On Jobs
This is the first time since EfficiencyLaw.com went live in early October 2009 that I am going to publish an article not directly related to the energy industry, but I feel the topic is too important not to discuss. I am fired up because I have too many personable, talented and bright friends who are still unemployed.
Every day, I hear the pundits talk in the abstract that America needs to create more jobs, but few people are actually offering advice to individuals on how to go about getting one. This past Tuesday, I spoke on a career panel for energy and environmental law students at my alma mater, George Washington University Law School. I went completely off my prepared script on Tuesday night, but here is what I recall saying to the group of students:
Cast a Wide, Wide, Wide Net
The best advice that I received in law school was, “as a student, anyone is willing to talk to you.” I took that advice to heart and reached out to a diverse array of professionals in my field – from attorneys, to businessmen, to journalists, to investors, to engineers.
I made sure that I was sincere about the context I used in reaching out to them – something along the lines of, “I would like to get your suggestions on how to pursue a career in this field.” I never asked for a job and I made sure that my desire to be employed did not take away from the flow of the conversation nor my ability to stay in the moment while we were talking.
At least nine out of ten times, I walked away from a meeting or phone call with an extra contact that I was told I should talk to. People like to help, particularly when it involves a mutual interest in which both parties share a passion.
After a while, I found that I had cast a very wide net – and many of the contacts I originally reached out to, or were introduced to, as a student remain good friends today. In fact, I am meeting one of these contacts and his new girlfriend later tonight when they come in from out of town.
Speaking of out of town – do not focus only on your own town or even your region. You might have heard that the world is flat – I hate that phrase, but the point stands that we are all interconnected, so who you meet in San Francisco or New York might very well end up being the person who helps you in finding employment in Washington, D.C.
And don’t be shy to ask friends if they know anyone in your chosen industry. Friends are always a great way to get started.
Read – Seriously.
You can never digest too much information about your industry, particularly if you keep a log of the important trends, statistics, etc. that you encounter along the way.
It’s overwhelming how many sources are out there – and when you’re networking, you can ask your contacts which periodicals they use to stay informed. That will add even more sources to your already long list of websites to track.
Fortunately, like so many other things, Google has a solution for this – Google Reader. No other tool would allow me to efficiently review all the sources I want to cover each morning in order to understand what is happening that day in my industry.
Each website page has an RSS feed – and if it doesn’t, there are other websites that can help you make one. So I read through sources ranging from the WSJ to Greentech Media to various local business journals from around the world to the Rolling Stones website (hoping Mick and Keith make up so they can finally go back on tour!) – all in the same format on one screen with the click of a space bar.
Frequent Rejection is a Big – and Expected – Part of the Process
It is cliché to tell stories about Michael Jordan getting cut from his Junior Varsity high school basketball team or the dozens of venture capital firms that said no to Larry Page and Sergey Brin before Google finally received financial backing. Even once you land a job, you will be shocked at the flat out rejection that great and seemingly clear opportunities face by sophisticated firms and companies every day.
Rejection is just a part of the journey, so ask for feedback whenever you can and just keep moving forward with the benefit of the experience and lessons learned. As I told the students on Tuesday night, you WILL find a job. And, as a former boss once said to me, “all you need is one.”