Business-Building Action from Terry Brock
Yesterday I was reading an article in the Wall Street Journal that got me thinking about something that is extremely important in our fast-changing world. The article was about students who were about to graduate who were majoring in Petroleum Engineering.
The article discussed oil prices and how that affects jobs for graduates. The last two months have seen a more dramatic drop in the price of gas at the pump than we have seen in decades. This has ramifications for those looking for work in the oil and energy industry.
The forecast can be scary for those about to graduate majoring in petroleum engineering and other fields. This is understandable. A part of us longs for continuity. Sameness. Normal. Yet today, we find there is much talk of a “new normal.” This can be very scary and understandably troubling when you’ve borrowed thousands of dollars, for an education that people said would give you a good job, and now that has changed even before you get started!
In a word —- YIKES!
We have to realize that things are different now than they were in the past and that they will be in the future. So what do we do to equip ourselves for this unknown future? How can we prepare for such an uncertain future? I have some ideas and would love to hear from you. Here are some that I’ve found tend to help:
1. Be so flexible they can call you Gumby. Gumby, of course, was the green clay figure character who was able to adjust and adapt to many different situations. I like the way Gumby was able to adapt to whatever happened in situation. Another way to think of it is as Bruce Lee, the great martial arts Icon of years ago, said “Be the water.”
2. Maintain a curious mind. I’ve noticed that people who have a curious mind, vs. one that is rigid and belligerent, tend to do better. Keep that natural curiosity of a child asking, “Why?” as many times as necessary.
3. Continue learning by looking at many viewpoints. Take advantage of the many forms of learning which are available to us today that did not exist even years ago. I find it enormously enjoyable to be able to listen to choice podcasts each of which can take a different point of view on a variety of subjects that are available for us today. Make it your goal to also read from a variety of sources. It a healthy approach to read from a variety of points of view. Read not just those points of view that agree with yours, but make it your point to read from those who have a diametrically opposed viewpoint from you. You strengthen your arguments by understanding what the opposite side is saying and why they’re saying it.
4. Learn how to learn faster and better. The fields of psychology and psychiatry are making enormous progress in finding out how we learn better and faster. Make it your goal to learn to read faster and consume vast amounts of information. Make it your goal to constantly work on your memory to strengthen that muscle. Embrace the new discoveries of how our brain can heal itself and we don’t have to settle for “growing old” and think that our minds will deteriorate. Enormous progress is being made in this field period. Norman Doidge, M.D.’s work, The Brain That Changes Itself,” is a powerful reference for the layperson. I’ve also found great help in studying PhotoReading from Learning Strategies (http://www.photoreading.com). In the area of memory, I still love one of the classics by Harry Loraine and Jerry Lucas, The Memory Book.
5. Embrace life-long AND day-long learning. Many people recognize the importance of continued learning through life. No longer is a basic education sufficient in an ever-changing world. Make it your job to continue learning and do it each day. Every day do something to increase your learning through reading, listening, attending classes, being with really smart people, learning from them, and more.
Yes, the market is changing. Yes, it can be very difficult for those who have studied a particular field only to discover that they jobs you thought were going to be there or not there. Adapt. Change. Make being amenable your policy in life regarding learning.
I wish those graduates in Petroleum Engineering the best. Yes, it can be frustrating and even agonizing to have started something you thought was a sure thing to have a comfortable living, studied hard in it, maybe have even gone into debt, and then have job offers rescinded and a post-graduation lack of jobs. However, think of the most important thing you learned in school —- the ability to learn better. Use those skills you’ve acquired to find the opportunities that are available in other areas. If I can be of help to anyone as a graduate with my two cents worth, let me know.
What do you think? Please send me a note on Linkedin (one of the best ways to reach me). I look forward to your comments.
All the best,
Terry
Terry Brock, MBA, CSP, CPAE
www.TerryBrock.com
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