A few weeks ago I was presenting to a bunch of job seekers and, as usual, had some books to hand out. I don’t have a polished way of handing them out (yet), and sometimes I forget to get rid of them all.
At the end of the presentation I was standing at the front of the room, talking to people, enjoying the networking environment, and I looked down to see the last, lone book on the desk. It stuck out since it was bright blue. It was just sitting there. My thought was:
If someone would just ask for this book, I’d give it to them!
All they had to do was let me know they wanted it… I didn’t want to give it to someone who wouldn’t be interested in it… just ask, I thought!
A few days later I saw a Group Discussion on my LinkedIn Group titled Six year old scores his dream job, posted by Adam Lewis.
I read the article thinking it had to be a hoax, and that some papers got gamed… perhaps that is the case, but it seems to be quite real.
What happened? You can read the awesome story at The Telegraph, and BBC News… in summary, a six year old kid (Sam Pointon) applied, via letter, for a job to replace the retiring director at the National Railway Museum in York (UK). The letter is adorable… check it out:
You know what this six year old did? HE ASKED! He simply asked! (go here to clearly see the content of the letter)
The person who would have asked for that book would have gotten it, because the timing was PERFECT! I didn’t want to bring it back home! I wanted to give it to someone, but I missed my chances, and I was about to have to … ugh, take it back home!
Are you ASKING for time to discuss industry issues with peers (aka, asking for informational interviews/meetings)?
Are you ASKING for introductions to key people?
Are you ASKING “who do you know who works in my industry?”
Are you ASKING friends and family for help, or advice?
Are you ASKING for _________? (you know what THE THING is to fill the blank in with)
ASK! ASK! ASK!
I totally believe what was discussed in this post is one of the keys people need for “knowledge” age job seeking. I was introduced to this paradigm in the book, “Great Work Great Career,” by Stephen R. Covey and Jennifer Colosimo. As a college student I plan on using this book once I graduate to land jobs with companies I want to work for. Check it Out. Its great.
Jason,
This is SO true! Great advice! Most job seekers are not comfortable with the “ask” and many do not even realize that they should ask. Equally important is that job seekers need to convey their interest and enthusiasm for a position. Many a job has been lost because the employer did not think the candidate was really interested.
Most people like to help. There are some who force their help on you whether you want it or not. But for most people, they will wait for someone to ask and they’re happy to assist. If you want a connection, introduction, recommendation or some other form of help, do not hesitate to ask for help. The worst someone can say is “No”, and that’s not so bad.
Lew Sauder, Author, Consulting 101: 101 Tips For Success in Consulting.