What Shape Is Your Armour In?

Ah those knights from the days of King Arthur…do you remember the castle Camelot and the round table which provided a spot for each one of the knights, yet by its very design meant no one sat at the head of the table? Now there was an idea!

In other stories involving knights, there was often colours associated with the various knight; the green knight, the notorious black knight, and the white knight. Each often bore his colours on standards representing their family history. And sometimes there would appear a hero in his suit of shining armour.

Shining armour sounds good, but in reality those knights had their metal exposed to the many weather conditions in which they found themselves, from rain to baking sun. That metal often became rusted, and the price of battle often meant nicks, scratches, holes even, and smiths would be called upon to weld pieces over those larger gaps to protect the knight in future battle. The suits were so heavy, that once a knight fell in battle, he was often quite alive and yet unable to raise himself. An unarmed man literally could go from fallen knight to fallen knight, lift the plating and run the man through with a sword while he lay defenceless. Check the history books, not the story books and you’ll see it’s true!

So ironically, the knight in shining armour was a knight whose armour had yet to be tested in battle. The very best of the bunch often was in tarnished, battered armour. And so I ask you, what shape is your armour in?

When you are looking for work for example, you often have to steel yourself against a myriad of rejections, doubts about your abilities, having your skills questioned, your applications ignored. How you respond to these assaults says volumes about how you are winning or losing the battle as you either move toward or retreat from the employment war.

There’s an old saying that goes, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” As in anything else worth obtaining, there are obstacles to overcome and move past. If you were able to step onto the employment battlefield and walk up to the employer in his ivory castle without being challenged and obtain the job, your appreciation for the effort it took to obtain it would be low. Conversely, your pride and appreciation for what it takes to reach the castle doors and have them opened for you is heightened by the individual assaults you overcome and turn away as you move toward your goal.

And understand the analogy completely. Even those who ultimately succeed at some point in the beginning look out on the obstacles between them and their goal and have moments of doubt. But what they do is devise a plan, and then share that plan with their stakeholders, and then together they put the plan into action. While suggestions are welcomed, ultimately the person most invested in the success or failure of the quest makes a decision, and from that moment on, only surrounds himself or herself with those who will not further question the goal.

Similarly in your job search, you have to put on your armour every day, taking the criticism from others; some of it constructive and some of it raw. If you are going it alone, you might find it more helpful and ultimately allow yourself to reach your target faster if you get others to stand with you. So entreat an Employment Advisor to provide strategies and polish up your resume. Arm yourself with a cover letter forged to stand apart from the others. Train to be uniquely positioned and the last one standing when the interviews are over in order to claim the prized position.

And a Career Advisor who can help you determine exactly what job would be the best fit for someone with your skills, values and interests, is akin to making sure after the battlefield is crossed, that you are standing at the right castle. This can save you the disappointment of accepting a job after putting in so much effort, and then being dismissed by the CEO of the castle for being a poor fit, and exposed as a squire masquerading as a knight.

The other people standing behind you and urging you on as you deal with the assaults upon you may be members of your family, your closest friends and neighbours. And isn’t it our friends who should stand closest to us when the call goes out for aid? Don’t make the poor decision to keep your need for support to yourself at a time when you need most those around you who believe in you!

And know your enemy. So who is it that stands before you on the field of employment battle? As you look out, you’ll easily see self-doubt smiling wickedly from behind his pale armour. The yellow knight before you is cowardice tempting you to feel it’s all for naught and urging you to just surrender. In his hands, he doesn’t hold a sword and shield, he holds a t.v. remote, and a game controller; far easier he pleads to just relax and give in. There too you’ll see a shining knight, whose armour mirrors back your own reflection. Do you see yourself as one who diminishes or finishes with a flourish?

What lies within that castle on the other side of the battlefield is your future. Test your armour and engage with enthusiasm! Claim your right to work, your added value, and ultimately your victory!

Written by Kelly Mitchell

SJS Contributor

What Shape Is Your Armour In was originally posted at http://myjobadvice.wordpress.com/2013/11/13/what-shape-is-your-armour-in/ and syndicated with the permission of the author.