[Flash] Parched for Passion

Recently the editors highlighted a family that cycled together with a friend through Montana.

Before they departed, the friend asked the father if he thought the kids could accomplish the daunting journey up steep hills and across the Continental Divide. Without hesitation, the father replied, “We don’t need a team that can. We just need a team that thinks it can.”

Hire for passion, not for skill.

In my brazen 20s, as I was graduating from law school and searching for a job, I found the Employment Weekly newspaper in my neighborhood grocery store (because the Internet was not yet available). Every job listing stated, “minimum  5-7 years experience required.” Undeterred, I applied anyway, promoting my enthusiasm, perseverance, adaptability, and willingness to learn.

Unquestionably, the jobs were out of my skill range but not my passion range. And I’m grateful that my audacity overshadowed my sensibilities. I was young and sheltered by seven years of higher education, not yet hardened by reality.

And while I received more rejections than I thought my esteem could ever handle, I received one phone call from an in-house recruiter. He had looked past my limited skill set and noticed my determination and eagerness. He said, “You’re not ready for the job you responded to, but we are parched for passion. So, I’d like to introduce you to the team for a different opportunity.”

My career launched!

Today, as a hiring leader myself, I always win when I find someone who thinks they can, regardless of whether they can. I can teach the skills of the job. I can’t teach fire-in-the-belly.

And as someone who strives to be hired every day by current and future clients, I shine when I project my “think-i-can” passion rather than my “evaluating-if-i-can” hesitation.

“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t – you’re right.” ~ Henry Ford.

© 2022. Ann Tardy and MentorLead. www.mentorlead.com. All Rights Reserved.