The single most often-asked question I get is “I want to become a ____________, so how do I get started?”

And, it’s a great question too . . . especially because it frequently has an easy answer.

Let me relate a story that Jeffrey Gitomer tells in his soon-to-be-a-classic little gem, Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude:

In 1960, at age 14, I met a college basketball coach on the court and asked him for his best, niftiest pointer.  He took the ball, walked under the basket, and shot an easy layup.

“See that shot?” he said gruffly.  “Ninety-nine percent of all basketball games are won with that shot.  Don’t miss it.”  And he walked away.  I felt cheated that day, but 20 years later, I realized it was the best business lesson I ever got.

Concentrate on the fundamentals.  Ninety-nine percent of all success is achieved that way.

You don’t need to be a professional ballplayer.  You just need to know how to shoot layups and not miss them.

So, there you go . . . hidden in that Gitomer story is also the answer to your question, beginning Dream Job Seeker.

Work on the basics . . . everyday.  Want to be a writer, for example?  Write every day.  Send stuff off to magazines, publishers, and websites.  Or start your own site or publish your own book.  But, keep writing.  Work on it, take classes, join a writing group, and read everything you can get your hands on.

And, work on those layups!

Popularity: 46% [?]

Preventing Sexual Harassment in Schools - Looking for Consultant

A knowledgeable consultant is needed to help develop a course on how to recognize, deal with, and prevent Sexual Harassment in Schools. The consultant will contribute to the development of the course in one or more of the following ways: by developing a detailed outline of what should be covered, by writing the lessons, or by reviewing content once it has been written by someone else.  The primary audience for the course will be educators and other employees in K-12 school systems.

This position will be offsite, and is a contract/freelance position, for work on an “as-needed” basis.

Qualifications for this position:

Ø      Experience in a school system that includes dealing with or enforcing sexual harassment polices. 

Ø      This may include experience as

o       a Title IX Coordinator

o       legal counsel for sexual harassment in the school system

o       a school or district coordinator or counselor dealing with sexual harassment policies

o       or a similar position.

Ø      Knowledge and understanding of requirements under ED OCR

Ø      Ability to write clearly and concisely.

Ø      Ability to work under aggressive deadlines.

Ø      Previous experience with courseware creation is a plus, but not required.

About Us

InfoSource Learning is a developer and turnkey custom solution provider of high quality Web-based training (WBT) for the education, corporate, and government training markets.

InfoSource Learning’s “How To Master” online training libraries cover areas such as basic PC literacy for educators, teacher professional development skills, and classroom technology integration skills. The courseware features a content-rich environment of interactive, self-paced learning and testing, built on the premise that people “learn-by-doing.”  With InfoSource Learning’s interactive learning approach the learner actively participates with lessons by clicking on objects on the screen to achieve lesson objectives, instead of sitting idly and watching a video or presentation.

www.infosourcelearning.com

Applications

To apply, please send cover letter and resume to mwiedemann@infosourcelearning.com.

Popularity: 43% [?]

Don’t know what you wanna do?

Lots of ways to find out, and we’ve covered many of them here at the Dialog.  Dig around and find them.

Here’s another one:

Cheat.

Find someone you really look up to and admire, for what they do in their world of work.

Then, do what they do (even if you have to volunteer somewhere to start out), and put your own personality stamp on it. Over time that “job” will become you, and you the job…  and it won’t look anything at all like the person you stole if from.

Popularity: 42% [?]

Do you have something that you want to say to the world?

No, make that need to tell the whole world?

That’s a hint, Dream Jobber, and that’s where you should be heading.

What are you doing to nurture that conversation?

In it lies your dream job.

Popularity: 45% [?]

Check this out:  Think and Grow Rich (the classic Napoleon Hill book from 70+ years ago that is, in my opinion, the single greatest motivational how-to book of all time) Discussion Forum.

Conducted by the folks over at the Principles for Peace site.

I don’t think I could suggest a better way to start a new year.

Come on over and join the fun, get pumped up, and go forth and do good things!

Popularity: 100% [?]

Q:  What are you going to do about it?

Think about that question at the deepest possible level.  Let it rumble around inside you awhile, think about it while you have a cup of coffee and stare off into the lake, or have it jostle in the noggin a bit while you run a lap or two around the block.

What are you going to do about it?

And, come on… you know what it is, right?  It’s that thing that’s been eating at you for months or years… it’s the job you hate, or the relationship you need to change, or the place you’re at in your life right now.

Okay, one more time:  What are you going to do about it?

Next step?

Yours.

Respond and let me know what actions you’re taking.

Popularity: 44% [?]

Here’s a private email I received the other day, from a writer I’ll call Charlie.  Any ideas on how to help him?

Hi Michael:

I just want to say I find that your blog is very useful to me in my attempt to find the truth of my inner self. Many of the topics you discuss resonate in my search for passion.  I find it ironic that many of the people you quote I follow as well.  My gut said I had to reach to out you particularly since you reside in the Orlando area as well.

I moved to Lake Mary about 8 months from Tulsa, Oklahoma for a new job but was just recently downsized. It was a shock to me since I have enjoyed business success to a fault.  My mindset was always about work, taking no time to enjoy what life has to offer.

Only within the last few months have I had an awakening.  I’ve realized that I’ve been seduced into working for all the wrong reasons instead of something that is part of you, full of enjoyment and passion.

My challenge is unlocking myself and taking that first step forward.  I would appreciate any advice you have for me.  I’m only 35 years old and believe now more than ever that it’s time to change.

Best Regards,

Charlie Gaines

Popularity: 94% [?]

Wanna find your work passion?

All sorts of ways to do that, and one of my goals here is to expose you to some of those.

Here’s one about a recent college grad who recently completed his quest to try 52 different occupations in a year.

Read about it, think about it.

If you still don’t have a clue about what your life’s work is meant to be, might you try a variation of this?

• Volunteer every Saturday at 52 different places?
• Line up 52 businesses to let you shadow them every Thursday evening?
• Spend every Saturday morning at the library for the next 15 weeks writing up a profile of 15 cool sounding jobs?

You get the idea.  Do it.

Popularity: 80% [?]

Fortune favors those who act.

Fortune especially favors those who act fast. 

So pull the trigger and fire.

Then you’ll know how you should adjust your aim afterwards.

So says Brian Kim, and I think he’s 100 percent spot on.

Sitting on the sidelines keeps you on the sidelines.  Take a step or two, just that, toward your dream job, and then take another next week or next month.  But, keep moving forward.

How may I help you?

Popularity: 82% [?]

Are you going in so many directions that you don’t have time to think about your dream job, let alone actually trying to do something about it?

My friends over at Common Craft (who do some of the most amazingly “simple” instructional videos I’ve ever seen) have hit a serious home run to deep center field with a piece on the things that have simplified their work-at-home lives.

They’ve given me pause to think about my own life and how I run my businesses.

Really good stuff.  Check ‘er out.

Popularity: 80% [?]