Think and Grow Rich in Your Career

With a global recession in 2012 and worldwide instability, it has become harder than ever to get a job or to advance to the next level of employment. It is really heart-breaking to see people lose their jobs and then remain unemployed for a year or more and suffer all types of financial difficulties from which they may never completely recover. America is supposed to be the land of opportunity and yet we have an epidemic of long-term unemployed and under-employed professionals.

In the past few years things have gotten even worse as the numbers of long-term unemployed have mushroomed and the length of time it takes to get a job has risen significantly. Job loss is frequently cited as one of the top ten most challenging and emotionally draining life experiences you will ever have to go through. Finding a job is a stressful experience for anyone, especially for those who are unemployed. Sometimes people just give up because the outlook is so bleak. Those fortunate enough to already be employed may choose to stay in a position or company they don't like simply because they can't seem to get an interview for a more interesting opportunity. This is particularly true in a tough economy.

A seemingly never-ending stream of rejection letters and economic uncertainties only compound the stress experienced by anyone looking for a better job. I've witnessed this myself first hand. I've been through periods of unemployment and I've spent time helping colleagues, family, and friends who were facing their own employment challenges. As a CEO and hiring manager of two high-tech companies, I've literally reviewed over 3,500 resumes and job applicants over the course the last ten years. I've seen applications or resumes from MBAs, CPAs, PhDs, engineers, salespeople, administrative people and veterans. Basically educated professionals from all walks of life. One thing many of these people have in common is a sense of frustration and lack of optimism. So I started thinking about ways I may be able to use my experience from both my own career and from the 'hiring side of the table' to help more people succeed in their careers.

I know that having even a slight advantage in a competitive job market will dramatically improve you results. And when you want a new job in this day and age you need every possible advantage. Because the job market in the 21st century is so challenging it is more important than ever to have as many tools as possible at your disposal if you want to get a good job quickly or take your career to the next level. The right resources will help shorten your job search, increase your marketability and grow your income. In order to do so, you have to approach the situation from multiple angles and use as many resources as you can get your hands on.

A passive, half-hearted job search will not work in today's marketplace. Unless you are an elite athlete, this may be the most competitive thing you'll ever do! Getting a job these days is comparable to being an elite athlete and competing in an Iron Man Triathlon. I'm no Iron Man, but I can imagine all of the dynamics involved in completing an Iron man; strength, nutrition, cardiovascular fitness, stamina, endurance, flexibility, running ability, cycling ability, swimming ability, motivation and mental toughness. All of these things are the pillars that lead to success in a triathlon. If you had a deficiency in any area it would affect your whole performance and may prevent you from completing the race. If you knew that your goal was to compete in a challenging race, wouldn't you want every possible advantage?

Just as being a good swimmer will not by itself ensure your success in a triathlon, just having a professional resume is not enough to ensure your success in the job market. A good education and work experience is not enough. Connections alone are also not enough. These are all the mechanics of your career and similar to the physical fitness characteristics needed to complete triathlons. Even if you had all the physical fitness characteristics required to complete an Iron Man triathlon that would still not be enough. You need those things and more.

Every super-successful says that you need to master the 'inner-game' just as much as the outer game. It is the inner game that provides the inspiration, dedication, and persistence to keep going even when things get tough. This starts with your success philosophy.

Your success philosophy is the foundation that will allow you to get a great job faster than ever or grow your income higher than you ever thought possible. Even during those difficult times when you are not working or working in a job you hate, your success philosophy will be a major determining factor in your outcome.

I know this from my own experience. I've been out of work several times over the last 15 years during recessions due to layoffs or job changes. The bills and rejection letters keep piling up, and you wonder if you can provide for your family or save for retirement. I know all to well how stressful this can be. Even after earning a bachelor's degree and an MBA, and gaining valuable job experience, I found myself laid off during the dot-com-bubble of 2001. To make matters worse, I was laid off a week before my wedding! Our ceremony was to be held in my wife's home state of Montana. I would be meeting some of her relatives and friends for the first time. They would surely want to know what I did for work and how I would support a family. And yet, here I was-a new husband without a job. How embarrassing can you get?

Fortunately, I was able to get through tough times like these, earn six-figures incomes in multiple industries and start my own high-tech company. I don't mention these things to impress anybody since so many people have done much more substantial things in their own lives. Plus, I consider myself  a life long student who is always learning and is still growing. I only mention my own background to let others know that having been through tough times myself, I know from real-world experience how important it is to have the right resources to expand your career and multiply your income.

As I thought about my own career and the biographies of successful people I have studied, I realized that there were a few books that really stood out as guiding lights to help motivate and inspire through dark times and through the next level of accomplishment. The book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill is one of those guiding lights. It contains proven success philosophies from the top achievers of the 20th century, the men and women who literally built America. It is one of the most successful books of all time, having sold over 50 million copies since it was introduced in 1937. This is the forefather of modern books on success and self-improvement. If you were to survey the majority of the millionaires and multi-millionaires in the world today you would find Think and Grow Rich consistently ranks as one of their favorite motivational books.

Hill's inspiration for the book began in 1908 after being challenged to produce a masterpiece on the secrets of success by none other than Andrew Carnegie, one of the richest men and greatest philanthropists in the history of the world. 

Carnegie had immigrated to the United States from Scotland and had grown up poor. It was his firm belief that success in any endeavor and the accumulation of riches was something that could be taught and learned. He challenged Hill to produce a book on how to become successful and he provided Hill with personal introductions to the most successful people of his generation. With insights from men like Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, the original manuscript is the result of more than 500 interviews of America's wealthiest and most successful people in the early part of the 20th century. It took Hill over 20 years to compile, research and ultimately create Think and Grow Rich.