“…Yet even the most ordinary thing is marvelous in itself.” By Dr. Miriam Levering

Consider trying some out-of-the box thinking in your job search. Consider the ordinary becoming extraordinary.

What may seem like an ordinary pursuit, like searching for a new job can become extraordinary. Listen to Clint Eastwood as he talks about what he learned from his father from an interview with Clint in the “Costco Connection” magazine:

“When I was a kid, I remember going out looking for jobs, and I would ask him how I could figure out much I would make. He told me to not worry about that, tell them what I could do for them and that I wanted to learn everything about their business and become a great asset to the company. It’s an old fashioned, Mark Twain approach: Show them what you can do and the rest will take care of itself. Not many people live by those words today. I was fortunate to be raised in that era.”

What a thrill to read that Clint Eastwood followed his Dad’s sage advice. He landed his first job as a Director by offering to work free – launching his Directing career. A great move! I think you can safely say that Clint Eastwood made some great choices in his career! You may be thinking, well that is OK for a young guy, just starting out…however, the great news is that Clint did this again, much later. He wanted to direct the movie "Mystic River", however he ran into so much opposition; he again offered to work free because he really wanted to do the film. He ended up receiving  the minimum Directors Guild pay, and a percentage, so if the film did well, he would come out OK, and if not he said he would just go on to the next film. He succeeded again!

Gather all your valuable skills and experience, combined with your willingness to learn you can be like Clint Eastwood, and achieve your dreams. Do you have a favorite company, where you would love to land a job? Consider taking Clint’s experience and his Dad and Mark Twain’s advice to heart. It worked for Clint Eastwood, why not you? Consider turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. Consider volunteering and working free for a few weeks (longer if you can) or start in an entry-level position, you can learn the ropes and no doubt you will probably rise quickly and land the position of your dreams, in the company of your dreams. “Yet even the most ordinary thing is marvelous in itself.” Consider taking full charge of your career.

Be open to learning about the company of your dreams from the bottom up. You may find you learn valuable inside information to help you understand the company and excel. Find the company you would love to work for and show them what you can do, learning along the way! Take a risk, to find your gold. You no doubt have a lot to offer; why not go for the ordinary, to do the extraordinary, learning from the inside and gaining expertise to excel. You may reach your goal even more quickly than you could imagine while you will learn valuable insights and grow your skills and expertise.

We wish you the best in your career development.  Remember to give yourself your best shot when you interview. Make sure your resume, cover letter and other job search documents are as outstanding as you are. Achieve on!

If you have any questions about your resume, cover letter, or other job search documents, feel free to call Bob and email him at ExpertResume@yahoo.com

Sandy Prock M.Ed. (Masters of Education – Vocational Guidance and Counseling), JCTC (Job and Transition Coach), Co-Owner of www.ExpertResume.com