The People You Will Meet
One of the things that helps put a smile on my face each day is the daily section of comics in my morning newspaper. In a recent strip there was reference to the Dr. Seuss book, “The Places You Will Go.” The strip started with one of the characters reading the book. He then jotted down the places he went that day. Basically the list said 3 things. He got up, he went to work and then he went to bed. In the final strip of the panel he said to another character, “Life is more exciting when you are 5 years old.”
While I got a chuckle out of the strip, it did register with me in the following way. Many days I have the privilege of meeting a variety of different people. These people are not celebrities. They often don’t think of themselves as special. But, for me each and every one of them are unique. Initially I may learn about the work they do or have done in the past. However, in speaking to them more I learn about what drew them to those activities, what they enjoyed in doing them, and how what they do is a major part of their life. In doing so, I get to know an individual “below the surface” of just an initial superficial meeting.
How does that then impact my life? If the person ultimately becomes one of my clients it helps me in helping them about developing both written and oral messages to explain what it is they do and what it is they offer to others. Those items may have terms such as a resume’, or a verbal pitch, but at their essence they are helping to connect that individual to others that they are meant to serve or that may hire them. For others, they become “go to people” for me when I need a particular expert to help with a challenge or problem in my life. Going even deeper, they become possible resources for others I meet. It happens frequently that I’ll be talking or working with an individual and say, “I need to introduce you to (someone in my network).” Something clicks with me that I have heard this type of language before, or this type of passion for a topic. I then recall where, and the inspiration to connect two individuals who may not know each other comes to me as something which I must act upon.
However, it is more than that. The world of job search coaching, which is an integral part of my life, drives off of people connecting with other people. I don’t just mean the ones you meet when you answer a job add and you are granted an interview. In fact, my becoming well versed in the field of job search actually finds that is one of the more unlikely and impersonal ways you will meet people. Meeting people in job search involves attending events or meetings, seeking them out and introducing yourself, or learning from people you already know, possible contacts for you to meet. It is being open to the fact that given the choice, people will first want to hire people first that they know or who have worked with before. Absent that, they’re usually looking for recommendations from close acquaintances or friends of possible candidates to fill their need. Absent that, they’ll then, sometimes begrudgingly, put out an open ad for candidates. So, individuals getting to know you and what you are about, may ultimately lead to them seeing you as someone to hire to address a problem or opening they may have.
Dr. Seuss had it right. If you approach life with a sense of wonder, and are open to the fact that there is uniqueness in everyone you meet and the circumstances you will come across, it can really be a fascinating way to live. And, unlike the character in my comic strip that type of wonderment and joy does not have to go out of your life after your 5th birthday. The opportunity is always there to continue to build on it.
