On several occasions when i was in industry, I resigned from one job before beginning to search for another. But I never accepted a new job without a significant salary increase. One PE even commented during an interview: "Bill, I know you are unemployed, yet you act as if you had a million dollars. What's your secret?" My secret, which enabled me to deal from strength under any circumstances, was this: I knew my own strengths. I spent a considerable amount of time working on my resume, making sure I wrote down every useful and appropriate bit of experience in my background. Knowing my strengths and remembering my accomplishments gave me tremendous self-confidence. I knew that I was a unique individual who had much to offer to the company that hired me. I also knew my job goal. I knew exactly what position I wanted, the industry, the kind of company, the location, and the compensation. Because I knew my own strengths and experience, I was confident that I could do an outstanding job in the position I decided upon.
When I was a job hunter, I knew the company or organization I was interviewing with. I studied the company's history, products, and financial position. I knew the backgrounds of some of the leading executives, including, if possible, the executive or executives with whom I interviewed. In most cases I even knew why this company was seeking my services. I made it my business to learn as much as I could before the interview. As a result, I sometimes knew as much about the company, in a general way, as the executive who was doing the interviewing.
Finally, I knew what the outcome of my campaign would be. I have seen many other executives, professionals, managers, and students find terrific jobs. I knew that I was at least as good in my own field and was confident of my ability to find a great job, myself. I knew that in some way I was superior to all other job seekers for the same job ... to all of my competitors.
I don't know whether you are confident right now or not. I do know that in your field of choice you, too, are superior over all of your competitors in some way. I know this from many years' experience. I have never met a man or woman that i am not superior to in some way. However, I never met a man or woman who wasn't superior to me in some way, too. I know that the same is
True of you.
By the time you complete this article, you will be as confident as I was.
How Ray S. Got a Great Job Through a Positive Mental Attitude
Ray S. was a young Air Force officer. He completed his service and sought a job as an engineer with an aircraft company. Ray considered his own background. He had a bachelor's degree in engineering from a respectable school. He had four years' experience as an engineer in the Air Force, where he had performed as a project manager and was responsible for the development of aircraft subsystems exceeding a million dollars per year. Ray had done very well in directing these government programs and had been commended by his supervisor.
Before beginning his campaign, Ray wrote down everything he had done during this pe- riod; after a few days he had several pages of notes. By this time he really knew his strengths. Next. Ray began to think about his goal. He knew he wanted to work for an aircraft company. Because his background was entirely in project management, and because he both enjoyed and excelled at this type of work, Ray decided to pursue it as a career. He began to investigate several aerospace companies. He discovered very quickly that his limited experience made it difficult to move into the kind of job he wanted, given the business climate of the aerospace industry at that time.
Ray did not give up. He learned of a company in a foreign country that was seeking American expertise in building up its aerospace capabilities. The company offered the type of position he sought at a higher salary than he had expected. Ray now had a fully defined job pal. To prepare himself, he studied the company and read up on the country. By the day of the interview Ray was ready. He knew that his campaign would be successful whether this Particular company hired him or not. He also knew that he would do well in the interview. He was self-confident and had a positive mental attitude.
It is not remarkable that Ray S. was hired. What is remarkable is that he managed to secure a position at a level higher than 80 percent of the other American engineers who were hired. despite the fact that they had from 2 to 25 years more experience than Ray.
Thanks to John Peterson for this great article!