching under his belt, he visited our school again to look at a degree in engineering (don't know much else, but I think he is doing well regardless).

Does any of this mean his first four years of college were "worthless?" Absolutely not! Neither was my first year as an engineering major and four subsequent years earning degrees in history and political science. Our initial paths may not work out completely, but they serve to show us what our true passions are and how our skills and talents can best incorporate them into a successful career. My youngest sister may have a degree in dance, but she is by no means "worthless" when you consider that she also manages productions, teaches dance to children, sews and stitches costumes for almost everyone she knows, and builds sets.

There is, however, "worthless crap" amongst us. You cannot identify it on the basis of a credential or diploma, for these qualifiers tell us little about the person who possesses them. The key is their backgrounds, experiences, and results. For every philosophy major who "contemplates their navel" before heading off for their half-shift at the local free-trade coffee shop, there is likely one who owns a successful business that succeeded by tying their education to other interests and personal strengths.

There is also, very likely, an accounting or engineering graduate depressed about the world around them, unable to contribute because while they possess the analytical skills sets, they do not have the passion or desire to apply them. None of these people are "worthless," but in some cases, the intentions and directions they received along their path might as well be.

From a policy perspective, I can agree with the writer that government does possess a strong percentage of people who do not possess the experience and perspective to understand the impact of their decisions and policies on the public they are supposed to serve. Often times, as a professional public administrator, I question my own understanding of this critical dynamic. The point about the importance of math is also very applicable. It was a favorite school subject for my father and his parents, and I enjoyed it as well (being the only History/Political Science major to graduate that year with a full year of Calculus).

My professional success is tied directly to my analytical abilities, especially when it comes to math. However, effective perspective requires knowledge of many other subjects and disciplines. In public policy, given the requisite to achieve and maintain equity with respect to a given service or activity, one must consider the history, philosophical backgrounds, and other aspects of the public and the jurisdiction as a whole.

There is also something else lacking in Captain Capitalism's arguments that is most troubling. At no point does the writer mention the role of faith, as an element of character or component in proper decision making and work ethic. Faith is the key to uncovering passion and tying it to our natural talents and abilities. Faith is not a set process, but rather a vehicle for spiritual exploration with no certainty of timeline or limits on false starts and failures. We might want to find our way to our "chosen" futures as quickly as possible, but faith is more concerned in directing us to where we really want to go, no matter how long the trip.

Nothing that helps lead someone to a future of achievement, however we as individuals interpret it, is "worthless crap." In the end, that seems to be the most contradictory component of Captain Capitalism's argument. Capitalism succeeds best in an environment that respects individual liberty, which encourages the individual, not those around them, to prioritize the value they place on themselves above how they are considered by others. If we limit declarations of value to those with certain academic pursuits or careers and discourage them from the pursuit of their passions, then we turn against the environment that enables the greatest possible success and opportunity for all. In some ways, we have seen that for long enough already.