Given that Melissa is working on being the first American woman to summit Everest this week without oxygen (see more here), I was reflecting on my trip with her in 2007 when, thanks to her, my brother Shawn and Alaina's help I was able to summit Mt Rainier (at 14,410 ft) in Washington state. 

Rainier summit with Melissa (July 10, 2007)

The experience was amazing for me and, like so many, became a part of who I am.  So, I came up with 5 lessons I learned climbing that mountain that help me in life and can help you get a job today. 

1. Believe in & take time for yourself
2. Be open to new things (a.k.a. never stop learning)
3. Connect!
4. Pay it forward
5. Ask for (& receive) help

1.  You have all heard this before, but now more than ever it matters.  If my brother (who is very in to mountaineering) had not invited me, this trip would have never occurred to me.  Further, since I am a bit of a workaholic- taking time off is not my norm - but doing so made the difference in my sanity that summer.  Finally, if I did not believe in myself, lord knows I would not have thought I could make that climb.  If you are out of a  job, I hope you know, that you have gained another vocation (full time)  right now and that is getting another job.  But before you do, take the time to smell the roses, spend time with those you love and get things done you likely did not do while working.  In addition, you are your PR and marketing department so keeping a positive attitude and understanding that you are special and can add value (irrespective of what you do) is a critical part of your new job. 

2.  Being open to new things seems to be a bit of a personality trait (either you like to or not) as well as seems somewhat age driven- meaning the older (job-seekers read: more experienced/successful) one gets, the less likely they are to be open to new things as a general rule.   As I mentioned, I am not a mountaineer (for the most part), but this trip gave me a chance to spend time with a sibling that I do not see often.  As a result, I have some amazing memories as well as sense of accomplishment (and a new pal who is climbing Everest as I write this).   As a job seeker, be open to new things, industries, positions...even locations (if you can).  Each of these levers is another notch in broadening your search and chances of opportunity.  Don't be afraid to jump in!   My father once told me..once you stop learning...you are as big as you will ever get.  Seek to learn every day and from everyone. 

Disappointment Cleaver Route

3.  Connect!  I cannot say enough about this one, but I'll leave most to another day.  I should add - re-connect as well.  That trip gave Shawn and I the chance to re-connect, as well as introducing me to a whole new group of people, many of whom have diverse backgrounds and experiences from which I can learn and grow.  Further, I now have a completely different experience from which I can connect with an utterly new group of people using this shared perspective.   If you have not figured this one out, let me be direct - the main part of your current vocation (see #1) is to connect!!    Seek to meet people, get to know them- you will likely get to know yourself better and they may connect you to that next great opportunity.   No matter what the size of your current network or circle of friends - you can expand this daily by truly connecting with new people.  In my opinion, the backbone of the the entire social media tidal wave is based on connecting in a variety of forms.  Tools like twitter, linkedin & facebook are some of my favs for connecting online use them in addition to your face2face time. 

4.  Help others - in the best way you can.  Trust me on this one, it will come back to you tenfold and usually when you least expect it.  And BTW didn't your mom teach you this (without the expectation of something in return)?   On my trip, Shawn helped me, got me thru the tough parts and watched over me.  Due to financial blessings, I was able to fund the trip for him - which was so worth every penny.  Will he or I ever get "paid" on those things...I can tell you we already have in terms of our relationship and experiences.   Pay it forward in your job search by endeavoring to help every person you meet with - introduce/recommend them to one of your contacts, share experiences or tips, fill them in on new happenings.  There is nothing more off-putting than a candidate/networker/vendor that is only interested in what you can do for them - with no thought of how they can help you.  As you can see, this does not cost money, but I would say it is critical and would be something I would hope you will do after you embark on your next career journey.  

One of the largest ice bridges we crossed...

5.  Asking for help is a difficult task for many successful people.  I think we were taught that it is a sign of weakness, and we never want to show that.   From about 10,000 feet and above the team was tied together and had learned how to "self arrest" as much to save ourselves in case of a fall but more importantly to save someone else who fell.  When someone falls on a climb like this, they are to yell "falling" at which time everyone else immediately self arrests in order to save them (since we are all tied together).  I cannot tell you how many times job seekers do not update their LinkedIn profile or send messages to their networks that they are looking for a new opportunity...are you guys kidding me?   Don't be embarrassed, doing this will allow more people to find you and help you- and you will be saying that you are open to receiving help.  We are all in this game of life together, it is more fun if we can help others in the process. 

If you are interested in seeing a slide show of my journey up Rainier please go here.  -Shannon