I’ve had numerous sympathetic conversations with people saying, “I
wish there was something I could do for you.” I tried my best to be
gracious and thankful for the thoughts and support. Then, I let those
people know that they could help simply by forwarding my résumé and
marketing plan to anyone and everyone they felt might benefit from it. I
surprised myself with how broad I allowed others to reach for me. Broad reaching
is not the same as desperation. I was anxious to get a job, but
more importantly, I was open to taking chances with other industries
where I may have had less experience. It opened me up to companies that
had creative and innovative cultures receptive to individuals who could
make a difference, regardless of that individual’s background.
By taking a specific action, your support system does more than just be
there for you. I had numerous unexpected business prospects come to
light because someone knew someone who knew someone else. I’ve always
been thankful for this type of assistance, but I often waited passively
for it to happen. I had to start asking directly for assistance to have someone
pass my information on to others. I was putting those who cared the
most about me to work—and it was worth it. In reality, I knew it wasn’t
really too much effort to send a quick email or make a simple phone call
to connect us together. I had learned that I was passively making assumptions
when I really wanted action taken. As previously stated, hope isn’t
going to make my needed connections. I learned to make it clear what I
wanted. When done professionally, I didn’t feel I was pushy—I was just
moving along someone’s “wish” that there was something they could do
for me. Conversely, I knew how much better they felt about themselves
for being an active part of the team effort. Helping to facilitate the future
direction for someone should make them feel good. As noted in the acknowledgements,
I am so appreciative of my entire support system.
Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):
- Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
- Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
- Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
- The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
- From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
- The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood
See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com. Book , eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com