Be an “AND” Kind of Person
Intro:(no longer than 3 minutes; pass out both handouts “Do not unfold the stapled handout”)
B: Discuss your personal background, accentuate but focus on the areas where you chose to be an “AND” person and emphasize how those pieces of your past were the most significant factors in you becoming successful. (Do this discreetly without making it noticeable that you are intentionally emphasizing these areas.)
O: Your objective is to make the class realize that in today’s world they are required to do more and go further to truly separate themselves from their competition. Help them understand why “Just getting by” is “just not good enough” anymore.
A: Follow the agenda of discussing 1) what success means and the difference between having success and being successful. 2) Understanding the concept of Perception and how it relates to success. 3) Make the distinction between an “OR” versus an “AND” kind of person. 4) Know your competition. 5) What can the National Guard do to help.
T: They will invest about 30 minutes of their time.
1) Success
- What is success to you? (Ask the class & discuss)
- What does it mean to be successful? (Ask the class & discuss)
- How are these actually defined?(Read)
- Success: The act of achieving a desired end state
- Successful: Gaining or having gained success throughout
- Discuss how you can have success and still not be successful (Example: Somebody sets a new year’s resolution to lose 5 pounds. They lose two pounds in January, then four in February! They have exceeded their goal and have experienced success. However if they gain a pound in March, two more in April and continue to gain a pound or two every couple months they will not be successful in their overall goal of losing five pounds that year.)
- Discuss how someone who is successful MUST have had many successes. (Example: The high school team that wins the Statetitle is successful. But first they had to have success in winning playoff games. Prior to that, they had to have success in winning regular season games. Prior to winning a game, they had to have success in scoring, or keeping the opponent from scoring. Prior to that, each player had to have success in properly executing each play. Finally, prior to having individual success on each play, the players each had to have success in learning their position at practice. As you can see, to be successful overall, we have to build upon minor successes.
- Although we may not do it consciously, most Americans base their feelings of being successful in life on their level of success within five main goal areas: Education, Career, Home/Family, Retirement and Health.
- Today we’re going to focus on “Career” because it has such a major impact on all of the others.
- Ask the class:
- Is there a difference between a career and a job? What is it?
- How might your career impact your home or family, retirement or your health?
- So, based on these guidelines, can we say that having success in your career is fairly vital to the success of the other goals and eventually to how successful you are, or were, in life? Yes!
- Keep all this in mind, we’ll be coming back to it shortly, but first we need to talk about the next item I listed on our agenda…perception.
2) Perception
- The Merrium-Webster dictionary provides three definitions of “Perception:” (Read)
1) The ability to understand or notice something easily
2) The way that you notice or understand something using one of your senses
3) The way you think about or understand someone or something
- Think about the key words in each of the definitions. Ask the class: If perception is something you do easily, with only one of your senses, which sense do you think is typically the basis of perception, or typically the basis of how we think about something or someone? Sight is correct.
- What about a person can be perceived simply by sight? (Ask the class & discuss)
- Take me for example.
- Ask the class:
- If you were to see me just walking down the street in civilian clothes, what could you perceive, or think, about me? (Impress on them that all they can perceive are physical qualities like your hair being short or that you look physically fit.)
- Same scenario, but now I am wearing my uniform. What can be perceived? (Focus on how they could now associate all the traits of a soldier with you, even though they have never seen you actual perform any of them. Examples: physically fit, loyal, dedicated to your duty, respectful, care about others, honorable, trust-worthy, and courageous.)
- Now, imagine that you have my military file lying in front of you. You’re still only using the sense of sight, but now, without ever even having seen me, you are able to make some very deep perceptions about me. Why is that? You can see my history! You see my education, my training, my accomplishments, my awards and what others think about me, etc.
- Really the only way to have a more accurate perception about someone would be to get to know them, but that would move us beyond making an easy judgment and definitely requires more than one sense.
- Obviously, then, the most powerful way to make an accurate perception about someone is to see, not them, but their history.
- Remember, a few moments ago, we were talking about how success in your careeris vital to you being successful overall. Whose perception of you matters while you are seeking a career? (Allow discussion if necessary, but eventually the answer you need to get is that it is the employer’s or the hiring official’s perception that matters.)
- What do they see first when they begin to form a perception about you? That’s right, your resume, or application. In essence, they see your history and this is where you have got to show them that you arean “AND” kind of person.
3) It’s no longer an “OR” world!
- It’s no longer an “OR” world!What does that phrase mean? (Ask the class & allow minor discussion but don’t finalize any answer)
- Recently, one of our country’s largest manufactures started running TV commercials that I feel really capture this “AND” versus “OR” concept. Let’s watch one and then see if you might have a better idea of what I mean when I say that it’s no longer an “OR” world.
** Watch “Nuts and Bolts” video **
- Now, what do you think that I mean by that statement, “It’s no longer an “OR” world?” (Ask the class and allow discussion, but guide them towards understanding that it means that being one dimensional (this “or” that) is no longer good enough. Whether you’re talking about a product or a potential employee, nowadays people want those items and those people that have more than one thing to offer.)
- Think back to those five goal areas that we strive for success in. Today we’re talking mainly about the Career goal, but does anyone remember which goal was listed before that one? Education. This is where you are all at right now, pursuing your education goal.
- Education and training is one area that used to have some very big and widely accepted “OR” options. What were some of these “OR”options? (Ask the class & allow discussion, but eventually you will want to identify the following as the primary “OR” options that used to be acceptable)
1) I’m either going to complete high school to get my diploma “OR” I’m going to drop out to get my GED
2) After high school I am either:
- Going to get a job to get more experience, “OR”
- Going to join the military to get training with experience, “OR”
- Going to college/tech school to get my degree.
- Ladies and gentlemen, when it comes to a career, which we’ve already determined is the primary foundation to your success, our society has changed. Those hiring officials, those employers, they want more from new hires. You see, twenty-five years ago you were expected to have either your high school diploma or your GED to get hired. Twenty years ago things began to shift and a GED was only vaguely acceptable as an education. Society’s expectation was that you had your high school diploma “AND” had at least some work experience “OR” college. Where are we now? (Ask the class) That’s right! Nowadays, employers who offer careers, not jobs, demand that you prove up on your dedication to your own success. Almost all of them want to see that additional piece of paper, which is your college degree, your tech degree, your certificate of some formalized training. Most importantly, however, they want to see what else you were capable of during that same time. They want to see that you are an “AND” kind of person. Fortunately for all of you, the majority of your competition for those careers has not yet realized this.
4) Know your “OR” Competition
- It’s important to understand who you will be competing against for your career. Consider these yearly numbers for 2013-14 in the US alone.
- High School graduates: 3.3 million
- College: 943,000 Associate Degree graduates; 1.8 million Bachelor Degree graduates
- Leaving Military: 250,000
- You can see there is a lot of “OR” competition, and those numbers are just going to keep going up! But now you have an advantage over all these millions of competitors. You understand that “OR” is not enough; that now it’s all about the “AND.”
5) It’s all about the “AND”
- What does that phrase mean? (Ask the class and allow discussion. Eventually, you should get almost the same answer to the “no longer an ‘or’ world” question. It means that people want those items and those people that have more than one thing to offer, andthat being one dimensional (this “or” that) is no longer good enough.When talking about getting a career, it ultimately means that regardless of how good you may have done in your one activity, if you don’t have several “ANDs” to support it on your resume, you’ll be only mildly competitive at best.)
- Which do you think is easier, being an “OR” person or an “AND” person? Of course, being an “AND” kind of person requires much more effort. Extra effort isn’t the only additional thing you need either. To be an “AND” person you must have:
1) Opportunities to gain additional knowledge and experience
2) Money
3) Time
*Most importantly, though, YOU must have enough willingness and dedication to your own success, to take full advantage of those rare situations that come along and offer you all three: opportunity, time and money.That’s what I am doing right here, right now. Number one, I’m making you aware of the need, and number two, I’m offering you the resources to satisfy it.
6) The Army National Guard
- I’m sure that some of you understand what the National Guard is and does, but probably not everyone. It could take an hour or so just to explain the Guard, so instead let’s watch a fairly short video that does a pretty good job of summarizing the National Guard.After the video I’ll show you how the Guard provides you with exactly what you need to become an “AND” kind of person.
** Watch “The National Guard Explained” video **
- OK, cool, but how does the National Guard provide me what I need to become an “AND” person and demolish my “OR” competition? Let’s take a look.
1) Opportunities to gain additional knowledge and experience:
- Basic Training: This is whereyou learn the basic soldier skills, physical fitness, and develop all those non-tangible personal characteristics that are identified with being a soldier.
- Advanced Individual Training: This is where you will learn your Guard job. Regardless of whether you are training to fire rockets, to be a legal assistant, a medic, a computer programmer, a local area network manager, a diesel mechanic, a truck driver, a gunsmith, a satellite or fiber-optic communications specialist, or to work in human resources or play in the band you receive several months of dedicated, focused and specialized training from some of the nation’s top experts on some of the world’s most high-tech pieces of equipment.
- College or other professional trade school: This is your decision. Do what you dream of! We will pay 100% of your tuition and mandatory fees to any in state college or university, as well as a lot of other credential producing schools such as the Law Enforcement Academy and even several beautician and hair design training centers.
- Throughout your Guard career you will have countless experiences that will offer you invaluable leadership skills and training that only the military can provide.
2) Money:
- This is too obvious! Let’s take a look at what we’re going to give you in the form of pay and benefits during your first term of service. Grab the hand out and we’ll fill in the missing spaces.
- (Put the “money” portion of the .ppt (slide 6 -13) on the screen and talk through each slide. Have the students complete the handout while you’re talking.)
3) Time:
- Is the Guard really the best bang for your buck time-wise? Let’s look at how often you actually wear the uniform! (put up “wear the uniform” slide of ppt) You get all that pay and all those benefits for only a little over a month of work per year, and just slightly more than two years worth of work over a 20 year career, and that gets you a retirement!
- So, how does this actually give you more time? (Ask the class & allow for discussion, but the answer should be to the effect of: Outstanding pay & benefits for only a weekend frees up time otherwise spent at low-paying jobs.)
-If you don’t have to work as long at your minimum wage job, what else could you do with that time? (Ask depending on time remaining & allow minor discussion, but help them also realize that with the time that is now available they could also use it to have a better social life. Afterall, college isn’t all about work!)
- That’s great! However, when it comes to time, what you really need to realizeis that by being a Soldier in the Army National Guard you accomplish everything simultaneously! This is the single biggest factor to you being the “AND” person who gets hired into your career field. Just compare where you are four years after high school versus where your “OR” competition is.
- Four years after high school the majority of the millions of people competing for your career will have either four years of work experience, “OR” four years of military experience, “OR” a four year college degree.
- What will you have? (Ask the class) That’s right! You will have it all, and more really, because you’ll have four years work experience “AND” FIVE or SIX years military experience “AND” a four year college degree “AND” a starting position in the career of your choice! Why? Because you’ve become and “AND” kind of person.
Conclusion
- I have one final video for us to watch
** Watch “Wet OR Wild” video **
- I imagine potential employers looking through stacks of applications and resumes, knowing exactly what they want… an “AND” kind of applicant. Instead, all they have been given to consider are the “OR” people. I can’t help but to think that their response would be very similar to the woman on the video, “Lame.” Folks, in our world today, nobody wants the wet without the wild.
- We talked in pretty good depth about how your career success, plays such a vital role in how successful you are overall, and how others’ perceptions can lead to or limit your career success. Why was I successful when… (rehash the major successes of your background that you talked about in your intro)… it was because I was an “AND” person (talk about all your “ANDs” at the times you were successful) and my competition was not. They were offering the “OR”; I brought the “AND.” Now, it’s your decision. How will you be perceived when the time comes to find your career and your history is reviewed? Will you remainone of the millions of “ORs” or will you do what it takes to provide the “AND?”
- I’d like you to take out the folded paper, but don’t open it yet. This is actually a career voucher, provided to you from the Wyoming Army National Guard. Let’s fill it out. First, write your name on the top line. Then, on the second line, write down what your eventual career goal is; what do you want to be? Now, we talked about what the Guard is worth to you financially, but just so we remember, write that total amount, about $105,000 in the upper right and left corners. That’s it! Your voucher is complete. Your success is literally in your own hands. I’ll be picking these up after class. If you’re thinking, “Hey sergeant, I’d like to look further into exchanging this voucher for all those opportunities that the Guard can give me!” then what I want you to do is write your cell number and a good time to call you on the lines below your career. I will get ahold of you to talk and discuss your options. On the other hand, if you’re content remaining an “OR” kind of person and do not want to be contacted, scribble out the $105,000 but leave your name so I know to line you off of my student call list and I’m not bugging you.