Staying Hungry - Lessons Learned From the Indy 500
Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines...
Last weekend marked the end of the 53rd start in the long and illustrious history of the Indy 500, the greatest car race on earth.
Row upon row of man's most powerful machines rev up their engines, as the sound of a thousand restless horses roars under the hood.
The flag is dropped, the engines boom and the 200 lap conquest to become the best in the world begins.
The Indy 500 provides a great metaphor for the tireless hunt to find employment in today's tough economy.
It may seem trivial to portray the race of life in a 2.
5 mile racing oval but the bottom line is this...
In the 'Brick Yard', as in life, only the strongest and most persistent competitors survive while the losers are the ones who are left behind in the dust.
In today's economic climate, this is precisely the kind scenario we are forced to endure when it comes to finding employment.
Therefore, the lessons we learn from watching 33 world class competitors duke it out on the track can play an important role in our day to day struggles as individuals competing in a highly competitive market.
These are a few lessons from the track to employ in your quest to find work in today's economy! Lesson 1: Winners are never passive If you don't stay hungry you won't win the prize.
Be tenacious and aggressive at every opportunity.
That means sending out follow up emails and cold calling companies every day.
In the Indy there are 33 competitors, all of whom are chomping at the bit for an opportunity to pass you.
If you hold back and simply tow the line, you'll never be noticed, and worse, you'll give one of your competitors the perfect opportunity to blow right by you.
Remember this fact, the pace car never wins the race! Lesson 2: Be hungry right from the get go! There are only so many laps in a race, so treat each one like it's your last.
Every lap that you're not winning is just another missed opportunity to distance yourself from the rest of the pack.
History never remembers the guy who came in second, so be aggressive and go for it every time.
A company may interview hundreds of people for a position and will ultimately only remember one.
Don't miss a beat and do whatever it takes to separate yourself from your competitors before you run out of track.
Lesson 3: Never give up! Until you see that checkered flag, there's always another lap, and when it's all said and done there's always another race.
Sending out resumes can be a daunting and uninspiring process, but remember; people rarely get interviews on their first application, and even fewer people get hired from their first interview.
Practice makes perfect so think of every email, phone call and interview as just another warm up lap on your way to the top.
Keep in mind, every great champion has lost countless races on their path to greatness.
Be persistent and eventually you'll be a veteran, nothing will stand in your way.
To all of you unemployed warriors grinding it out in these tough times, remember the 'tricks of the track'.
Be aggressive, hit the line running and never back down.
If you follow these simple rules, then I have no doubt that eventually you'll find yourself on top of the podium popping champagne bottles like Dario Franchitti!
Last weekend marked the end of the 53rd start in the long and illustrious history of the Indy 500, the greatest car race on earth.
Row upon row of man's most powerful machines rev up their engines, as the sound of a thousand restless horses roars under the hood.
The flag is dropped, the engines boom and the 200 lap conquest to become the best in the world begins.
The Indy 500 provides a great metaphor for the tireless hunt to find employment in today's tough economy.
It may seem trivial to portray the race of life in a 2.
5 mile racing oval but the bottom line is this...
In the 'Brick Yard', as in life, only the strongest and most persistent competitors survive while the losers are the ones who are left behind in the dust.
In today's economic climate, this is precisely the kind scenario we are forced to endure when it comes to finding employment.
Therefore, the lessons we learn from watching 33 world class competitors duke it out on the track can play an important role in our day to day struggles as individuals competing in a highly competitive market.
These are a few lessons from the track to employ in your quest to find work in today's economy! Lesson 1: Winners are never passive If you don't stay hungry you won't win the prize.
Be tenacious and aggressive at every opportunity.
That means sending out follow up emails and cold calling companies every day.
In the Indy there are 33 competitors, all of whom are chomping at the bit for an opportunity to pass you.
If you hold back and simply tow the line, you'll never be noticed, and worse, you'll give one of your competitors the perfect opportunity to blow right by you.
Remember this fact, the pace car never wins the race! Lesson 2: Be hungry right from the get go! There are only so many laps in a race, so treat each one like it's your last.
Every lap that you're not winning is just another missed opportunity to distance yourself from the rest of the pack.
History never remembers the guy who came in second, so be aggressive and go for it every time.
A company may interview hundreds of people for a position and will ultimately only remember one.
Don't miss a beat and do whatever it takes to separate yourself from your competitors before you run out of track.
Lesson 3: Never give up! Until you see that checkered flag, there's always another lap, and when it's all said and done there's always another race.
Sending out resumes can be a daunting and uninspiring process, but remember; people rarely get interviews on their first application, and even fewer people get hired from their first interview.
Practice makes perfect so think of every email, phone call and interview as just another warm up lap on your way to the top.
Keep in mind, every great champion has lost countless races on their path to greatness.
Be persistent and eventually you'll be a veteran, nothing will stand in your way.
To all of you unemployed warriors grinding it out in these tough times, remember the 'tricks of the track'.
Be aggressive, hit the line running and never back down.
If you follow these simple rules, then I have no doubt that eventually you'll find yourself on top of the podium popping champagne bottles like Dario Franchitti!
