I got a call from a friend of mine the other day asking if I wanted to do lunch and talk about business and the industry. I’ve received a number of calls like these from friends of mine who are recent graduates, and in most cases, honestly, it’s an awkward call. It feels awkward because in most cases the call and the meeting feels forced, and it is.
I find in a lot of cases, not just with my friends who are recent graduates, people go through what they perceive the motions of their job title is without any consideration of what their job title actually means. Or, stated differently, their job title defines them, versus them defining their job title.
The difference between the two is phenomenal as it can reach out to the potential of your success and go to the depths of really being who you say you are. Are you really a marketer, or are you just an individual that knows about marketing? Are you really a graphic designer, or are you someone who just has an eye of aesthetics? The difference entails being what a manager meant 10 years ago, or defining what it will mean 10 years from now.
So what are you doing differently than 99% of other people who claim the same title as you? How can you act that makes a difference?
(Short aside: For me, this is a thought that transcends the work place, too, cascading into life in general. Am I like every other boyfriend? Any other son? Any standard friend? To make a difference you’ve got to be different.)