Audacity As A Job Hunting Skill - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Audacity As A Job Hunting Skill - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career In the movie 300, there is a scene where the doomed leader of the Spartans finds out that that they are vastly outnumbered by the invading Persians. The Persian archers are so many he is told that when they fire their volley, the Persian arrows will blot out the sun.   Hearing that, the Spartan warrior doesnt quail or advise the army to flee.   Instead he throws back his shoulders and says Good.   Then we shall fight in the shade. I remember reading that sentence in the original Greek in Herodotus Histories and thinking Wow. That is audacity.   To look at overwhelming odds and then to throw your shoulders back and take them on   thats audacity. Today, the word audacity has negative connotations in English.   Its most often used when were upset with someone and cant believe they did something. He had the audacity to suggest it was all my fault.   The Merrim Websiter dictionary defines it as intrepid boldness and being bold or arrogant disregard of normal restraints. How did audacity become a bad thing?   It didnt used to be.   In fact, audacity came from the Latin verb audere, which means to dare.   The ancient world celebrated boldness, from the doomed Spartans at  the Battle of Thermopylae, to Cleopatra, to the Viking explorers to Hua Mulan.   Daring people took on odds that were against them, and while they didnt always succeed, they did make an impact. But today, sticking your neck out is frowned upon in many ways.   Wait to get noticed, people say.   Pay your dues.   Dont take on too much.   Dont rock the boat.   The cautions are everywhere. And in an uncertain economy, being cautious seems like a good plan.   This is the time to do exactly what youre supposed to do to get a good job, right?   Its not the time to be taking risks. Except that doesnt work anymore. The time for audacity The US economy is struggling. 50% of Gen Y college graduates are unemployed or underemployed.  The whole study hard, go to college and youll get a good job employment paradigm is broken.   Job openings regularly receive 50+ applicants, and many applicant report having to go to 5+  interviews with the same company just to be considered. This is a time when doing what youre supposed to do isnt going to work.   Employers arent looking for the good, interchangeable employees, theyre looking for the people who stand out. In other words, your competition for jobs has blotted out the sun.   Now you must  fight for your future in the shade. This is the time to have audacity.   Its the time to go after big goals to actively chase your dream job instead of competing with tons of others for that basic entry level job.   Its the time to start your own business.   Its the time to stop being shy about promoting yourself, and to go out there to create your personal brand. When Virgil wrote of Aeneas founding Rome, he wrote Audentes fortuna iuvat (Fortune favors the bold.)   Todays job market also demands that you have audacity.   Wheres yours? Author: Katie Konrath blogs about creativity, innovation and “ideas so fresh… they should be slapped” at www.getfreshminds.com.   She works for leading innovation company, Ideas To Go.