| "> | | | | would you experience each work day if you |
| I met Wendy years ago when I took a job as a | | | | began to view your job as your career? The |
| restaurant manager. For me, the management | | | | work you do each day doesn't mean that you |
| position was a job. It wasn't my career as I | | | | are stuck in your career for life. It simply means |
| hadn't prepared myself to become a restaurant | | | | that you have made a series of decisions over |
| manager. Heck, I'd never even worked in a | | | | your lifetime that has put you exactly where you |
| restaurant prior. But I had eaten in plenty of | | | | are today. And if you got to where you are by |
| restaurants. I had a good sense of what | | | | your series of decisions, then this must be the |
| customer service at the restaurant level entailed. | | | | career you have chosen for yourself - for right |
| Make the plates look good and the meal would be | | | | now. |
| good. Make the experience good and the | | | | Accountability of your life-choices is key in finding |
| restaurant was good. | | | | satisfaction in your work. It's easier to take pride |
| Presentation is everything in a restaurant - from | | | | in what you do when you feel as though the |
| the way the wait staff presents itself, to the | | | | work you do is a career. If you view your work |
| décor to the presentation of the meal on | | | | as simply a job, you won't give any more than |
| a plate. Make it visually appealing at it will be good. | | | | enough effort to not get fired. |
| Up to that point, I had been in radio some sixteen | | | | In the same way you can test-drive a car before |
| years but had been downsized from my job as | | | | you buy it and be saddled with five years of |
| morning show host. My career had ended. And for | | | | payments, you can test-drive a career before |
| a variety of reasons I didn't want to leave the | | | | you commit to five or more years of |
| geographical area to search out another radio | | | | employment. The trick, when test-driving a |
| station to work at. So I found myself looking for | | | | career, is to get out of it (if you don't like it) |
| a job. My career was in radio. The restaurant was | | | | before you begin to despise the work. If you |
| a job. | | | | despise the work and grumble about it, your lousy |
| Wendy is one of the people I worked with. She | | | | attitude will follow you to your next "job." |
| was a cook - and not really a very good one. | | | | Unless someone shows up at your house each |
| Wendy became involved in restaurants as a last | | | | morning and points a gun at your head, you are |
| resort. She was under-educated. She had few | | | | NOT forced to be there. If you go "willingly" (by |
| transferable skills. She was willing to work long | | | | choice) to work each day, then start thinking of |
| hours for pay just over minimum wage (minimum | | | | your employment as your career choice at this |
| wage is another way of saying: if we could pay | | | | moment. Do whatever you need to do to |
| you less we would.). Wendy overcooked most | | | | advance yourself within your career. The more |
| food she prepared. She didn't really take pride in | | | | valuable you become, the more valuable you will |
| her work because it was just a job - not a | | | | be perceived. Those who are valued by their |
| career. | | | | employers always seem to fare better than |
| ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT: Is what you do each | | | | those who aren't. Change your attitude from "job" |
| day your job or your career? What difference | | | | to "career" and watch your results change. |