Know that alot of no’s can put you in the know (without even knowing it!)

The No Man gets a “yes”
and a seat in a police car

I’ve always believed in “Don’t Ask. Don’t Get.” Meaning that if you don’t ask for that help, you’re not going to get it. If you don’t ask for that raise, you aren’t going to get it. If you don’t ask for clarification on an issue in a project, you are going to stay in the dark. I liken it to Wayne Gretsky’s quote “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.”

So how does this all tie in to looking for a job, keeping a job or getting a better job? If you don’t reach out and network and ask for advice, help, criticism (constructive, of course!) or feedback, you are going to be further behind than your counterparts.

The January 14 issue of Bloomberg Businessweek had an article titled “The No Man.” The subject of the story, tech entrepreneur Jia Jiang, has set about posting his rejections to questions and requests on his website www.entresting.com. Titled “100 Days of Rejection Therapy” it shows what he labels “preposterous demands” including asking a flight attendant if he could do the pre-flight safety announcement, asking a ice cream shop to invent a flavor for him, and his first posted rejection from a hotel security guard when he asked if he could borrow $100.

He says the project started when he lost funding for his start up company and felt horrid rejection. He said “to build up resistance” he’d force himself to get burned by being told no.

I think the big thing here to realize is that while many of us have thin skin when it comes to rejection (present party included), it really is to our benefit to make the ask, even if you feel there is a “no” in the response.

So, ask that co-worker for advice, ask that person to lunch that you’ve always wanted to network with, ask someone to review your resume. You just might be surprised!

Here’s the link to the article – http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-01-07/rejection-therapy-a-hundred-days-of-no

Here’s some tips on rejection from the article

1. Don’t look on the bright side – Manage those rejected negative feelings for 48 hours, avoid the “hurry up and get over it feeling.” Learn from it.

2. Accept that you’re not perfect – Mary Poppins is the one likely exception to this rule and she still has some faults.

3. Watch out for paranoia – Don’t equate the rejection with being unlikable. Best quote from the article: “Remember: Other people really aren’t thinking about you…they’re preoccupied with their own lives and careers.”

4. Try not to be a jerk – If you are rejected for a job, for feedback, or criticism, just take it for what its worth and move on!

Now, let’s go out there and make some mistakes…and do something good at the same time!