Hey, Seniors and Grads, LOOK OUT!
Aw, Man. Good thing I meditated this morning (which I highly recommend, by the way)…for some pointers go here: GETTING IN THE GAP.
If I hadn’t I’d be pissed right now. This kind of crap really stews my tomatoes!
I go get the paper out of the driveway and that’s the first headline I see in the CareerBuilder section.
“It can be really hard to turn down a job offer. But sometimes you should.”
Really? I should?
OK, let’s break this down so as to fully expose the debilitating, weak, passion sucking, conditioned lie that’s inherent within that headline.
“It can be really hard to turn down a job offer.”
The only reason it’d be hard for me to turn anything down – ever – is because I’m afraid that I can’t get what I really want, so I’d better settle for the best that’s offered me. Ew. That’s the definition of scarcity thinking. It’s the same as survivalist thinking. And it’s old school. Way obsolete. So 1930’s. It’s the last thing that this next generation needs to hear. The next generation workforce isn’t even a workforce. They’re a Passionforce.
“But sometimes you should.”
Sometimes? What? OF COURSE you should. In fact, you should expect that you’d turn down the majority of offers. Yes, even in this economy! That’s what the Masters do. They don’t settle. They choose to operate from the Abundant Mentality knowing that what they really want IS available, always, no matter what. So no reason to settle. I’ll create what I want and it’s as simple as that. If I say yes to something less, I’m dishonoring my life. And I’m modeling scarcity to the world.
Don’t settle.
7 Comments
Chris – yes, AND you have to have a plan. I didn’t read the article, but passion isn’t enough in this economy or any other one. . I’ve been through this with friends and former employees, and I think it’s worth adding to the mix that you may have to make extraordinary efforts to keep yourself moving in the right direction. Like taking a job that isn’t ideal but augments your resume and keeps you footloose. The TED curator gave a great speech to the Harvard GSD grads – I dont have a link but could find one – that really nicely reminded people that they have to expect to roll up their sleeves and work their asses off to give all that passion a purpose. And, if all you want is a job, and you’ve only applied enough places to get one offer, maybe you should take it…
Spoke this morning with a 24 year old “kid” (about whom I’m going to do a Miraculous Life bulletin) who chose to follow his passion, without a plan – just an intense enthusiasm – and now he’s crushing it, financially and in every other way. I disagree with you, Jeff. My own story negates your comments as well. Resumes are for people that don’t have the courage to create their own paths. By definition, a “resume” says “Am I good enough for you?” Am I good enough for you??!! PUUULLEEAASE! This world needs folks to transcend the illusion of scarcity (in this “recession”) and to trust the organizing intelligence inherent within their passions. Did we ever talk about the dialog I had with the founder of the Oneness University in India?
Chris – I’m sure you’re right. I was talking with a friend the other day about China, and I made the analogy that they’re producing great ladder climbers by the millions, but we’re making the pole-vaulters.
When I look at the message in this post on its face, I get visions of Jeff Spicolli sharing the wisdom of ‘just follow your dream’ as the smoke billows out of his van. I also see some of the ‘entitled’ employees and co-workers I’ve had, talented folks all, who want to come in and design whole buildings right out of school. They have no idea how much real knowledge they don’t have, and without a little humility (ok, a lot) they end up disillusioned and bitter. So if your passion is to create great spaces for people to live in, to enhance their lives and help knit communities back together through the built environment, it’s more than likely that you’re going to have to hand out a few resume’s along the way, just to get on the field.
I don’t know the Oneness University…
I’m fine with the sentiment as long as they’re not living (for free) in my basement or stealing my labor through gov’t entitlements while they’re pursuing their passion.
HA! Hell yeah! Agreed, Tom.
Yep. Taking the wrong job offer can put you on a trajectory that you don’t want to be on and that can have long lasting ramifications. The pressure on young people to just get a job can be intense- esp from parents. If you do take the wrong job ( even if you are thought it was the right job and found out otherwise, )DON’T stick around any longer than you have to. That whole “job hopper” thing is old thinking. Figure out what is wrong about the job and put together a plan to find something that doesn’t have that! As long as you keep building your “career self-awareness”, you will make some mistakes of course, but ultimately you will end up in a good place! Believe it!
Like our buddy, Nick Murphy says, “Never settle!”