Are You Ready to Make Your Big Career Move? 

He had just graduated from college with a Liberal Arts degree and a few journalism courses under his belt. Having decided in his senior year that he wanted to be a writer, he reached out to me on social media and asked for a job.

“What moxie!” I thought. “I’ll bet the only things you’ve ever written were classroom assignments!”

I was right about that. But as it turned out, he had caught me at exactly the right time. I had about two dozen writing projects that were lost in Tomorrowland, and I needed help. So, even though I wasn’t sure what he could be bringing to the table skill-wise, I offered him a part-time, paid apprenticeship.

Alas, he turned out to be very much a beginner. He was smart and eager to learn. But I could see that it was going to take a year or two before he would be able to save me more time than he would be costing me.

I pushed forward anyway. I gave him small research and writing assignments that I felt he could handle. And though I could tell that he was struggling, he worked diligently. And punctually.

We were making progress. It was slow-going, but it was going – and that was good enough for me. I would adjust myself to the pace. In a year or two, he would have the skills to really ease my workload.

And then one day, out of the blue, he told me that he was applying for a full-time writing position… and could I give him a recommendation?

What moxie!

I was shocked. Shocked that he was looking for a full-time job while he was working with me. And shocked that he felt ready to compete in a much more challenging arena.

I told him that I couldn’t recommend him for the job because I didn’t think he was ready for it. (This was more than speculation. I knew both the company he was applying to and the job he was applying for.)

I think that’s the only time I’ve refused to give someone a letter of recommendation. It would have been easy to write one that mentioned only his positive qualities, of which there were many. But I didn’t think that would do him any good. Had he gotten the job, I was certain he couldn’t hack it.

But I did not discourage him from going forward with his application. There are some things in life you have to learn on your own.

As it turned out, he didn’t get that writing job… but he did get another one. And after a few more weeks of working with me, he was gone.

The ingredients of success include intelligence, a strong work ethic, and ambition. He certainly has all three. If he has the self-esteem to endure the challenges he will be experiencing in his new job, and if his employer is willing to be patient, he may succeed.

I hope he does.

Listen Up, Tyros! 

Moxie is a gift. The challenge for young people entering into any competitive field is to have the guts to go for more, but to make their move when they are ready.

My motto is Ready, Fire, Aim. Not Ready, Aim, Fire… but not Fire, Ready, Aim, either.

What that means in this context is that I believe in ambitiously pursuing your career.  So kudos to this young man for having the moxie to reach out to me when he did.

But when you discover that you don’t have the knowledge and skills to thrive at the level you are at, you have to direct your efforts towards acquiring them – not to taking on another, more challenging job. (And that’s to say nothing of the message you send when you quickly jump from one job to another.)

I don’t know. There are no definite “rules” for success. But here are a few suggestions for any young person out there looking to move up quickly:

1. Don’t be timid about applying for a beginner-level apprenticeship program. There is absolutely nothing better you can do for yourself than get mentored by an expert – and especially an expert that has a reputation in the industry.
2. If you do land an apprenticeship, understand that you will be judged on your intelligence, your competence, and your agreeableness the moment you show up on your first day. Your intelligence is fixed. So don’t worry about that. Get ready by learning as much as you can, as fast as you can, about the industry, the company, and the job. Read everything you can. Talk to everyone you can. Get ready for that first day.
3. If you’ve done your homework, you will probably be ready in terms of your knowledge. In fact, you’ll probably surprise people by how much you know. But you won’t necessarily be ready in terms of your skillset. You may have skills – but if it’s your first job employing them, it’s highly likely that your performance will be less than amazing.
4. Don’t fret about that. You may not be perfect, but you are ready. You have the smarts. You know the basics. And you have the drive. That’s all any employer can possibly want from you at that point. And it’s all you can possibly expect from yourself.
5. But there is one thing you can do to offset your lack of experience. You can show yourself to be someone who is willing – no, eager – to learn. And someone who is open to critical feedback. Having this attitude – these attitudes (because they are different) – is a skill in itself. It can get you past innumerable initial obstacles and errors.

Oh, there’s one more thing: Expect to put in long hours. LONG hours.

As a beginner, you must be willing to work 10 to 12 hours a day and 4 to 6 hours a day on weekends. Not all of that work has to be in the office. Much of it can be done at home. But the work of being a freshman in any work environment goes beyond the work that is assigned to you. It’s much more about preparing yourself to be able to do the work that will be assigned to you after you get promoted.