Anyone who might have happened upon my tweets yesterday will know that I am a University of Michigan fan. Yes, I graduated from Michigan, and have terrific memories of trekking to Michigan Stadium with 100,000+ of my closest friends to watch games.
Today, I want to talk about Michigan’s new quarterback, Denard Robinson. He had an amazing start to the season. People were talking Heisman Trophy. Fans and pundits gave him credit for winning Michigan’s first four games where he posted amazing rushing and passing yards. In the first four games of the season, he ran for 905 yards, eight scores and threw for 1,008 yards and seven scores with only one interception.
Yesterday’s (34-17) loss against Michigan State was another story. Denard made three costly turnovers and ran for a season-low 86 yards. (Two should have been touchdowns instead of interceptions. Like a knife in a fan’s heart.)
Now, everyone’s saying “goodbye Heisman trophy” and recognizing Denard as vulnerable and human instead of a superstar.
What’s the career lesson here? Is it “You are only as good as your last job?”
How about “Remember, it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon?” No matter what — if you are having success (or not), you need to stay on top of things to either 1) keep achieving the results you want or 2) change results that need to be different.
Just as Denard Robinson needs to move on from an admittedly pretty disastrous game, if your job search isn’t going well, you need to think about what you can do differently and do it. While Denard has tapes to watch and coaches to coach him on how he can do better next time, maybe you only have you and your lack of a job. Can you break out of a rut (if you’re having a rut) on your own? Maybe investing in some advice is a good idea. Think about it.
As a coach, I can’t help but suggest that there is nothing better than good, solid, one-on-one coaching to help identify problem areas. I’ve said this many times — an investment in your career or job search has the potential to repay you many times.
Another great option for job seekers is THE CAREER SUMMIT. Tons of career advice, all for a low price of $99 for a short time. Check it out now, before the early bird is over at the close of business today – Sunday, October 10th.
The topics include everything from how to think about finding a job you love, to what has changed in search, demystifying the recruiting process, online career management, interviewing and (last but not least) — strategies and tips for your resume, social media profile and job search. Read more HERE or visit the site HERE to learn more.
We can’t all be Big 10 quarterbacks with a staff to support us, but you can access tons of great professional advice via The Career Summit. Think about it!