Given how many of you are telling me about your career switch or job search woes (I’m sorry it’s so hard!), I thought I’d share a story and lesson on this exact topic.
Hope you find it useful.
Gorick
TODAY’S TAKEAWAY
Get a foot in the door. Then, prove yourself.
Not everyone is in a position to do it, but if you can, it may be worth it.
THE STORY
From homeless to unpaid intern to stockbroker
Have you ever seen The Pursuit of Happyness? It’s one of my favorite movies of the 2000s and chronicles the real-life story of a homeless single father who became a stockbroker.
(If you haven’t seen it yet, consider this week’s story a light spoiler.)
It was the early 1980s. Chris Gardner was selling medical equipment in San Francisco while raising his toddler son with his then-partner. Money was tight, tensions were high, and the constant financial strain was pulling the relationship apart.
One day, Gardner saw a man drive by in a shiny Ferrari. Curious, he asked, “What do you do for a living?”
The man, Bob Bridges, said he was a stockbroker. This chance interaction led to Bridges offering Gardner an internship at a brokerage firm. Gardner jumped at the chance.
But the internship paid nothing. And when his partner left soon after, Gardner and his son slipped into homelessness, with the two sleeping in shelters, office buildings, and even public restrooms after hours.
Still, Gardner threw himself into the work. He made roughly 200 cold calls a day, arrived early, stayed late, and absorbed everything he could.
Gardner’s tenacity paid off. Competing against 19 other interns, many with MBAs, he landed the only full-time stockbroker job available.
Fast forward and he turned his life around, going from homeless to multi-millionaire.
THE UNSPOKEN RULE
Get whatever foot you can in the door. Then, prove yourself.
No, today’s lesson isn’t to sleep in a public bathroom and work for free.
It is, however, a lesson in the importance of getting your foot in the door and then proving yourself.
You'd be surprised at how many opportunities are out there!
- Met someone new at a social event? Ask, “What’s keeping you busy these days?”, listen to the answer, and, if the work interests you, offer to help with a phrase like, “This sounds similar to what I did in my past life as a [role]. Could I help you [with this task]?”
- Spot a higher-up at work you’d like to become your mentor? Go to a company talk of theirs or look out for announcements from them, and then say, “I love what you’re doing with [project] and would love to contribute. Can I be an extra pair of hands? I have a background in [this area] and can help you [accomplish these goals].”
Not everyone will say “yes,” and not everyone will even take your offer positively. But one will, and that one person might just change your life, as was the case with Gardner.
See you next Tuesday for our next story and unspoken rule,
Gorick
WHAT I’M READING
Here are 3 articles that I found interesting recently (no paywalls, although it may depend on your cookies):
- Gen Z women increasingly can’t find jobs — but it’s not because they are lazy, new research reveals (AOL)
- Reddit CEO Says He Plans to ‘Go Heavy’ Hiring Recent Grads. Here’s Why. (Entrepreneur)
- Why Leaving a ‘Good Job’ Is the Hardest Career Move (Inc)
MORE OF MY WORK
1. Keynote speaking: If your organization is looking for speakers for your internship program, new hire orientation, new student orientation, manager training, all-hands meetings, recruiting season, year-end performance evaluation season, or something else, let's chat!
2. HOW TO SAY IT ®: Flashcards that teach you to know what to say in every high-stakes professional setting via hundreds of fill-in-the-blank scripts (just like the examples above). Free shipping on all orders over $40.
3. The Unspoken Rules: My Wall Street Journal Bestseller that Arianna Huffington calls “a blueprint for anyone starting their career, entering a new role, or wanting to get unstuck.” Used by top companies and MBA programs.
4. Soft skills crash course: Hard skills get you hired, but a lack of soft skills gets you fired. Equip your interns and early career talent with the essential behaviors of high performers in just 3.5 hours.
STORY SOURCES
- selling medical equipment
- the constant financial strain was pulling the relationship apart.
- “What do you do for a living?”
- Bob Bridges
- offering Gardner an internship
- internship paid nothing
- Gardner and his son slipped into homelessness
- He made roughly 200 cold calls a day
- He arrived early, stayed late
- Competing against 19 other interns, many with MBAs
- Cover image
- Chris Gardner with his only son
- Chris Gardner’s memoir, The Pursuit of Happyness
