by Stacy Pursell, CPC, CERS
The VET Recruiter®
Last month, I used a quote at the beginning of a newsletter article, and I’d like to do so again for this blog post. I previously quoted Raye Montague. Raye was a naval engineer who revolutionized the design process for naval ships. She was also the first female program manager of ships in the United States Navy.
This month, I will be quoting Napoleon Hill. Napoleon, as some of you may already know, was an American self-help author. One of his well-known works is Think and Grow Rich, which is one of the 10 best-selling self-help books of all time. So with that as a backdrop, here is our quote:
“The quality and quantity of the service you render, plus the attitude with which you render it, determine the amount of pay you get and the sort of job you hold.”
It is a fact that Napoleon Hill did not work in the Animal Health industry or Veterinary profession. However, he obviously knew about helping one’s self and he definitely knew something about achieving success. And since everyone wants to achieve more success (or at least I think they should), we’re going to break down his formula.
Specifically, we’re going use the quote I presented above as a guide, because although it’s only one sentence long, it contains a tremendous amount of truth and wisdom. Below are four take-aways from Napoleon Hill’s formula for success:
#1—Make it a practice to go the “extra mile.”
This is “The quality and quantity of the service you render” portion of the quote. Going above and beyond the call of duty and doing so on a consistent basis speaks to something which we’ve discussed before in our articles and blog posts: value. Once again, everything in the employment marketplace revolves around value, and as referenced in this quote, both the quantity of your work and the quality of your work constitute that value. It’s not one or the other. It’s both.
The more value that you provide to your employer, the more valuable your employer will think you are. There is a direct correlation between the two. And the more valuable your employer thinks you are, the more you will be compensated for that value. And those employees who go the “extra mile” are more likely to be compensated to a greater degree.
#2—Be cheerful with a positive outlook.
This is “the attitude with which you render it” portion of the quote. Think of it this way: what good does it do to go above and beyond if you’re just going to be grumpy and complain about it the whole time? Your boss and co-workers will remember your complaining more than they’ll remember the extra work you did.
Make no mistake about it, being cheerful and positive is a conscious decision. Sure, some people are just naturally more cheerful than others, but it’s still a decision. And remember that being cheerful and positive is also a form of value. Employers want to hire cheerful and positive people.
#3—Do what is necessary to chart the course of your career.
This is the “determine the amount of pay and the sort of job you hold” portion of the quote. This speaks to both the Animal Health job or Veterinary job that you hold, as well as the amount of money and other compensation that you receive for holding that job.
According to Napoleon Hill, you have tremendous influence on both of these, if not control over them. And the key to having that influence and/or control lies with the first two take-aways on our list. So the logic is as follows: if you’re not in the Animal Health job or Veterinary job in which you want to be and/or you believe that you’re not being compensated enough in that job, then you should increase your value by “going the extra mile” and doing so with a cheerful and positive attitude.
It sounds simple, but if it was, everyone would be doing it.
#4—Persevere and be persistent.
There isn’t a specific part of Napoleon’s quote that deals with this item, but it’s an inferred part of his formula for success. That’s because all of the things that we’re discussing here are basically habits, and it takes a certain amount of time for people to form habits, especially if they’re new ones. In fact, the general rule is that it takes 21 days of doing something before it begins to become a habit.
This is certainly applicable within the context of Napoleon Hill’s formula for success. The good news is that once you start to see the benefits of “going the extra mile” and being cheerful and positive in the process, you’ll continue to do both. You’ve probably heard of a self-perpetuating cycle of behavior, usually in reference to negative behavior. Well, this is the same concept, only with positive behavior.
Yes, Napoleon Hill died in 1970. However, that does not matter. It also does not matter that Napoleon did not work in the Animal Health industry or Veterinary profession. He knew what needed to be done in order to achieve success, regardless of a person’s profession or the nature of their pursuits. His formula for success is built upon timeless pearls of wisdom that are just as relevant today as they were during his time.
When you reach the point where you think you have nothing to learn from other people, that’s the point where you stop growing in your career and it is also an arrogant thought to think. You have something to learn from Raye Montague. You have something to learn from Napoleon Hill. And you have something to learn from countless other people who are part of your network . . . or should be part of your network.
An experienced Animal Health recruiter or Veterinary recruiter should be part of your network. They possess information, knowledge, and yes, even wisdom about what’s happening within the employment marketplace and how you can leverage what’s happening to grow your career. Don’t rely only on yourself. To illustrate this point, I’d like to end this blog post the same way that I started it. With a quote, this time by former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson:
“I not only use all the brains that I have, but all I can borrow.”
We help support careers in one of two ways: 1.By helping Animal Health and Veterinary professionals to find the right opportunity when the time is right, and 2.By helping to recruit top talent for the critical needs of Animal Health and Veterinary organizations. If this is something that you would like to explore further, please send an email to stacy@thevetrecruiter.com.
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