Who (You Know) Is on First.
In addition to helping aspiring finance professionals grasp the concept of the Time Value of Money like the backs of their hands, I also coach finance students. The other day, I was talking with an individual about their job-search process. It was from that conversation that this week’s blog post was inspired.
If you’re in any field long enough, it’s almost inevitable that you will have a manager (or a manager’s manager) who is batshit crazy. Such is life. But that’s not a reason to get discouraged. People are people. Some are (in fact) crazy. Others might simply be conflicted with your personality.
“The game must go on,” were wise words from Franklin Roosevelt who was referring to a desire to keep professional baseball going during World War II. This quote provides general inspiration for trials you will no doubt encounter in your professional life.
The game of baseball, in particular, provides a metaphor for the job-search process and an easy way to see where, if at all, you are off base and in what areas you might improve your efforts. As you study the baseball illustration that follows, it will help to keep the following things in mind:
You can’t get to second base without first touching first base, and so on and so forth.
It only takes one connection between bat and ball for a batter to become a baserunner—but there is such a thing as a pinch runner if you’re not the best at making connections.
A professional is within “scoring position” at second base—with a resume that tells your professional story and speaks to your marketable skills as well as your unique value proposition (between its bullet point lines).
The “Hot Corner” as it’s known must be rounded to reach home plate—just as prospective employers require that you complete an application.
Leading off the bases is not required—but things like: 1) relevant experience makes a resume better; 2) a cover letter makes an application better; and 3) interviewing skills improve your chances of getting an offer and making your job search a home run.
What you know is more important than the Who you know…who’s on first…?
Brent Pritchard is an author and college finance lecturer with over two decades of industry experience and cofounder of Boxholm Press, LLC, a family-owned-and-operated publishing company providing educational content, products, and services. He pioneers an innovative and approachable new way of learning and teaching the Time Value of Money as well as thought leadership in other business topics. His most recent book is Would Your Boomerang Return? You can contact him on his website here.