Competitive Disadvantage

I was recently reading an article (I was unable to relocate it) about a giant, would-be NBA player. This 7'6" Chinese basketball star worked out for a number of NBA teams but was sent home without a contract. The feedback? Tall, yes, but lacking the competitive drive necessary for the NBA.

Well, after 2 months on the job market (and 6 full months of looking for jobs), I'm finding that I suffer from the same problem as this Chinese basketball player--I just don't have a competitive streak thick enough to box out my competition. Don't get me wrong, I love watching sports, I rarely get as thrilled as I do when watching the Olympics, and the one show I'm following right now is The Next Food Network Star. (This link reveals the loser from July 5th!) I even remember clearly the nervous thrill I got whenever I was embroiled in academic competition or deacon basketball.

But when it comes to involving myself in the extremely competitive nature of today's job market, I find that I lack the drive to really promote myself. Don't get me wrong, I am fully confident in my ability to do a great job and I truly believe I have a wide range of talents that will be beneficial to almost any workplace. But when it comes to "selling" myself, I prefer to let my work speak for itself. Unfortunately, this tactic hasn't been working. Maybe it's my stark commitment to honesty combined with an acknowledgment that the future is a fickle jester that disinclines me to make promises about how I will perform in any given job. Maybe it's an inborn childhood fear that I won't be able to finish something I start (a fear that has never proven true). Maybe it's a fear of commitment that I allow to sabotage my mentality between battles. Or maybe it stems from an unwillingness to push others down for personal gain.

Whatever the reason is, I'm reminded of the words of Gordon B. Hinckley: "We live in a highly competitive age, and it will only grow worse." How right he was. With national unemployment figures creeping ever closer to 10 percent, and a stock market that's making it nearly impossible for aging baby boomers to retire, the job market is flooded with experienced talent, as are the inboxes of just about anyone that posts a job opening. In this economy we're all having to ask ourselves this: "What's preventing me from getting the job I want?"

In the case of our Chinese basketball player friend, it turns out to be biological. The pituitary gland that ultimately led to his incredible physical growth also was the cause of a brain chemistry that lacks the ramped-up competitiveness needed to succeed in his chosen career. Hopefully it'll be easier for me to overcome my subdued nature and land my dream job.