Brad on career advice

Thought provoking commentary boys, nice work! I'm not quite at this stage yet with my kids, but I think your comments are directionally accurate. I speak a good bit about creating a culture where people want to come work for you and although this isn't the same as career advice I think there are some nice corollaries.

My three nuggets of career advice through alliteration are:

1. Focus on PEOPLE not profession. Perhaps the what you do for work is less important than the with whom you do your job. If we are searching for fulfillment and happiness in our careers I believe that is defined more by with whom, and I believe we have all experienced that during our careers. This also is a more realistic approach than do what you love. I'd rather do whatever with people I enjoy and respect. The work...ah I can muddle through it so long as I have awesome people around me. A good example: my jobs growing up. I chose to do some of the nastiest work imaginable. One big reason, I got to do it with my best friend. And that made some really crappy work fun.

2. Be flexible to PLACE. The concept of place is becoming increasingly important in job selection. Communities are becoming as focused on creating a desirable living environment as they are on creating specific job opportunity. There is a lot of literature on this, take a look at this TED talk about building place by Dr. Katherine Loflin. Dr. Loflin was the keynote at a conference at which I spoke last year.

Pivoting back to career advice, I would perhaps advise my child to choose a profession which provides the maximum opportunity to be flexible around place. Some professions are everywhere while others are more geographically contained. Do you really want to choose a career where you have to live in a place you really dislike? Me neither.

3. Be PATIENT. Probably the biggest piece of career advise simple: put it on hold because it can wait. One of my largest regrets is that I felt pressured to hurry up and get done with college so I could get going on my career. Barring any substantial adverse health issues you are going to be working for a long time. Your twenties, in particular your early 20s provide some very unique freedoms that will be difficult to replicate later in life. Take that time to dream, take risks, travel, be less than committed to a career, chase something. I didn't and I regret not backpacking through Europe for a few months. I regret not being a bartender in London and living in a squalid apartment with 2 other people (one of my buddies did that). I regret not chasing my irrational idea of moving to the West/Northwest and working in the outdoor industry doing trail maintenance and being paid next to nothing to carry and axe in the deep woods and clear trail. With my current career, family, and advanced age it is unlikely I will make the choice to do any of those things in my life. And that's a shame.

There will be a time for your career. Educate and invest in yourself, commit to it, be very good at something. All solid advice. I would also make sure to focus on PEOPLE, PLACE, and be PATIENT.

Career advice

Ed, a very thought-provoking and challenging post.  Not having any living children, I’ve never really had to consider what career advice that I would give someone.  I regularly give Navy career advice to junior personnel, but they are already contractually committed to the Navy at that point, so it’s not really the same as talking to a high schooler that has the whole world in front of them.

To this day, I tell people that I never liked being a linguist, which seems a bit odd considering that I was a linguist by profession for 20 years.  You may have to endure some of this again if you come to my Navy retirement in a few years, but using one of your examples, Ed, I just kind of fell into being a linguist.  

If you look back at my school scrapbook, I grew up wanting to be a policeman.  Thanks to Tom Clancy, that morphed into a desire to be in the CIA or the FBI by the time I graduated high school.  Aunt Jane was nice enough to ask an FBI recruiter that she knew what the best path was if I wasn’t going to college.  He said, “Join the military and get a job with a high security clearance.”

So when I went to the Navy recruiter, I said, “I want a job with a high security clearance.”  After asking for an explanation to ensure that I wasn’t a KGB plant, the recruiter looked at my entrance test score and flipped through the job list.

“Do you speak a foreign language?”

“No.”

“Do you want to learn to speak a foreign language?”

“How long is the school to do that?”

“About 18 months.”

“Okay, sounds good.”

The “get an education” advice from Mom and Dad that you mentioned also applied to the start of my Navy career.  Dad told me, “Whatever it is that you do in the Navy, make sure the rate (job) is guaranteed in your contract, and the longer the school is for that rate, the better.”  

And so here I am, about 28 years after that interaction, wearing a Navy uniform.  I don’t remember ever thinking to myself, “This is what I’m going to do for the rest of my life.”  The thought never crossed my mind.  

You guys know that I got out of the Navy after my first term because I had an idea that I was going to be a missionary.  In those two years at Moody Bible Institute, however, I slowly figured out that it wasn’t for me.  Could I have done it?  Yeah, probably.  But who knows.

It’s a good thing that I didn’t choose writing as a career, because I’ve typed a whole lot of words, and I’ve already forgotten where the hell that I’m supposed to be going with all of this.

I have a hard time with the concept “Do what you love.”  I get it, and yes, there is a sliver of the population that is fortunate enough to get paid to do what they love.  Those are the people that we all envy.  I just think that you have to be cautious with that advice.  First, there are a lot of important jobs in the world that it’s hard for me to imagine that someone is doing because they love it.  There is a really weird mix here of that concept of service, self-denial, and sometimes just doing what you need to do to pay the bills.  I think that our “dreamer” culture overlooks the beauty of diligence, responsibility, selflessness, and faithfulness.  I don’t think there is anything wrong with going to work every day and faithfully doing a job that you don’t love.  In fact, I think it’s awesome.  Going to work every day and doing what you love?  Seems pretty easy to me.  On the other hand, I also admire people who ARE doing what they love, even though they’ll never get rich doing it, will always struggle to pay bills, etc.  

Part of all of this comes from my admitted bias against the Christian concept that everyone was made for a particular purpose.  It’s the idea that when you find it, there is an “ah ha” moment, a host of angels appears in the heavens, a bright beam of light shines on you, and Jesus does this:

First, for those who have never had a moment like that, it’s totally discouraging to believe that.  I’m 45, so when exactly am I supposed to figure this out?  Second, even if you think you have found your “calling,” you would think that everything should be hunky dory at that point.  “If this is my calling, why is this so hard??”  So in general, I don’t think the idea of calling is a very encouraging concept for anybody.

So what’s the answer?  I don’t know, but I think our culture has a warped sense of “happiness.”  For me, my employment is just a part of my being - my employment really doesn’t define me.  For me, that takes a WHOLE lot of pressure off the concept of career advice.  Our culture puts an inordinate amount of value of how much money that you have, and I think a proper view of money relieves some of the pressure as well.  Okay, so here’s my short list, if I was forced to talk to some high school kids:

- Relax.  The decisions that you make today don’t have to define the rest of your life.  You don’t have to know what you want to do with your whole life right now.  Invest in yourself (just like my brother said!)

- You can love something and do something without it being your occupation.  Maybe you’ll figure out a way to do it as an occupation some day, but in the mean time, it doesn’t mean it’s lost.  Don’t be limited by your job.

- Find self-worth in things other than your job.  When you find value in relationships and things other than your job, you don’t lose your identity if you happen to be out of work.  A job is part of life, but it should never be your whole life.

- Don’t listen to our culture tell you that you’re not good enough, that you shouldn’t be happy, that you’re missing out, or that everyone else is okay, but you’re not.  It’s all a lie.  Finding contentment, whatever your situation in life, is the key to happiness.

I think this is why I'll never be invited to talk to high schoolers!

Picking Your Profession

As my kids enter into the 'career beginning' part of their lives (one in college, two in high school) I have been reflecting quite a bit on how I determined my profession and became an HR guy.  This time coincides with a time of career reflection for me, and also a strong desire as a parent to provide solid guidance and counsel on how my kids should go about deciding what they will do career-wise.

When you ask most people, how did you end up doing what you do you typically get one of a few standard replies:

• It wasn't a decision at all, I just kind of "fell into it"
• I told myself I was just going to do this for a short time and then never left it
• It's what my father/mother did, and I just followed in their footsteps

Interesting how each of us come by our profession isn't it.  There are a noted few that actually PICK their profession, realize it's what they want to do at an early age, and pursue and become exactly what they wanted to do.  Sometimes this occurs after a stint doing what something they don't like and didn't want to do, and so made a career change.

So when faced with advising your kids on how to pick their profession, what advice would/do you give?

I must admit that my advice has been based purely on my own personal experience, and that is quite frankly pretty underwhelming.  I tell people that when I was contemplating life choices my parents only had a couple of key gems of guidance:

• Go to college and get an education, because that's a great investment and it's what people who want to be successful in this world do
• Get a 'practical' degree, something that will help you get a job and make money to provide for yourself and your family

Overall, pretty solid guidance but also pretty vague in terms of the plethora of choices I would face to determine what I would actually do for a living.  So I went to a good in-state public university and became a business major.  Can't get much more practical than that.  I set my sights on making $50k per year sitting behind a desk and wearing a tie to work everyday. 

I also remember vividly the meeting I had with a college counselor that really solidified my path. Like it was yesterday. I was a first semester junior.  Here's how it went ...

Counselor: If you want to graduate in four years (a must for me) you need to declare a specific major. Your options are accounting, finance, marketing, MIS (Management Information Systems) or IT in today's nomenclature, Industrial Relations/Human Resources, or even General Business.  

Me: (thinking to myself, Hmmm, what now? Well, since for me it was about getting a job I asked) What about on-campus interviews and getting a job? Which majors had the most appeal for companies wanting to hire business majors from the University of Iowa?

Counselor:  There's no real difference. We have companies coming here to hire all of these majors. Me:  Ok, then what about class size?  How many students graduated with such degrees each semester?  

Counselor:  Oh, about 1,500 accounting and finance, 1,200 marketing and general business, 800 MIS, and 25 IR/HR.  

Me: What?!  Why so few IR/HR?  

Counselor:  Well, the degree is relatively new.  But it's a strong program.  

Me:  Ok, and how many companies come seeking IR/HR majors vs. say finance/accounting?  

Counselor: About the same.  

Me:  Got it, how about IR/HR for me then.  Sign me up for a few of those classes.  (I figured it would be better to compete with 25 for a job than 1,500.  My math was good enough to know that!)

I did well in the classes I enrolled in, I liked them, and the rest is history. I got my degree in IR/HR, got a job through on campus interviewing, and started my career.  That's it.

So defining moments like that are so crucial, but how can you help your kids recognize them for what they are?  I didn't realize at the time how important that counselor meeting was to my career choice. And for whatever reason, I haven't regretted the choice I made.  Sure, I've had some career strife but overall I'm happy with the choices I've made professionally.  

But back to the question at hand, how do you advise your kids (or anyone for that matter) on how to make good career choices?  I don't have the answers, but I know what NOT so say:

• Follow your dreams - way to vague and not helpful for an impressionable young adult
• Do what you love - not terribly helpful either, since often what I love either doesn't allow me to make a living or is terribly unrealistic (example: I love skateboarding and swimming)
• Do what will allow you to make the most money - on the surface this seems like decent advice, but if you hate doing what makes you the most money then you won't find satisfaction and happiness just because you made a lot of money doing it

So here's been my 'go to' advice with my kids:

• Invest in yourself - this is akin to the advice from my parents, but education and continuous learning are a path to self-improvement, and that is the best investment you will ever make
• Commit fully - whatever you decide to do, do it.  Don't half-ass anything.  Make a commitment and see it through.  Then if you decide 'that's not for me', ok.  But don't pass judgment too quickly on anything.
• Serve others - It's a proven fact that one gains for satisfaction/happiness from doing something for others than doing something for themselves.  Be altruistic in what you do, you'll be a better person and happier for it.  
• Do what you are good at  - If you are good at something you tend to like it.  And if you like it you'll keep doing it.  It's one ingredient in the recipe for success.  
• Keep an eye to macro job trends - ok, so the practical and HR side of me has emerged. Don't be a buggy whip manufacturer and don't get into a dying business.  The best buggy whip manufacturer in the world is unhappy, probably broke and wishing they were born 150 years ago. That's not a good choice. 

Suffice to say, if you can find something in life that fulfills all of the above then you'll be happy and successful in the career-choice you've made.  

As I reflect on my own choice, I would say that my career choice fulfills four of the five above.  Not bad.

Do not despise these small beginnings

Those were the words of our pastor, Ed Noble, quoting from Zechariah 4:10, during a sermon at the beginning of 2015.  It was a sermon series about establishing new and good habits.  That phrase has stuck in my head because it applies to a lot of things. 

I wanted to yell it out loud at spin class this morning.

We joined the local YMCA a couple of weeks ago because with the onset of Winter (for real this time) I thought it would be helpful to be able to do spin classes, swim, etc., only five minutes from home.  They have classes that start at 5:30am and since the Y is so close, I can roll out of bed, get to class, then just go home to shower and get ready for work.  This morning was my first test of that schedule idea, and it worked out quite well.

The down side: I had to endure the repeated complaints and sniping about “this month” and “the resolution bodies” that were taking precious space away from the faithful regulars.  Apparently I was quite an inconvenience.  But I have pretty thick skin.  I shrugged it off because the comments weren’t directed at me.  It was just overheard in the general chatter among the regulars.  The spin instructor even got in his own barbs at one point during the class.  

But what if I wasn’t thick-skinned?  What if I was very trepidatiously trying to make some positive changes in my life and was venturing into a gym for the first time?  What if I felt self-conscious and unsure of myself?  I can’t imagine how those comments would have felt - what they might have done to my efforts to stick with a resolution to improve my health.  And so then I wondered, "How often do my words discourage someone in their journey?"

We've all heard the phrase, “You have to start somewhere."  I'm pretty sure that the people making those comments this morning weren't born at the YMCA.  True ambassadors of any sport, hobby, interest, etc. look to bring new people into it, to make them feel welcome, to feel like they belong.  Whether it’s a church group, gym, hobby club, professional organization, or anything else, everybody is new at some point.  We should all remember that "new guy" feeling - the trepidation and anxiety - and reach out to encourage new people.  For all new journeys, important impressions are made early, in the beginning - they determine the course, or even whether or not the journey will continue.  A smile and a welcoming spirit  might cause us to have to adjust our own little routines, or push US out of our comfort zones a little bit, but it may go a long way in encouraging a new beginning for someone else.

The question then is whether we will be discouragers, or people who encourage others at the start of their journey, delighting in the thought of marveling at what they've accomplished at the end of their journey.

Don’t despise small beginnings.

Rose Bowl experience

Following the Hawks to the Rose Bowl was something Sheila and I had talked about for years. We were firm that if the Hawks ever went we would go as well. We got that opportunity this year and it was an incredible experience.

Sheila went early for work events and activities, I stayed behind to play "Flower Daddy" for the girls who were in a wedding at 3pm on NYE.

It went off without a hitch and I caught my flights to arrive by 9pm WST on NYE. Game day would be a long one (in more ways than we hoped) so after a couple drinks with friends we crashed.

We had a 4am wake up call on game day, checking in and getting on a transport bus at 4:30am. Bus departure shortly before 5am, we arrived at the Rose Bowl parade at 5:30am. We had been given a boxed breakfast for the bus and when we arrived they showed a movie (Draft Day) while we waited for the grandstands to open. We had left so early to get the bus close to our seats and we were less than one block away. At 7:15 we departed the bus and made our way through the crowds to our seats. To our surprise we were sitting in the front row!

The parade was all we hoped and even included a flyover of a B2 Stealth bomber. This would be one of two sightings. The floats were over the top, the bands from all over the world fantastic, and it was a great experience. The parade was 2 solid hours long, it could have finished 30 minutes earlier!

From the parade we loaded the bus shortly after 10am and were transported to the Rose Bowl. We made a quick stop at Nathan Hall's tailgate group to say hi and unexpectedly had a faux celebrity sighting. This guy was funny, totally in character and initiated Nathan and I into the wolfpack (if you have seen Hangover this all makes sense).

From there we went to the official alumni tailgate and connected with more friends, ate, drank, and enjoyed the Hawkeye marching band. It was a sea of black and gold. From there we went to the Grandaddy of them all!

The stadium was cool and the fans were crazy with energy. We enjoyed another B2 bomber flyover which was also incredible.

Well, then the game happened. Not how we drew it up and it was difficult to watch. But the fan base stayed true and loyal and the stadium remained solid black and gold through the entire game. It was a proud moment to see the incredible loyalty of the fan base, something all of us and others could appreciate and learn from.

It was a somber ride back to the hotel. Overall, I feel so fortunate to have been able to experience this season and the Rose Bowl with the Hawkeye football team. Hopefully we will be back very soon and with a different result!