Do you remember the story of the "Little Engine That Could"? Imagine my surprise when my Star-Wars-loving, DS Nintendo-toting son, brought that book home with a gleam of excitement in his eyes, declaring this was a great story. That little blue engine accepted the assignment and determinedly pulled the toys over the hill to the good little boys and girls on the other side of the mountain.
Do you also remember the clown and the toys? They displayed as much perseverance and persistence as the little blue engine. They knew where they wanted to go and exactly why they wanted to get there. They were polite and direct in their requests. (They sound like good job seekers, don't they?)
They were rejected by a shiny new passenger engine, a freight engine, and old tired engine. These passer-bys snubbed the desperate, kind toys with the words "I won't pull the likes of you."
This story is as much about the selfishness of those other engines as it is about the success of the little engine that could.
We all are faced with the opportunity to help others. How often do we take the time to make a difference?
Hannah Morgan speaks and writes about job search and career strategies. She founded CareerSherpa.net to educate professionals on how to maneuver through today’s job search process. Hannah was nominated as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search and Careers and is a regular contributor to US News & World Report. She has been quoted by media outlets, including Forbes, USA Today, Money Magazine, Huffington Post, as well as many other publications. She is also author of The Infographic Resume and co-author of Social Networking for Business Success.
