The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. (Shaw)
The job interview was at 2:00 pm. The candidate, Bill, called at 1:45 pm. He was in their parking lot. Showtime. That great candidate was going to shine.
At 3:15 pm the VP of HR called to apologize. Bill just came in for the interview. This well qualified candidate sat in the lobby for 1 ½ hours. The receptionist didn’t do her job right. It wasn’t Bill’s fault, but he could have done something about it. He could have asked the receptionist to double check that the right person knew he was there. He could have asked to speak to the administrative assistant of the person he was there to see. It wasn’t Bill’s fault, but he wasn’t powerless.
People don’t want to be rude to you. People you work for don’t want to waste your time. The receptionist doesn’t want to stand in the way of your goals and ambitions. It is not human nature to wish the worst on strangers. Most often they are in your way through ignorance, incompetence or fear.
The best solution is to swallow your own fear of making waves. Sure, you are afraid. They probably are too. It is time to step up to the person in your way and work with them to clear the roadblocks. Your boss or coworker, the receptionist or police officer all want to help. Give them a chance. Patiently work with them to get what you need.
I am always asked, “Why didn’t I get the job?” I answer with what I’ve been told, and that is helpful. A great question to follow up with is, “Can the person who rejected me, help me in my next job application?” You may get a great boost from calling the person who rejected you and asking for specific help. You can ask them if they see a way to improve your resume or interview. Enlist them to help you with your NEXT interview.
It’s scary to ask for more help from a receptionist who just told you to wait. It’s hard to call back someone who told you they do not want to hire you and ask for help. If you feel the fear, work your way through it, and do it anyway then you’ll get what you want and need a lot more quickly.
Read the book Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway. It can help you take control of your situation. It gives you tools to stop letting the world get in your way and step on your dreams. The cheapest place to get it is still your library.