Be So Good They Can't Ignore You

I’m a big fan of Steve Martin. I have fond childhood memories of my parents allowing me to stay up late on Saturdays to watch him on Saturday Night Live or sneaking out of the bedroom to see one of his many comedies (I fondly remember The Jerk) that were not suitable for a five-year-old. Multi-talented, Steve Martin acts, writes, and even plays the banjo!  When asked how to be successful, he had a simple answer:

Be so good they can’t ignore you.

The best part of the interview is when he comments:

If somebody is thinking how can I be really good, people are going to come to you.

I agree with Steve Martin. And, I especially agree when it comes to job searching and managing your career.  If you do the hard work, put in the effort and energy to learn about your industry (or function or geography or employer of interest), and take the time to really understand what value you are bringing to an organisation, you will not be ignored during your job search.