Careering and Re-Careering for the 90’s?!?!?

by Travis Luther

Nope, this isn’t an old edition of the newsletter. That’s the title of a book I purchased
recently at the Auraria Campus Library. Once a year they weed out their collection and for $3 a bag, you can buy some of the most interesting crap printed in book form. But, as the 90’s are fast approaching, I thought it best I get on board and….wait a second. The 90’s are long gone, especially in dog years. What I found interesting enough about the book to buy it, was it’s timeless advice, which the book touts will give you “skills and strategies for shaping your future”. Doing a little research, I found the author has a plethora of other career books on the market, including ones related to Re-Careering for the 80’s and recently one subtitled Re-Careering in the New Boom Bust Economy. Obviously, there is a lot changing from decade to decade in terms of positioning yourself for the next big wave of career shake-ups. Or is there? It appears from all of the books on the market that the only stable occupation form decade to decade is a career as a career author!

Now before you all run out and trade in your PDA’s for typewriters, I wanted to point out that some things are timeless. I’ve looked into other career books by other career authors (that’s why this newsletters a little late this month, I was buried in them) and no matter what decade you’re Careering or Re-Careering for, there are some consistent great points from all the books to bear in mind. The points below are some I have gathered and some of my thoughts on what they mean today. Even if you are quite pleased with where you are at, these items can help elevate you in your current position.

Choose Your Future
I have a little brother who, for a very long time, let life happen to him rather than making it happen. I was constantly telling him “Matt, you have to stop moving up and down and start moving forward.” As long as he continued to borrow money from me, he had to listen. He grew very tired of that and I’m happy to announce he will be graduating from college this June. The point is, it’s a lot easier to sit around and complain about what you don’t have than to work hard to get it. From Good to Great talks about the difference between a Show Horse and a Work Horse. Nothing you want from life comes from looking pretty. You have to get up every morning and plow that field.

Discipline your Thinking
This is a hard one. You are what you eat and what you think! A good baseball player has a .250 batting average. That average is good enough to earn millions of dollars a year in the MLB but it also means that that player only gets it right 25% of the time! The other 75% of the time he’s striking out or flying out to the outfield. You have to believe that every time you take a swing, you’re going to knock one out of the park. No matter how many times you’ve struck out or popped out, when someone hands you the bat, you better be ready to earn those millions! You have to spend time in the batting cage, envisioning those home runs. You also have to practice your celebratory laps around the bases so you don't run into anybody or trip (be a humble player). And you have to remember to get right back to the dugout, because in not too long, your going to be up to bat again!

Choose the Right Resources
I believe it was Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks, who when once asked about his success replied, “Hire people smarter than you and then get the hell out of their way.” I believe the best resources are people. No interview is ever as scary for the interviewee as it is for the person who has to do the hiring! You have to make smart hiring decisions. You also have to choose and pursue leaders in the company that you can surround yourself with. I am only a good guitar player because I surrounded myself with musicians who were MUCH better than I.

Take Initiative: Empower Yourself
NOTHING makes me happier that an employee with an idea and a plan. Even if that employee has 99 bad ideas, never discourage them from thinking. Eventually they will stumble upon something brilliant! Why? Because their always thinking about ways to improve the company. Take initiative to develop the projects you want to work on. Do the very best at what you’re assigned and then don’t be afraid to approach your boss because you’re worried they’ll think your stupid. A good employer needs thinkers, not just doers. Empower yourself.