We can’t express how important showing up is, especially if you are seeking anything…relationships, jobs, internships, meetings, funding etc etc. You don’t go, you miss out.
Sometimes, however you can go and if you lean back, or don’t lean in, opportunity slides right by as well. I was thinking about this earlier this week as I left some meetings at Jets training camp. The VIP section where invitees sat to watch practice was surely filled with some people of influence amongst the kids there. After all that’s how you get invited right? You spend money, you bring value, you get invited out (I do neither probably lol). There amongst the gathering, off to the side, was a young team staffer, being polite but passive in what he was doing as the team went through their drills. I was waiting for a few people so I struck up a conversation with him, knowing fully how tough it can be to break into the business.
He was friendly, obviously enjoyed trying to get a leg up on a career, had several internships and after graduating from a prominent school with a sports management degree, he was juggling several entry level opportunities to see where things played out. All well and good. However, he mentioned that he was one of a good number of seasonal interns in his department scrambling to get hours that could lead to experience. Agreed and I get it. It’s a question we get a lot and something we implore anyone changing careers or just starting out to do… be memorable. Figure out what makes you stand out from the people left and right of you, and craft your story to that uniqueness. We all have it.
Part two of that is leaning in…taking advantage of the windows you have to engage, ask questions and learn. We all need to do that, no matter how chatty or not we are. Conversation leads to engagement. That’s how I learned more about this young person…I asked a few questions, and I enjoyed talking to him.
Here was the challenge. I told this young guy we talked for 20 minutes, and not once did he ask me who I was or what I did. Maybe he thought it was impolite, maybe he didn’t care, maybe he just didn’t know, but I told him so, and added that all those people sitting in the stands were where he might find a career connection, but standing next to the garbage can and shooing kids off a railing wasn’t going to get it done. He nodded, listened and went back to watching the stands passively. What do I know.
Fast forward another 20 minutes and I had moved into another area waiting for a colleague to come by, and another young guy standing next to turned, introduced himself and started asking me questions. Turns out his name was George Mikula and he worked in the marketing communications department at Caldwell University and he was there meeting people and capturing content for the partnership the team now had with the school. We spent a few minutes chatting about his role and his goals, and I noticed Gary Vaynerchuk off in the corner chatting with some Jets officials. I mentioned to George that Gary Vee, given his following and love for the team, would be a great person to connect with, so off George went to politely into himself to the Jets officials and their uber fan. I smiled when I saw them exchanging cards, but it only happened because George leaned in.
Granted George is a year or two older than the other job seeker, and probably has the benefit of security on his side, but it spoke really loudly the difference of leaning in and leaning back, and what you can learn, no matter what the age, if you take the chance and the time.
I honestly hope both do well…none of this is easy, but George has the early lead. Amazing what you learn when you listen and ask.
