I — Inquire about opportunities that open for us

Previous post S — Seek advice from those around us we trust

Also posted on http://tarsoxjr.blog

“…What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. Revelations 3:7

I believe that we can directly impact our opportunities by being a good person and treating people with respect as well as working hard of course. I think too often we get focused on trying to protect our turf and forget we have to spend a huge percentage of time with our coworkers. Not only that but the fact is the people you work with will go to other companies, you will need other jobs in your lifetime and that task is much easier when you have a network who you’ve proven yourself to over the years. I’ve been fortunate enough to meet some great people in my career and have done a fair job of staying in touch with them. In today’s world, it is easier than ever to stay connected with people yet it seems to be the hardest thing to do in practice. However, it’s that network that will likely lead to our next opportunity so don’t neglect it, you will need it someday.

I found this out when n in 2004 I was changing lanes in my career. I had spent my early 20s learning everything I could about how a packet of data can get from my house to the other side of the world in the blink of an eye. I started consuming everything I could on routing, switching, firewalls, security etc. etc. and for the first year I was a bit snowblind with information, but I’ll never forget when the gears caught and I could just “see it”. It was a great feeling but ultimately I got a bit tired of watching all those lights blink waiting on the next crisis to hit the IT closet so I started to inquire around. A friend of mine had just gone to a new software company in Raleigh NC and they needed “Sales Engineers”. I went through the interview process and I wish I could say it was a “hire this man” type scenario but actually this friend had to go to bat for me. It was a big turning point in my career and I’m very grateful. It turns out taking technical information and delivering it in a crisp, concise and understandable way is an art and I had a knack for it. The point here is someone went to bat for me because I inquired about an opportunity and had built trust. It wasn’t my flawless resume or my charm it was because I asked and someone believed in me.

If you would have known me back then you would have never in a million years thought I would be speaking in front of large audiences about technology or selling anything, I could barely even speak to my coworkers or customers at a college job at a department store. I lived in a world of self-doubt in my teenage years and into my early 20s which unfortunately a lot of people perceived as being aloof or “better than everyone”. I can assure you I’ve never believed I was better than anyone. That said I’m a different person today in no small part to my wife who I’ve been with for this entire ride, over 20 years together. She has had my back in every decision and trusts in me fully to provide for our family.

I am comforted by the scripture “…what He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open.” with that truth in your heart you just have to trust. It’s with her support I’ve been able to inquire about opportunities and trust that if it works out God opened it and if it doesn’t God closed it. I don’t question why either of those things happens even when I am disappointed with the outcome. I have been able to look back on so many opportunities in my life where the door was shut and in the moment I was devastated but every single time looking in the rearview I see that God was in that too, I just thought I knew best.

During this period of being away from work, I have really stepped back and it has felt great. I’ve been focusing purely on learning and improving myself. I’ve also taken the opportunity to inquire about what’s going on around me and what those in my circle are up to. It has been amazing the response I have received, and it’s the first time I’ve really been able to look back and say with great confidence I have built an awesome network of people who trust me. I’m confident this will lead to the next opportunity and I can’t wait.