Month: May 2014

What’s Your Number?

Every morning when we wake up there’s a giant number written on our forehead.  We get dressed and go on with our day, carrying this number with us along the way.  Our magical number lets the world know how extraordinary we are.  Each person we come into contact with can read it…

…but who put this number there? 

We did! Whether we realize it or not, each day we tell the world how awesome (or not so awesome) we feel about who we are.

Sometimes we unknowingly scribble a “5” up there.  Before we know it, our entire day has become less than extraordinary and we end up feeling pretty average.  Soon others catch on, and they start to think of us as just a “5” too.  Thanks to the law of attraction, we are now running with a whole crew of “5”s…

…but why hang with “5”s when you can hang with “10”s?

Think about it: We  get to select the number we walk around with every single day.  If we wake up in the morning and put on our “10”, everyone around us will start to notice us as “10”s, too! The truth is that the world takes us at our own estimate.  If we don’t think highly of ourselves, how can we expect others to do the same?

As “10”s, we attract even more “10”s into our lives!  The more we treat ourselves as “10”s and encourage others to do the same, the more extraordinary the group of eagles we flock with will become!

Action Item: Wake up each morning, take our your imaginary marker and draw a 10 on your forehead!

Use Social Media To Get Ahead!

Social media speak is such a big part of our everyday lingo.  I say “like” and “tag” more times in one day than my dog’s name!  And whether we like it (pun intended!) or not, who we are on social media affects how people see us in REAL life.

Sometimes we forget, what we think of as sarcastic or funny might not always be seen that way.  Social media has the ability to INFLUENCE who people think you are…or are not.

Your college admissions counselor might take a peek at Facebook while reviewing applications because she wants to know what kind of characters she’s bringing on campus!  As she’s browsing through posts, she comes across your rant from last Wednesday after you blew that math final: “UGH! I HATE SCHOOL! I am quitting, who is with me?”  If she was on the fence about admitting you, that might just tip the scales.

Be cautious about what you “like” and who you “follow”.  It’s easy for people to check out your interests and likes on Facebook.   As a hiring manager, I often checked out the social media presence of applicants.   I was surprised at the information people made public on their Facebook accounts!  Trust me, the girl who just liked the page “Lazy People Problems”, didn’t make it too far in the application process.

Sometimes, we just need to put a little more thought into the image we create of ourselves online.   Instead of shutting down your account or blocking everyone under the sun, consider asking yourself these two questions when creating your online content:

  1. What does this post or photo say about who I am?  Does it fit with how I want others to perceive me?
  2. Would I be embarrassed if a future employer, professor, or college admissions board read this post or saw this photo?

Social media is meant to be fun.  It’s also meant to be an expression of ourselves, but we can’t deny the fact that it has turned into an online platform for self-marketing.  Take advantage of that!  Showcase your skills, your positive relationships, your good nature, etc.  Use your social media presence to make future employers and admissions boards WANT you as part of their organization or school.

Your Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter accounts can give you a competitive advantage and career head start if you make the right moves.

Use Your Network To Meet Your Dream Mentor!

 

Last week we reviewed the importance of interviewing for information—but we left out the most important step to making that happen!

In order to copy the genius of others, we need to get in front of them first.  We often fantasize about the high profile leaders we dream of meeting, eventually convincing ourselves there’s no way we could ever get connected to an Oprah, Donald Trump or Ashton Kutcher.

As Eagles, we aren’t intimidated by the challenge! We know that if we want to be the best, then we need to learn from the people making it happen in a big way.

How do we get to these people though?

We are closer than we think.  All we have to do is EVALUATE our networks and ASK.

Think of the mentors you’d like to have in your life.  You can list specific names of future mentors or list general qualities you’d like to see in a future mentor.  Now, think of the network of people in your life (parents, family, friends, professors, classmates, coworkers, etc.), and ASK them who they can introduce you to from your list.  You might be surprised at the connections you can make by simply asking!

Let’s review: You are closer than you think to the people you want to learn from, all you have to do is EVALUATE YOUR NETWORK and ASK.

Action Item: List three mentors you’d like to meet and identify who in your network can help you meet that person.

 

At Eagle U, students will learn and practice the process of identifying the 7 Circles to getting the mentors they want in their lives.  Check out our July 7th-11th program at the University of Louisville this summer! Email Maria@EagleUniversity.org for more information.

Be Interested, Not Interesting

It was the summer after my senior year in high school and I was sitting down to chat with some of the top leaders at NBC Universal.  I started to get a little nervous.  What was I going to say?  Lucky for me, I had just spent a week at Eagle U learning exactly how to interview for information.

Back in high school, I was interested in becoming a journalist or news anchor, and I wanted to soak up the genius from people who were already out there doing it!   I didn’t want these people to give me a job or internship; I just wanted them to talk to me about their career.  What I really needed to figure out was what to say when I got in the room so I could really get to know their story.

At Eagle U that summer, I remember learning the key to interviewing for information:

BE INTERESTED, NOT INTERESTING. 

In order to show our interest in someone, we need to show that we’ve done our homework.  Before you sit down with someone to ask about their journey look up their LinkedIN profile, check out their bio online, or even ask someone who might know them for background information.

Most importantly, when you get the chance to actually sit down and interview with this person, make sure you keep the focus on their journey.  Be genuinely interested in their story and do not try to impress them with your personal successes.  The purpose of interviewing for information is to COPY GENIUS not to land an internship.

The more often you repeat this exercise with people who are successfully doing what it is you want (or might want) to do, the greater leap you will take towards your own successful future!

ACTION ITEM:

Who are 2 people you want to interview for information?  Research their background online and come up with 3 questions you would want to ask each of them.