Applying the INSANITY Workout to Your Professional Development, Part I

While it may seem as though there is no corollary between a workout video and one’s professional development, I assure you, the two are one in the same.  I sat down one day and read the back cover of the INSANITY workout program’s DVD case. The cover contains a warning which reads, “INSANITY is an extreme and physically demanding workout. This is NOT for beginners or individuals with any medical conditions that may be compromised by extreme cardio and strength exercise.”  This statement applies to the professional world.  This blog post deals with the first part of this warning:

The professional world is NOT for beginners

This subtitle might seem contrary to everything you have ever been taught, but I assure you it is not.  The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a beginner as “a person who is beginning something or doing something for the first time” (emphasis added).  When the back cover of INSANITY states that it is not for beginners, what that means is one should not attempt this program if you have never worked out because the results could be futile.  The same premise applies to the professional world.  This all may seem so backwards, but I assure you it is not and here is why; preparation. You prepare yourself for INSANITY by having done some form of exercise prior to attempting something as extreme and physical. Well, you prepare yourself for your career by acquiring experience.  As young professionals we hear this ancient job hunting paradox, “you can't get a job without having experience, but you can't get any experience if you don't have a job.” Here are ways you can gain that experience prior to beginning your job/endeavors.

      Mentors 
A Mentor provides you with experience prior to you even stepping foot in the professional arena.  A repeating failure of our generation (millennials) is that we do not take advantage of the wealth of knowledge at our hands in the form of mentors.  Someone once gave me great career advice.  The advice was that when it comes to life, personal or professional, it was good to fail early and often because the lessons you will learn will make you sharper and less likely to want to experience them again.  While this may be true, wouldn’t it be better to learn from someone who already made that stupid mistake and not repeat that painful history?  Although the question is rhetorical, people often opt to make that same stupid mistake and repeat the same horrible history as the person who preceded them.  I could go on and on about the value of a mentor but instead, here’s an article from someone who already has: The Value of a Business Mentor.

Internships and volunteer work
Before you jump into a career, a great way to gain experience is through internship and volunteer opportunities that are relevant to your desired industry.  If you’re in school, use your career services department to help you locate internships.  School is a great time to pursue internships because this is often the time where you can actually afford an unpaid internship.  Do not underestimate the value of an internship simply because there is no pay involved.  The value is in the connections you make and the experience you gain.  If you've already finished school, consider volunteer work or job shadowing. Contact the types of companies you desire to work with or for and ask to speak with the person who handles volunteers.

Clubs, Organizations and Societies  
A club, organization or society exists for nearly every profession or area of interest and many have national, state and regional chapters available to join.  Not only will you build your network, you will broaden your knowledge base about your target industry prior to even beginning your career.  Furthermore, places like The Rising Professional that provide resources such as: tips on effective resumes or cover letters, job search strategies, networking tactics, negotiating techniques, seminars, and classes, are too great of opportunities to pass in this insane and saturated job market that currently exists. 

If you think INSANITY is extreme and physically demanding, wait until you step into the professional world.  Prepare yourself so that you are not deemed a beginner. 

In part II, I will discuss why both INSANITY and the professional world are not for "individuals with any medical conditions that may be compromised by extreme cardio and strength exercise.”

- DeAndre Morrow