My 5p on Being Vocationally Challenged

As we all continue to hear the 'R' word (Recession) across all media outlets through stories like that of Bear Stearns and other financial collapses, I thought I would pen down the fundamental hard-to-measure factors that made me thrive during the dot-com bust days and hope it helps. It was almost 3 years for me before I found a full-time job, even though I had just finished B-School.

So if you happen to find yourself with a new job of 'CEO, Vocationally Challenged, Inc', you may not see it this way but it might one of the best opportunities that will come your way to thrive and come out stronger. Very briefly, here is what made that time one of the best in my professional life (in fact, on my LinkedIn profile, that is the only experience I highlight and detail under all experiences):

• Positive attitude and humor: I started enjoying the hunt, the chase and gave myself the title of CEO, Vocationally Challenged, Inc. Another one to consider is its acronymed version - VC ... just at the other end of the spectrum
  
• Its about People. Build and sustain long term relationships - I made friends and mentors, independent of titles, that I still stay in touch with regularly since 2001.
  
• Continuous unlearning and learning: I read voraciously and listened to anyone who could tell me something new. This is also how I discovered and started using LinkedIn when it had 40k users in 2003 (today they have 20M). And absolutely dont forget to ask people you meet two questions:

        "What do you do and How do you do it?"
        They were pivotal to Chris Gardner's Pursuit of Happyness

• Laser Focus on goals: I never compromised and knew very clearly what I wanted. I joined LinkedIn and transitioned into the consumer Internet space, specifically social networking/media after having spent my prior life in enterprise software
  
• Habits 'Built to Last' (that would be hard to break after employment). Some examples: I dont start the day before I have read The Wall Street Journal cover to cover, I workout and pay attention to my physical health

And yes - very importantly, it helps to have a supportive sugar mama!

For those who want to read more about what others are doing that is measurable and easier to execute - here are a few stories and posts that caught my eye:

• Getting Hired by William Bland
• How To Job Hunt as Time Drags On - The Wall Street Journal
• In Silicon Valley, a Flight to Safety - The Wall Street Journal
  

Imagine: "Adversity is a fact of life. It can't be controlled. What we can control is how we react to (and leverage) it."