The french door quietly swung open and University of Alabama voice Eli Gold slipped inside the ballroom, careful not to disturb the ODT session in progress. The packed space was standing room only, so Eli leaned against the wall to wait for his time to speak.
I crossed Eli’s arrival off my mental checklist and was about to resume taking photos when another movement in the room caught my eye.
Each year Barry Gresham brings a group of aspiring sportscasting students from Austin Peay University to NSSA weekend, and each year the students volunteer some of their time to help Jon and I run the One Day Ticket to Sportscasting Success seminar. It was one of the Austin Peay students who diverted my attention. He had gotten up to walk a spare chair from his table over to Eli.
It was a small action that went unnoticed by most in the room. A small thing that spoke volumes about the kind of employee that student would be.
When your skills and experience are the same as the next broadcaster’s your employability can set you apart from the crowd.
The Austin Peay student was looking for how he could be helpful. Because he was looking, he saw where he could help and he took action.
How good are you at seeing? Are you actively looking for ways to be helpful when you’re building industry relationships? What about in your current job?
Sure, you can find opportunities to be helpful by asking. But your best moments to emerge from the category of ordinary will come by seeing what needs doing, volunteering, or just getting it done without being asked.
You can choose to be an average employee or you can stand out. The ability to see (and act) is a stand out characteristic. Even better, it is a quality that anyone can develop.
