By Harvey Mackay
A farmer who owned land along the Atlantic seacoast constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic because they dreaded the awful storms. Finally, a thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer.
"Are you a good farmhand?" the farmer asked him.
"Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the man. Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer hired him. The man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk. Then one night, the wind howled. Jumping out of bed, the farmer rushed to the man's sleeping quarters. He shook him and yelled, "A storm is coming! Tie things down!"
The man rolled over in bed and said, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."
Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside. He discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarps. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were shut.
The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant.
Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life? When you are prepared, you have nothing to fear.
For those of you experiencing wind storms, like changing jobs, preparation is critical. Here's something I developed to help job-hunters prepare for interviews:
1. Describe your ideal job. (Include title and responsibilities.)
2. Describe your ideal company (size, industry, location).
3. Where do you want to be in your career in the next three to five years?
4. What do you want your next job to do for you that your last job didn't do?
5. What kinds of growth should a new job offer (promotions, training, challenges)?
6. What skills will you be able to add to your resume while you have this job?
7. Why should a company want to hire you?
8. What personal and professional accomplishments are you most proud of?
9. What do you least want to be asked in an interview?
10. How will you handle the tough questions?
11. What compensation, including salary and benefits, do you want to earn and can you legitimately ask for?
12. What are the most important benefits other than salary that would prompt you to go to work for a new company?
13. What tools and resources can you draw on to help you through your job transition?
14. What can you say in an interview that would really set you apart from other candidates for your ideal position?
15. What could your current employer do for you that would prevent you from looking for another job in the first place?
16. How will you know when you have become a success?
(I would say you have achieved success when you can sleep when the wind blows.)
Mackay's Moral: The will to succeed is preceded by the will to prepare.
Source: Tulsa World. Powered by Yellowbrix, Inc.
