Build the Ark
My last post detailed my interpretation of Thomas Edison's great quote, "every thing comes to him who hustles while he waits."
I just wanted to share an example of how I used this mentality to land a new job. One where I received a 25% pay increase. One where I will have the ability to work from home. One where I will receive wonderful perks like a company car. So how did I land such a great opportunity you ask?
For one thing I did not seek the role, my phone rang one day and it was someone I knew who recommended that I apply for the position. When I heard of all the great benefits, I had no choice but to update my resume and send it out.
As soon as I officially applied for the job, I spent the next week or so desperately waiting by the phone for the call. After becoming fed up with the anxiety I was experiencing by just passively waiting, a thought came in my head. I thought to myself, "when Noah was told the world would be flooded by rain, he did not sit around and look for signs of rain, he immediately started to build the ark.
I knew that I had to build my ark while waiting for the manifestations of the rain. So I asked myself, "what could I do to prepare for this new role?" The answer was obvious as I looked around my home office. Aside from the PC and desk, it appeared more like a storage room than an office. I immediately went to work on throwing out stuff I didn't need, moving out items that had no business in that room, and buying some accessories to make it look more appropriate for work. All this was in preparation for my new job.
The next day I got the call.....
After my first meeting with my soon to be boss, she hinted that I visit some of the various locations of the company I would work for to see if I notice some areas of opportunity with regards to operations. I took that advice to the extreme and proceeded to visit as many different locations as I could. I spoke to employees and managers to obtain even more valuable information. By the time we met again, I regaled her with all of the accounts of my store visits. Needless to say, she was impressed by the amount stores I visited and depth of the feedback I was able to provide her.
Next came the final interview. I was flown to corporate headquarters to meet a plethora of directors and VPs. After Googling each of their names for any info I was able to obtain from the web, I felt confident enough to speak with each of the five individuals about the direction of the organization. I arrived with a fierce determination to leave the absolute best impression on each individual as I possibly could. I wanted them to feel the enthusiasm I had for this role. I wanted them to believe, as much as I did, that I was the one to take on this fantastic opportunity.
Some of the other actions I took to prepare for the interview was:
*I watched a copy of the Secret for the millionth time.
*I edited a copy of the interview agenda they sent me to include my name, the job title and the name of the company in one line at the very top of the page.
*I practiced my "I'm gonna miss you guys" speech that I would give to my current co-workers.
* I visualized myself in the new role.
*I did everything else in my power to take on the emotions of someone who already had received the job.
After the final interviews were completed, I could honestly say to myself that day could not have gone any better. The hiring team told me that all the candidates would hear something in four business days. They called back at 9:30 am on the second business day and offered me the position. Needless to say, I was extremely pleased to accept the offer.
Would I have gotten the offer if I hadn't gone above and beyond to make sure that I landed the job? I can't honestly say that I would have. Someone else could have easily out shined me if I didn't proceed with an unwavering determination to get that job. I spent every possible moment thinking of various ways to stand out from the crowd. My mind was very attentive to ideas and insights that I could use to my benefit. As I opened my mind in expectation for great ideas, great ideas came to me.
Think about something that you really want to realize. Could it be possible to incorporate such intense positive action that you will most certainly achieve it?
How can you begin to build your ark while in expectation of the rain?
I just wanted to share an example of how I used this mentality to land a new job. One where I received a 25% pay increase. One where I will have the ability to work from home. One where I will receive wonderful perks like a company car. So how did I land such a great opportunity you ask?
For one thing I did not seek the role, my phone rang one day and it was someone I knew who recommended that I apply for the position. When I heard of all the great benefits, I had no choice but to update my resume and send it out.
As soon as I officially applied for the job, I spent the next week or so desperately waiting by the phone for the call. After becoming fed up with the anxiety I was experiencing by just passively waiting, a thought came in my head. I thought to myself, "when Noah was told the world would be flooded by rain, he did not sit around and look for signs of rain, he immediately started to build the ark.
I knew that I had to build my ark while waiting for the manifestations of the rain. So I asked myself, "what could I do to prepare for this new role?" The answer was obvious as I looked around my home office. Aside from the PC and desk, it appeared more like a storage room than an office. I immediately went to work on throwing out stuff I didn't need, moving out items that had no business in that room, and buying some accessories to make it look more appropriate for work. All this was in preparation for my new job.
The next day I got the call.....
After my first meeting with my soon to be boss, she hinted that I visit some of the various locations of the company I would work for to see if I notice some areas of opportunity with regards to operations. I took that advice to the extreme and proceeded to visit as many different locations as I could. I spoke to employees and managers to obtain even more valuable information. By the time we met again, I regaled her with all of the accounts of my store visits. Needless to say, she was impressed by the amount stores I visited and depth of the feedback I was able to provide her.
Next came the final interview. I was flown to corporate headquarters to meet a plethora of directors and VPs. After Googling each of their names for any info I was able to obtain from the web, I felt confident enough to speak with each of the five individuals about the direction of the organization. I arrived with a fierce determination to leave the absolute best impression on each individual as I possibly could. I wanted them to feel the enthusiasm I had for this role. I wanted them to believe, as much as I did, that I was the one to take on this fantastic opportunity.
Some of the other actions I took to prepare for the interview was:
*I watched a copy of the Secret for the millionth time.
*I edited a copy of the interview agenda they sent me to include my name, the job title and the name of the company in one line at the very top of the page.
*I practiced my "I'm gonna miss you guys" speech that I would give to my current co-workers.
* I visualized myself in the new role.
*I did everything else in my power to take on the emotions of someone who already had received the job.
After the final interviews were completed, I could honestly say to myself that day could not have gone any better. The hiring team told me that all the candidates would hear something in four business days. They called back at 9:30 am on the second business day and offered me the position. Needless to say, I was extremely pleased to accept the offer.
Would I have gotten the offer if I hadn't gone above and beyond to make sure that I landed the job? I can't honestly say that I would have. Someone else could have easily out shined me if I didn't proceed with an unwavering determination to get that job. I spent every possible moment thinking of various ways to stand out from the crowd. My mind was very attentive to ideas and insights that I could use to my benefit. As I opened my mind in expectation for great ideas, great ideas came to me.
Think about something that you really want to realize. Could it be possible to incorporate such intense positive action that you will most certainly achieve it?
How can you begin to build your ark while in expectation of the rain?
Comments