Recipe for Success from a Man In the Know

In his 8/23/13 appearance on the John Gambling show, billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg articulated his recipe for success. I dare say this prosperous entrepreneur and three term mayor of NYC commands our attention and his words should be taken seriously based on his demonstrated record of success.

 

Three specific points he made resonate with me and I offer them as sound advice for the unemployed and for those who are currently employed and desire career advancement in the not too distant future.

Point # 1: “Ambitious people should be willing to buck the conventional wisdom...” 

 

Point # 2: “If you’re scared to take risks, you’re just gonna fit in with the crowd and never break average and probably won’t even make average...”

 

Point #3: “I always tried to be the first one in in the morning and the last one to leave at night…”

 

As many of you already know from following my blogging these past five years, when it comes to all things related to résumé writing and conducting a job search, the backbone of my business, I too am an advocate of bucking the system and conventional wisdom and of taking calculated risks to achieve the desired results. Time after time I’ve seen risk taking deliver results well beyond job seekers wildest expectations. So here is some additional food for thought I hope can help you to be more successful in your job search and and throughout your career.

 

A: When submitting a résumé should you submit the best document you are capable of writing, or should it be the best one you are capable of acquiring? 

 

Most résumés submitted for jobs today depict a candidate who fits in with the crowd; someone who, at best, can be considered an average new hire. Do these résumé get results? Some people are even capable of writing a résumé that reaches the highest level of mediocrity or slightly exceeds this level of competency. Will this résumé generate quality interviews and job offers? 

 

If you have come to the proper conclusion that a mediocre, or slightly above mediocre résumé will not yield optimum results – and this is not acceptable – then I propose you take a risk and do something about it.

 

B: People preaching (and following) conventional wisdom believe resume styles, formats, and visual presentations that have withstood the test of time are the best or only way to go. Truth be told, more people today are generating interviews and job offers by bucking conventional wisdom and submitting innovative résumés that may include color, pictures, logos, endorsements, hyperlinks, and a multi column approach. The key is in your knowing how and where to break with conventional wisdom, and knowing what works best for you.  

 

C: Many professionals I have spoken to will temper their ambition when it comes to using LinkedIn and other social media especially if they are currently employed and open to a strategic career move. They are under the erroneous assumption, based on widely espoused conventional wisdom, that if your boss or a fellow employee notices you’ve upgraded your LinkedIn profile that you’re immediately suspect of being unhappy and can’t be trusted any longer. Let me tell you here and now, the risk of being highly visible on LinkedIn is negligible compared to the rewards. 

 

The truth is fewer people use LinkedIn as a job search tool than those who use it as the relationship management tool it is meant to be. For a professional to succeed at his or her job today it is imperative that you have a LinkedIn page that lets people know what you do and how well you do it. This allows you to be found by people you need to be found by including new vendors, potential clients and customers, peers and fellow professionals who you can learn from, people who want to seek, and may even pay you for advise, and of course recruiters and companies seeking talent.

 

D: Many people, especially at certain stages of their career, get sedentary and fall into a lazy pattern at work and in their job search. I am not one to espouse being a workaholic during your entire career – finding the proper work/life balance is important. However giving 100% is essential to achieving success. If putting extra hours and effort into your job search or current job is what it takes to reach your desired goal, well so be it. That’s what you must do. 

 

In life you can either continue to dream the dream your entire life or do what it takes to try and live your dream life.

 

Don’t let outdated conventional wisdom, laziness and a stubborn unwillingness to take risks stand in your way of reaching your goals. If this recipe for success worked for Mayor Bloomberg it can also work for you. 

 

As always I am available to review US resumes if you email it to perry@perrynewman.com