The Tragedy of Untapped Genius

I'd like to tell you about a sad story - a tragedy really.  It might even sound familiar to some of you.  A friend of mine graduated with a bachelor's degree over a year ago, but since his graduation he has struggled to find a job that matches both his skills and interests.  It's not from a lack of trying.  But without existing experience, employers hardly give him the time of day. I can certainly empathize - I've been there before.  You find a job opening, you excitedly fill out the application, but as you look over the resume you've created, you realize that without post-graduate work experience, your resume looks bare.  But as an optimist, you submit it anyway, knowing in your heart of hearts that you're perfectly capable if someone will just give you a chance.  The problem is that employers don't like taking chances.  And if they can't see what you can do by looking at what you have done, they're more likely to take a pass than take a risk.  So instead of preparing for an interview, you're preparing to submit your next resume and hope lady luck increases your chances of getting in front of a recruiter.

Does that sound familiar to anyone else?  I can't say that I blame employers.  Their success is largely influenced by the workforce they employ.  But is it fair to students who are - dare I say it? - more than meets the eye?

I recently discovered a new tool that finally helps students show companies what they're all about and what they can really do.  It's called Student Genius, and it's designed specifically to help students showcase their skills and their personality.  You can post a video resume, a timeline of various experiences, upload an online portfolio of your work (e.g., presentations, graphics, videos, or anything else that will help to showcase your skills), and more.  So instead of students being forced to create a boring resume, they can customize their profile, show their personality, and showcase actual work instead of just writing about it.  As the saying goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words" - you can't fit a thousand words in a standard resume, but you can upload as many visuals as you like on Student Genius.

I'm not getting paid to write about this - I simply believe in the cause.  So join the movement against student unemployment - tell your friends and family, any students that you know, to go to beta.studentgenius.com and create a profile and show the world what they can do.  Watch this short video to get a glimpse of what this movement is all about.

Stand As A Lighthouse

"When everything is moving at once, nothing appears to be moving...but if someone stops, he shows up the others who are rushing on, by acting as a fixed point.  We, you and I - must be that fixed point."  - Bruce Hafen

I read this quote the other day and was instantly struck by how true to life it is.  We often think of change as a prerequisite for progress.  We clamor for change in better technology, higher standards of living, more efficient government, and so forth.  And so society moves, constantly changing and we call it progress.  We look back on history and exclaim how grateful we are to live today rather than in years past because of how far we have come.  But there are some things, I imagine, for which society may one day look back and say, "What we once called progress we can now plainly see was digression.  We were actually better off before."  And I suppose that in nothing would this be more true than as it relates to what we, as a society, consider our moral code.  For the harder we cling to the premise of tolerance without limits, the more slack becomes our grip on that which is our moral compass.  And on this front, as the world changes, it is up to you and I to stand as a fixed point, a lighthouse to those who are tossed about on the waves of the sea, supposing that all is well only to recognize long afterward how far they have moved from the safety of land...

Sugar Makes Everything Taste Better

When I was kid, we didn't always have a lot of extras in my family, but it didn't really bother me at the time. Somehow things always worked out okay, even if it took a miracle or two.  One of my favorite childhood memories actually took place when the power to our house was shut off.  We pulled out the flashlights and emergency candles, which is always fun as a kid - it's kind of like camping.  But the best part for me was when we gathered around our fireplace as a family and started roasting marshmallows and eating s'mores (mmmmmm...s'mores...).  Life was good as far as I was concerned.

As I look back, I cannot fathom what my parents went through to make sure we had enough, even if we didn't have everything.  As a father myself now, I can appreciate a little better their love and concern for me and my siblings, and the many prayers they spoke on our behalf.  I will always be grateful for their sacrifices, which were many.  It seemed we always had enough, even if not a lot.  Have any of you ever heard of 15-Bean Soup?  I thought my mom made it up, but apparently it's a real dish.  So maybe the real secret is not just having enough, but making the best of what you have.  It's a bit of a cliche to say that we made lemonade out of lemons, but if you can find some sugar to throw in the mix, almost anything tastes better.

I've Finally Arrived...Or Have I?

As I look forward to completing my MBA and starting my new job, I can't help but feel a sense of finally having arrived.  After nearly two years of what was both an overwhelming and tremendously rewarding experience, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, the finish line, so to speak - my objective will have been accomplished.  I made it, right?  I can finally relax and enjoy the fruits of my labors. 

But wait a minute - something about this moment feels familiar, as though I've been here before.  It seems as though I've been through a tunnel and crossed a finished line just like this in the past.  As I wonder why, I realize it's because I've had these same thoughts every time I accomplished some major goal in my life.  And each time it happens I think, "Whew, I'm finally done.  I made it."  Only to find that I'm not really done after all - there is another mountain to climb on the horizon.  It happened when I graduated from high school.  It happened when I completed my two-year ecclesiastical mission in Texas.  It happened when I moved out of my parents house and staked out on my own.  It happened when I got married and started a family.  It happened when I graduated from UC San Diego and started a professional job.  And now, as I close in on my final classes in the MBA program, I cannot help but think it's happening again.

But I'm not really done, am I?  No, I suppose not.  But that's okay, because if there's anything I've learned from this, it is that the benefit is not in having arrived, it's in having taken the journey to get there.  I'm not sure what's next on the horizon, but if it's anything like what I've done in the past, I'm sure the view from the top of that mountain will be just as majestic and well worth it.

The Ridiculous Things People Do

The other night I was checking on my two year old son before I went to sleep and was surprised to find him curled up in a ball in his bed- with nothing on, including his diaper.  We didn't put him to bed like that.  He had on his new Transformers pajamas (and a diaper) when we put him in his bed, but apparently he took everything off and eventually fell asleep.  Luckily he didn't pee in his bed.  My wife and I got such a kick out of this little display that we decided to take a picture so we can embarrass him when he grows up.  Of course, we put his diaper and pajamas back on before we went to bed.  But it makes me wonder what on earth was going through his head.  Maybe he was looking for more freedom, who knows.  Sometimes kids just do things like this.

As another example, today I came home to discover my son had drawn all over his own legs with pen.  Okay, not unusual for a little kid.  Then my wife had him lift up his shirt so he could show me how his older sister had written her name on his stomach (in very cute 4 year old handwriting).  I couldn't help but smile.  So kids do stuff like that.  It's normal.  I get it.  My daughter used to wear her skirt on her head just for fun.  My son growls at people.  Seeing things like this is part of the fun of being a parent.

But what about grown ups?  Why do we do some of the things we do?  I've seen grown women walking down the street wearing skirts in 30 degree weather.  I've seen guys walking around in clear need of a belt, but pretending that the way they wear their pants is a fashion trend.  I've seen people wear sunglasses inside (or at night, which is even worse), piece of junk cars with rims worth more than the car, people watching videos on their smartphones in a movie theater - and the list goes on.  I guess the point is that you have just as much a chance of catching an adult do something ridiculous as you do a two year old.  And just like children, a lot of these folks are unabashed about showing it off.  Go figure.