Never Give Up!
by Ron Kubitz
October 11, 2011
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As a corporate recruiter for a large contractor, I come across rejection and defeatist attitudes on a daily basis.
As I write this, I’m attending my sixth college recruiting fair of the season, and every day I’m encountering soon-to-be college grads competing with recent graduates and industry veterans for a handful of jobs. They realize the odds are stacked against them—many students do not even bother attending these events, figuring “what is the use?”
Daily, I receive calls from construction trades workers not getting called for projects or not getting enough hours on a consistent basis to make ends meet. Many of these individuals are on the verge of giving up as they continue to read negative headline after headline describing the bleak employment and construction outlook. Many do give up after a time and become victims of the ongoing unemployment crisis that we currently face.
It is true that a college degree does not guarantee employment or that having great hands-on skills or a union card guarantees steady work. I do know, however, from more than 20 years of industry recruiting experience that a positive “never say die” attitude can lead to success. It is imperative to never assume that a door closed today will be closed tomorrow. Through persistence, it is possible to reject the rejection!
Two recent hires of my company—we have hired more than 45 individuals this year—were not noticed on their first few attempts to apply for one of our open jobs, but through persistence, they were noticed, interviewed and hired. Persistence can take the form of multiple applications, aggressive follow-up or exhibiting any activity that will separate you from the crowd. Trades folks who are not working have gone directly to jobsites to apply and get noticed, not content to possibly be called for work at some future date.
Whether a recent grad, experienced engineer or highly skilled equipment operator, this attitude to never give up will eventually separate you from the crowd and greatly increase your chances for hire. It is all about getting noticed in a positive and sometimes creative or aggressive fashion. Think you can’t separate yourself from the crowd? Just think about the mouths you have to feed and the bills that need to be paid, and you should easily be able to adopt the attitude needed to achieve success.
Finally, let’s look at the story of Jackie Battle. Who is Jackie Battle, you ask? Battle is an undrafted fifth-year NFL vet, a special-teamer who turned 28 on Oct. 1. Entering the 2011 season, he was buried on the Kansas City Chiefs depth chart, averaging about 10 plays per game—all on special teams where he demonstrated hustle and determination seemingly unnoticed by many. (I just returned from an Associated General Contractors HR convention in Kansas City, Mo., thus my interest in this story.)
However, at least one fan was noticing and led a charge to get Battle more carries prior to this past Sunday's breakout performance. During his post-game press conference, Kansas City Coach Todd Haley revealed he had received an anonymous letter from a fan calling for Battle to receive more carries. This fan had obviously noticed something even coaches had not, and it led to Battle amassing 119 yards on 19 carries while exhibiting a running style and attitude not seen in weeks by Chiefs’ fans. Battle now has the edge in remaining a vital cog in the Chiefs’ offense for the rest of the year.
So while it is easy for the negativity of everyday life to get us down, remember to stay positive, distinguish yourself from others and be aggressive in your search for what you deserve. With that attitude, you will get noticed!
Ron Kubitz
Ron Kubitz is the recruiting manager for Brayman
Construction Corporation, located in Saxonburg,
Pa. As an accomplished presenter,
Ron is often sought after in regard to his expertise within the world of social
media.
Comments (6)Post a Comment
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Title: Never Give Up!
By: Tim Delaney
Posted: October 12, 2011 8:31 PM
Wow great inspirational piece. It took three interviews to get my present job in construction.
Interesting FB angle!
Title: Be positive??
By: Jason
Posted: October 18, 2011 7:38 AM
There are no jobs! Positive smositive!
Title: Never Give UP
By: Tommy H.
Posted: October 19, 2011 2:49 PM
Lets see what Jackie Battle does this week as I picked himupon my fantasy team.
Speaking of fantasies yours willcome true with persistence and perserverance. Keep trying until you succeed.
Title: Aggressive
By: Frank
Posted: October 25, 2011 8:28 AM
The aggressive shall inherit the earth!
Title: Jackie Battle
By: Billy Mays
Posted: November 23, 2011 11:43 AM
Look at Jackie Battle now!! I give up!
Title: never give up
By: jesse chamblee
Posted: December 19, 2011 7:25 AM
Never give up..Chiefs beat the Packers yesterday and Battle scored TD!
Mayve we can actually get funding for transportation..never give up!