Try On Your Dream Job
by Beth Busch
How do you find the path to success? Well, there are the obvious suggestions – study hard in the field of your choice, research, network, intern. If you’re very fortunate, you may also find a few mentors along the way. Think of it like this: School teaches you how it SHOULD be done. Mentors teach you how it IS done. Mentors are people who’ve been there.
No amount of study can fully prepare you for the challenges and pitfalls your career path has in store for you. Hearing from someone who’s met those challenges and forged a successful career can be invaluable. If you’re just starting out, look for people in your organization who have traits you admire. Maybe they handle themselves well politically, deliver dynamic presentations, or just seem amazingly organized and manage their time well. Ask if they would be willing to share some of their expertise with you. Don’t be demanding of their time; they’re offering you something priceless, so be prepared to do this on their schedule. You might even offer something in return (I’ll collate the presentation if you’ll let me see how you put it together). You’ll find that good mentors are very generous. If you are sincere in wanting to learn, you’ll be surprised at how much people are willing to help you.
Mentors aren’t just for those starting out; they can be useful throughout your life. If your career is stuck in a rut, find someone who has maneuvered up the corporate ladder ahead of you and ask for pointers. Many top business leaders got there by hitching their wagons to a star.
It would be great if we could all go right to the top and get advice from the most successful people. With success, however, come busy schedules, making it difficult to spend time with someone who has a truly big job. Now, however, you have a chance!
In conjunction with the tenth anniversary of WorkForce, Hawaii’s largest job fair on May 23rd, comes “Try On Your Dream Job” – and an opportunity for you to receive a personal mentoring session with some of Hawaii’s most successful people.
Find out how Chef Sam Choy built his cooking empire and learn how he’s working with Amazon.com on his latest cookbook. Ask stylist and businessman Paul Brown how he grew his salon business from one shop to a chain across the islands and started his own line of hair care products. Get the inside scoop on how Liz Chun became the first female sports director and anchor in Hawaii. Or ask Mayor Hannemann what it’s like to manage one of the largest cities in the country.
To participate, go to: www.tryonyourdreamjob.com and submit your video telling us why you should receive a personal mentoring session with one of these leaders. Make a strong case and you might just have a chance to go behind the scenes of a very successful career and get some one-on-one advice on your own career dreams.
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