Renegade

I heard the best interview story ever during my son's high school open house a few years back.

My son had science last period and I was thinking - wow, last period science is not a great draw (for me attending open house, for him, or for his teacher).

I get to class around 8:30pm that Monday night. It so happens that the Steelers are playing a Monday Night Football game.

It takes a lot to command a classroom full of parents when you're competing with a Steelers game in Pittsburgh.

But this guy had us laughing for 15 minutes straight - and he kept telling his story while the school played "Renegade" (the Steelers fight song) over the loud speaker.

Most folks wouldn't have the guts to compete with "Renegade", but he was confident in what he was saying and he knew what he wanted to share with us.

With the work that I do, I was particularly struck by his move from scientist to science teacher 30 years ago. In order to make his case for a career change, he talked about bringing lab experiments including bottle rockets to his interview.

He wanted to show that he could make the switch, so he took the initiative to demonstrate exactly how he would do this, knowing that it could either be a big risk or that they would love the excitement and that would help him to land the job.

Today, I'd just like to remind you that you can do the same exact thing: you can take the initiative in an interview and let folks know exactly what you bring to the table.

Maybe you're not bringing a chemistry lab experiment or bottle rockets, but you can certainly come in with a plan for how you will make a real impact.

If this guy can make 10th period science fun for high schoolers, we all can figure out how to bring some joy to our work and to interview processes that can feel overwhelming at times.

Happy Friday and enjoy the weekend!

This week's LinkedIn posts:

​During the 2008 recession, I was a contributor to The Motley Fool and was tasked with coming up with tips that work for both job searchers and investors in a tough economic climate. ​

​As a 50-something Gen Xer, my life has been one of constantly adapting and learning "the next technology."

​"They always pick someone younger."​

​Poll: Have you ever taken a pay cut? (600+ votes)​

​I was recently talking with a CEO of a publicly-traded company who hasn't posted a single thing on LinkedIn.​

One more thing before I go:

A lot of folks in this community have been asking me whether going out on their own is actually viable after a long corporate career.

It’s a big question. And I wanted to bring in someone who could answer it honestly.

On March 25 at noon ET, I’m hosting a free live session with my friend Amanda Northcutt. She helps experienced professionals build their own consulting practices — and she’s going to walk us through what’s actually possible.

Free. Live. No pitch.

​[Register here → link]​

As always, thank you for being part of this community.

Best -

Colleen​
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