Relationships: Job hunting is a lot like dating

I'm sure many people have experienced the loss of a job or a breakup in a relationship, and if you really think about it the two are very similar.  I will be explaining this mainly from the male perspective, as that is all I know, being a male my entire life.  That is not say there are some similarities from the female perspective, however, I can't speak as an expert on such a subject (maybe some female commenters can elaborate).

OK, now that we have that out of the way let's get started.  Job hunting is a lot like dating in the sense that there are two sides to the story, coupled with the fact that there is rejection and mutual acceptance.  A job search can be agonizing for many, as can be dating, particularly in large cities where competition is fierce and viable options/positions are few and far between.  Furthermore, many of the job descriptions require qualifications that no real human can possibly have (10 years experience, MBA, know how to code a website, 7 feet tall, $20/hr, etc.), just as TV and movies cloud the judgement of the qualities/qualifications real men and women have.

In the dating world women are (typically) the final decision makers as are the hiring managers in the job world.   Have you ever gone on an interview and thought to yourself, I just knocked that out of the park; the conversation was balanced and flowing, etc.  You felt you were on the same page as the interviewer, you both were even having a few laughs sharing like experiences professionally and personally. All you had to do was wait for that phone call/email letting you know you got the job - only to have it never happen.  You follow up, "just to check in", and no response...?

This same phenomena happens in the dating world, particularly with men.  You went on a date or two with this smoking hot girl, the conversation was flowing, the two of you were laughing and having a great time, you have this in the bag no doubt.  As a (young) man, we always jump ahead and think we landed the perfect girl friend and the rest will be history.  Well, as we know this is not always the case.  We actually have no idea what the other person (the female) is thinking, or what other options/candidates the female has waiting in the wings.   It is a fact that a good looking woman gets hit on an average of 8 to 10 times a day, that's 70 times a week and over 3,000 attempts a year!  That is a lot of competition, therefore one must stand-out.

The same can be said for the high-value, highly sought after jobs.  As a hiring manager, I know from experience that just by posting a job ad on Craigslist will bring in over 100 resumes in a week.  So the question is, how do you stand-out from the competition? 

This is a tricky question, because as I stated earlier the decision power is in the hands of the female/hiring manager.  I guess the answer to both (as in life) would be to put your best foot forward at all times, keep growing professionally and personally, don't think ahead - stay present, learn from your mistakes, and don't stop searching until you have a definite answer.

As always, I'd love to hear your comments on this topic, so please leave comments if you desire.

PS - If you are in need of any Business and Marketing consultation for your small to mid-sized business/start-up feel free to shoot me an email at: modernbizstrategy@gmail.com.

Ciao,

ModernManTellsAll

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Lifestyle: Do what Dogs do

I'm sure the majority of you are thinking to yourself, what does he mean, do what dogs do?  Well, I will explain my logic behind this phenomena that has been peeking my curiosity over the last 4 years.  I'm definitely not saying people should go around and "evacuate" all over the neighborhood, I'm talking about how a dog appreciates life no matter what they are doing.

If you own a dog I believe you would oblige with what I'm saying here, unless you are not present and happy in your own life, then all vision would be cloudy, including your mind.  But for those of us that do appreciate what our pooches have to offer, much of what I'm going to say will make complete sense at least on the surface.  Granted the following will be based on my personal experience of owning a dog and interacting with other dogs at dog parks and friends/family's houses, etc.

So what do I mean, do what dogs do... For starters when you're out walking your dog, and they're all excited just to be out walking around the neighborhood, smelling all those wonderful smells, lifting their leg or squatting to pee on stuff - they are in heaven - nothing else matters.  Now, at that very moment ask yourself how happy am I right now, or what am I thinking about.  My dog is elated to be outside walking around, smelling and peeing on stuff, while I'm thinking about or stressed out about something that happened earlier or worse, something that hasn't happened or may not even happen in the future.

Another example would be when you take your dog (aka best friend/li'l homie) to the dog park, or a friend comes over with their dog, and the dogs are are so excited they can't even contain themselves, tails are wagging, whining, etc.  Now, when was the last time YOU were this excited to see a friend or family member?  I'd argue a long, long time ago, if ever.  How about when you come home from work after an 8 to 10 hour day, who's at the door waiting for you to come inside wagging their tail?  Yep, your dog.

Dog's are masters at living in the moment, granted they have no concept of time, and appreciating all the basic aspects of life, the little things that actually matter, which many of us forget.  Most of us (humans) get caught up in our heads, thinking about the past and/or future, when none of it really matters.  Well, as long as you've learned from the past and don't continue to make the same mistakes.  And the future, well that's out of our control, most of the time much of what we think is going to happen in the future does not even come to fruition; thus, causing you to miss all those smells and wonders of mother nature that all animals appreciate - and since dogs are usually the ones that live amongst us and are apart of our daily lives, we should take notice of how they react to their environment and enjoy life, and make an effort to understand why this is.  It will change your perspective, at least for a moment, and that's a start.

So next time you're out walking your dog take the time to smell, look around, and who knows, maybe even pee on a tree or two! (that last one is a joke, hahahaha)

As always, I'd love to hear your comments on this topic, so please leave comments if you desire.

PS - If you are in need of any Business and Marketing consultation for your small to mid-sized business/start-up feel free to shoot me an email at: modernbizstrategy@gmail.com.

Cheers,

ModernManTellsAll

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Lifestyle: Lost Nature

Nature is all around us, and yet so many of us choose (subconsciously or consciously) to be surrounded by technology (all day) and consumed by the daily grind of work, family, social media, traffic, TV, shopping, etc. It's almost as if we forget it's even there, or what our backyards, parks, beaches, forests, etc. look like and have to offer.  I know for me it took a separation, if you will, from my last employer to even get to the beach, which is only 15 miles away!

For the last two years I was pursuing my MBA, studying 25-35 hours/week and working 45-50 hours/week, with barely any time for my dog let alone myself.  Now, I know some of you have families to care for, but that is not the point, as it is the same no matter what way you look at.  So for two years I never made it to the beach, and I have access to some of the best beaches in North America by way of Los Angeles.  Sad isn't it?! The first Monday I had off, the first thing I did was drive to the beach and chilled, kicked back, listened to the ocean, surfed, read, etc. for a few hours, and the entire time I was thinking, man how is it that it took this long and something as extreme as parting ways with my old job to get here.  I know this is how many of us live and I'm here to tell you to stop and look around as much as you can - go out into nature (hiking, beaches, parks, lakes, etc.), time passes bye so fast that we'll be old before you know it.

Nature for me is like recharging the batteries.  I try and go out on hikes at least four times a week - mornings are best.  Granted living this close to Griffith Park affords me the luxury of having access to great trails, and in the mornings there's barely anyone there.  And those that are all smiling and happy to be outside walking their dogs, with friends, by themselves, no matter what they all smile and say hi and good morning.  There has to be something to it, as for me, starting my day this way enables me to appreciate the little things I am lucky enough to have.  Things such as my health, being able to run and climb hills, my happy ass dog, living in a city where I can disappear into nature in less than 5 minutes, friends, family, etc.

One of my favorite things to do is go off on a "side-trail" where most people will not hike, and hike up to the top and just sit there; take in the silence, well sometimes, as it is still LA and there are police choppers flying around on occasion, but they'll eventually disappear.  Even still, sitting up there, away from the concrete jungle and random people that are stressed out, missing life, hate their jobs, and on their phones non-stop is enlightening - even if it's for 10 or 20 minutes.  Not to mention it really slows things down, at least for the amount of time you are out taking in nature - 20 minutes could feel like an hour in "the real world".

If you really think about this it truly makes sense, we as humans have only been this disconnected from nature for around 100 years, in most cases much less.  I am not here to tell you to abandon your smartphones, laptops, iPads, etc., as I am all for technology and it's purpose and functionality.  As a matter of fact I consider myself a connoisseur and extremely tech-savvy.  Furthermore, I appreciate all that it does and will do for humans in the future.  The amount of information that is instantly accessible; the connectedness across the globe, efficiency, productivity, etc.  However, I am saying for your own well-being you should go out and enjoy nature as much as possible.  Think about all the time you spend in a day on Facebook or checking your phone just to find out you missed nothing; that email was spam; you already saw those pictures of your friends kids; or read some absurd post by someone that lacks the expertise/knowledge to speak on such a subject, etc.  I'm sure you get the point.  

Add up all that time you spent in your day and then spend that amount of time out in nature, whether it be 10 minutes or an hour - believe me it will be well worth it.  Chances are you will become far more productive at work as well.  Remember, you are in control of your time and your life - no matter what responsibilities you have.  If you manage your time properly, you will have time to go out and appreciate what nature has to offer.  I bet it's more inspiring than what you'll find online (most of the time).

As always, feel free to leave any comments as they will be read and replied to.

PS - If you are in need of any Business and Marketing consultation for your small to mid-sized business/start-up feel free to shoot me an email at: modernbizstrategy@gmail.com.

Until next time...

ModernManTellsAll

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