A few people I know have been recommending that I read Daniel Pink’s work, so as I found myself in the library last week, I put my name on the list for “Drive” and signed out a copy of “Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need“. Here’s the summary from the website:
Meet Johnny Bunko. He’s probably a lot like you. He did what everybody – parents, teachers, counselors — told him to do. But now, stuck at a dead-end job, he’s begun to suspect that what he thought he knew is just plain wrong. One bizarre night, Johnny meets Diana, the unlikeliest career advisor he’s ever seen. Part Cameron Diaz, part Barbara Eden, she reveals to Johnny the six essential lessons for thriving in the world of work.
In the six lessons, Diana outlines the work we do in personal branding – building on strengths and taking the needs of your audience into account. The first lesson, however, is the one that explains to me why traditional career counselling often fails us:
There is no plan.
Not that most people fail because they have no plan, but that most people end up unhappy because they think there should be a plan. Some of us have a detailed plan full of “shoulds”, while others worry about not having a plan. The secret is that life doesn’t unfold according to our best-laid plans. Life happens. We are only failures when we blame ourselves for being unwilling or unable to carry out a plan we don’t really have anyway. And then we try to teach our children to live according to this “plan”. I guess the thinking here is that if we weren’t successful, at least we can try to help our kids find success.
In this story, Johnny followed the “plan” he was given about getting a “proper” education and a “solid” job with “good” pay. He avoided getting an education in an area that interested him because he was told that his interests were frivolous and wouldn’t lead anywhere. (Watch Steve Jobs explain this idea in a previous post – he turned his “frivolous” study into an OK life, afterall. ;D)
Ironically, in all of this “planning”, we often fail to put effective effort into our own self-development and career planning. You don’t need to know what you want to be when you grow up in order to start putting together your personal brand. Branding yourself is about becoming aware of your strengths and learning how to get yourself “out there” – you only need to know what you’re interested in to get started. Your “brand” grows and evolves with you. And there’s a lot to learn about basic communications, marketing and internet tools along the way.
Get yourself back to school on the right foot this year by taking the most important school supply along with you – your passions! Increase your chances of long-term success (and gainful employment!) by getting started on your personal brand NOW! It’s never too soon to build on your strengths and passions.
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