Volume 1 , Issue 1 Page 44
the center of a network more than two million strong people . In other words , it ’ s likely that someone you already know , knows someone who could help you . This is the POWER of extended network
Risk :
Our education system penalizes students for making mistakes but in the real world , you don ' t know what the best plan is until you try and making mistakes is part of that learning process . Learn by doing . Not sure if you can break into the pharmaceutical industry ? Spend six months interning at Pfizer making connections and see what happens . Curious whether marketing or product development is a better fit than what you currently do ? If you work in a company where those functions exist , offer to help out for free . That ’ s exactly what I did at Apple , my first job after grad school . Whatever the situation , actions generate useful lessons . Actions help you discover where you want to go and how to get there . In college , the most successful students make the fewest mistakes but the most successful professionals learn to take intelligent risks . You may assume that you get career stability by minimizing risk . Ironically , in a changing world , playing it safe is one of the riskiest things you can do .
Rather than avoid risk , take intelligent risk . It will give you a competitive edge . For example , do not dismiss jobs that pay less in cash but offer tremendous learning . Prioritize plans that offer the best chance at learning about yourself and the world . Do not dismiss a career path just because you keep hearing how risky it is . It probably isn ’ t as risky as most believe , which means there ’ s less competition for landing the opportunity . In these opportunities , the worst case scenario tends to be survivable . When the worst case means , losing a little bit of time or money , or experiencing some discomfort , IT IS A RISK YOU SHOULD BE WILL- ING TO TAKE . If the worst-case scenario is the serious tarnishing of your reputation , loss of all your economic assets , or something otherwise career-ending , don ' t accept that risk . There will always be uncertainty about career opportunities and risks . The best opportunities are frequently the ones with the most question marks . When it ’ s not clear how something will play out , many people avoid it altogether . Take intelligent risks and you will find the opportunities that others miss !
So , CONGRATULATIONS on the hard work you ’ ve put into your education thus far , but your learning has just begun . Graduation is not the end of learning . We are all WORKS-IN PROGRESS . Each day presents an opportunity to learn more , do more , be more in our lives and careers . In the world of work , every day is exam day . If you ’ re not growing , you ’ re contracting . If you ’ re not moving forward , you ’ re moving backward . So ,
Develop your competitive advantage , build your network , and take intelligent risks . If not now , When ?