A Lesson From A Champion

I love watching mixed martial arts competitions. The sport doesn't appeal to everyone, but there is something appealing in the utilitarian nature of no holds barred combat. So, what does this have to do with job hunting? Here’s what you can learn from former heavyweight champion Randy Couture: you need to both 1) leverage your strengths, and 2) address the areas in which you most need improvement. An Olympic wrestler, when Randy entered the world of mixed martial arts, he learned to dominate his opponents by some of the best grappling ever seen in open competition. But the real secret to his success was new skills he had mastered, like striking — something he had no prior experience with. Here’s how to apply this model to your job search. You need to accurately assess what you do best, and you need to leverage your strengths by positioning yourself. Perhaps you are at your best when you are face to face with people. How are you going to make this happen more often? Perhaps by addressing areas in which you aren’t as strong. Maybe your resume needs work so you get more responses from employers. Maybe your phone skills need polishing so you can push through phone screenings to real interviews. Simply, the lesson Randy has for job seekers is to polish your weaknesses so you can best take advantage of your strengths.

Comments

[Jake Greene]

I like the MMA reference and Couture is the posterboy for work ethic, however one could argue that he has let his ego cloud his judgement over the past 5 years. Over his past 11 fights, Couture has gone 6-5. Every one of his 5 losses has come by way of KO or strikes. One could make the argument, therefore, that he has allowed his opponents to draw him out of his comfort zone (wrestling).
While I agree that Couture's career has been defined by dedication, conditioning, and skill, I would say that there is a career lesson to be learned from his losses, namely - "Play to your strengths: work on your weaknesses but don't abandon the skills and talents that got you to where you are in your career."