The Unemployed Professional: Abundance Theory

I was not gifted with a natural talent to play tennis. Combine that with the fact that I didn't pick up a racket until my 7th grade year and my chances of ever playing varsity on our high school team, which was ranked 2nd in the state and was full of kids that had been carrying a racket since they were walking, was slim to none. I worked hard and became "above average" by my senior year, but there were overwhelming odds against me ever being good enough to make the varsity team. There were simply too many above average kids. For some reason, the knowledge that I would never play a varsity match never deterred me from continuing to push. At the time, I couldn't put it into words, but I always had it in my mind that there was a chance. I kept that attitude for all four years of highschool and I was finally given my big chance at one of our last matches of my senior year. I can't remember if we won or lost that day; all I remember is thinking, "I knew there was room for one more!"

Years ago, Steven Covey, author of "7 Habits of Highly Effective People", coined the phrases, "Scarcity Theory" and "Abundance Theory" Scarcity theory is the belief that there are a limited number of opportunities and not everyone will have the chance to participate. If you tend to view the world through a perspective in line with scarcity theory, it will have an impact on the way that you respond to your surroundings. Conversely, abundance theory is the thought that there is enough room for everyone. Everyone will find their place and everyone will add their own value. There is always a spot on the team for another player. This is a mentality that, once again, will have an effect on the way that you see the world. And both will be a huge factor in how the world sees you. 

When you sit down in front of a potential employer, do you want to project an air of confidence? Do you want to be able to negotiate your salary effectively? Or do you wish to walk in the room with the sense that this is your one chance to pay your bills? That if you don't get the offer, you have no idea what your next step is? Every time I walk into an interview, I want to authentically feel as though I am in control. I want to be able to project an air of confidence that says that I am very thankful to be in the room, but I don't need this interview to be everything because another opportunity is right around the corner. I want to project a sense of "abundance" in the job search. 

So now, as you think about your current situation of transition, it is probably obvious to you which theory you are currently subscribing to. And if you are on the side of the fence where you are starting to believe that there are not enough jobs to go around, that you need to grab whatever you can, and that when you do land that interview, you NEED that specific job, you are losing the perspective that you have options. You are forgetting that you have choices, and you are falling into the trap of scarcity thinking.

So how do you give yourself a sense of abundance? I have come to realize that abundance might not necessarily rely on actually have a long list of job options on the table. It might just come down to the act of staying busy. And in that act, you start to present yourself with choices of how you are going to spend your day and who you are going to spend your day with. And choices, are what will give you an ongoing sense of abundance. A perspective in line with abundance theory will give you confidence to actually land that position!

For some people, it can be as simple as flipping a mental switch to change your perception on your current opportunities. For these people, an adjusted perspective will be attained by thinking back on the last few days or weeks and looking at all the different conversations, networking opportunities, and potential target companies that have "popped up out of the blue" as they sometimes tend to do. However, for the rest of us, this will take some work to adjust our perspective to see the world through the eyes of abundance theory. Below are a couple quick suggestions on how you can potentially get there. 

1. Find the employment networking events. Whether it is a paid group such as Kettering, or amazing free groups such as C3G at Northpoint Church and the support provided at Roswell United Methodist Church, you will gain additional contacts and new opportunities to meet with people that know people that might be able to help. If you are in Atlanta, check out Joel's List for a comprehensive list of networking opportunities. Search these groups out in your local city. The more meetings you go to, the more people you will meet. The more people you will meet with, the busier you will be. The busier you will be, the more opportunities you will find. It really is just that simple. Remember, even if none of this leads you to a job, that might not be the point. The point might just be to switch your perspective to one of abundance. 

2. While at these events, commit to introducing yourself, shaking hands and providing your elevator pitch (don't have an elevator pitch? Click here to build yours) to at least 10 people in the room. Set a "quota" for yourself to gather 5 business cards that you will follow up with to ask for a coffee. Even if they are not the people that will get you a job, they probably know people that might be able to help you. 

3. Work towards at least one, sit down meeting with a new contact per day. For those that are not extroverts, this will seem very daunting, but I'll tell you, having meetings each and every day will do a world of good towards your feeling of abundance.  

4. When you are sitting down with these new contacts, don't be selfish. Listen. Actively think through how you can help the person across the table from you. Make an introduction for them. Teach them something they don't know. Maybe they just need you to be an ear for a few minutes. The active of giving of yourself to everyone that you meet will serve you well. I promise! 

Here is the secret and my parting thought: An active networking life will make you busy. While you are busy you will find that your confidence will improve. Leverage that confidence while you are in front of your future boss. You will be the person that they need you to be in that moment. This will make them feel comfortable offering you the job you are chasing. And if not, move on to the next networking event or coffee, one on one and continue to prepare your perspective for the next opportunity. There are plenty of them out there!

 “Happiness is a state of activity.” -Aristotle 

Keep Climbing!

Keep Climbing

John

About me: 

My name is John Constantine and I am a executive leader of sales and marketing. As a sales leader I have driven organic growth from $4M-$65M through building a highly successful sales team. As a marketing executive, I have directed rebranding initiatives, developed websites and print collateral and designed/implemented various marketing campaigns using digital tools to score and track leads. In everything I do in my corporate life, I drive growth through supporting and improving the efficiencies of the sales team. Personally, I am passionate about giving back to the world; whether it is a church plant in Colombia, South America or helping to develop the go to market strategy for a hospital in Rwanda, Africa, I feel that we are called to service. Additionally, I extend my desire to go above and beyond in a very real way through my mountaineering and backpacking treks. In 2016 I summited Mt Rainier in Washington State and now I train for an Alaska expedition in Denali and a possible fundraising climb of Kilimanjaro.  

To learn more, go to http://www.johnaconstantine.com/

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