Careers and lasers are not naturally focused. Your career focus will determine whether you have the career you want, or the one that is most convenient for your boss and coworkers.
Lasers, by nature, are also unfocused. A common misconception is that the light comes out of a laser in a tight beam. It does not. If you take a laser pointer apart you will see a simple lens just in front of the laser. Because of the light’s coherence and origin, the light can be focused into a tight beam. Coherent light waves all marching in step come from a laser naturally. Focus has to be designed into it.
Most people laugh at the idea of a company president becoming a janitor. I know two people who decided to do it. They decided to change the focus of their lives. Both make a lot of money as janitors because they are focused.
Do you need a focus for your career and job search? You may be capable of being a manager, worker, company president, and janitor. With 4 resumes you could apply for each job in a coherent manner. You could also interview for each and present yourself as the perfect employee. But should you?
What are your talents? What do you do better than others? What do you want to learn?
Inability to get ahead in a career is often caused by a lack of purpose or focus. You are happy to float to wherever there is an opening today. Everyone always tells you what a great team player you are. The trouble is that your raises are small and you get passed over for promotions.
So you decide to get another job. You apply for every job you can. Your new job is outside of the field you were in before. Once again you float into whatever needs to be done today. Your career goes nowhere.
Do you WANT to go nowhere as fast as you can?
Stop today. Focus on a goal. What is the next job, responsibility, or promotion you want? Turn down urgent requests to do something else. Stop letting the minor inconvenience of other people decide what you will do. Focus on a goal.
One way to tell if you are focused is to count how many people YOU ask to help YOU reach YOUR goal. Ask for help. Network. Talk to people doing what you want to do next. Get their advice. Focus on one goal.
But what if you are unemployed? It still works. Decide on a specific job, title or assignment you want the most. Find people doing that job. Ask them to help you figure out how to get to that job. That’s networking. That’s laser like focus.
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Something To Do Today
Talk to someone doing the job you want for your next job. Ask them the steps you can take to get the same job.
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Tomorrow: Why lasers work – part 3
Later: What time is it?
Put your feet up on his desk.
Sunshine collecting