Being the prize: How to be right for your dream job

Motivator Zig Ziglar told audiences that his first big break in sales came when he attended one single meeting. No one else was there. Except the boss.

It was a hideously stormy and cold night, and Ziglar didn’t want to go to the meeting, but he remembered the words of his mother who told him: You work for a man, give him your best every day.

How many people do you know who, when asked about their jobs, tick off the reasons their boss is dishonest or worse. They claim to do their jobs well but tell you no one else does.
Or they tell you 15 stories about how they get to come in late or not at all and shove their work onto someone else.

Worse, they claim they eventually they will sue the joint. And then they write it on their Facebook page. Employers aren’t idiots. Why would employer hire someone who doesn’t show up and thinks his boss is dishonest and wants to sue him?

Skills aside. Why would any employer want to bring a problem into the workplace?

If you want to be right for your dream job, then at minimum don’t whine on Facebook about not hateful bosses, being late, skipping work and you conviction that you can’t get an even deal. But, at best, try to become the person that the boss wants:

– Competence matters. Be skilled at something people need. Keep refining your skills.
– Responsibility. Come to work on time. Don’t spend your time texting or chatting. Be at work.
– Honesty. Have a firm grounding in being truthful in all you do. Be honest with yourself. Be honest with your coworkers. Be honest with company assets. Follow the rules.

Large corporations give potential employees a series of tests and interviews, some formal and some informal. Google, Apple and Microsoft give tests for skill, reasoning power, the ability to learn, and soft skills, like being a team player, taking criticism, fitness, and social skills. Koch Companies highly value entrepreneurship on the skill side. On the soft side, they value loyalty, honesty, and courtesy.

You can develop your skills through learning, at school or even online. You can do the same with soft skills. For free videos about values and excellence in business, see YouTube.com. Try Evan Carmichael’s channel for a variety of videos from different motivators.