This morning, I braved the winter’s latest snowstorm to venture out to the University of Toronto Mississauga campus to participate in a student networking event for students studying marketing or communications.
While passing along various nuggets of advice from my own experiences, I was struck by the realization that like most things, career-planning success comes down to positioning, persistence and politeness.
Positioning, in understanding what excites you, then packaging your skills and interests into a ‘brand’ that expresses who you are and what you want to do, but is also aligned with the prerequisites and capabilities of the job you’re seeking.
Persistence, in appreciating that getting a job is partly a numbers game (first you’ve gotta get your ‘brand’ intrusively launched into the marketplace, then you need to keep on reminding your prospects about your existence until, when their need arises, you’re top-of-mind).
And finally politeness, in having the smarts to not presume that your skill-set will automatically fit the employer’s needs, but ‘taking it slow’ and respectfully asking to begin a conversation with them that ideally leads to a job.
I drove away from the session reminded about the innocence of youth, but also thankful that I’ve found a rewarding career for myself with Glue.
