Career and The Wonder Years

Before we get into it, I wanted to take a moment to talk Memorial Day Weekend.

Regardless of being a veteran, Memorial Day has always had a special place in my heart.  The thought of sacrificing it all when called upon is a thing of giants amongst regular people.

It truly makes what we deal with on a day-to-day feel so….small.

Let’s be drastic and compare the front lines of – you pick the battle – to RTO, AI, organizational changes, or any work-related challenges.  There is none.  To me it helps put things in perspective and serves as a reminder of what’s truly important. 

I am incredibly thankful for all the souls who have sacrificed for me to be here today.  May they rest in peace and may their loved ones find comfort and healing in the legacy of their courage, bravery, and honor.

Now let’s lighten it up a bit.

It’s hard to type this, but are we at a point where I have to ask if we know what The Wonder Years are?

Growing up, it was a favorite of mine.  I also think the way Kevin Arnold narrated impacted how the voice in my head operates, but that’s for a different post.

For those who aren’t familiar, The Wonder Years takes place in the late 60’s and follows a suburban family of five along with three neighborhood best friends: Kevin, Paul, and Winnie.  I believe the show kicks off with its protagonist, Kevin Arnold, in the sixth or seventh grade. The stories and challenges revolve around that era, middle school, and everything in between.

The Wonder Years came up in my household due to my oldest’ struggles with violin and third grade math.  In the show, there’s an episode where Kevin Arnold isn’t practicing the piano the way he should be, and he ultimately backs out of a recital due to the fear of someone being better.  Also, there’s another where he’s struggling with middle school math and it takes a colossal failure for him to finally ask his teacher and dad for help.  They are two incredible episodes that I hope impacted the way my oldest is thinking of these problems (probably not).

Anyway, the kids loved the episodes, and we’ve watched a lot more ever since, being careful what we pick because the middle school problems can be very, middle school.

After a few episodes I realized something.  The neighborhood.  The friends.  The simplicity of life.  My kids are currently growing up the exact same way.  We moved to a new town last year and have been incredibly lucky to live in a wonderful neighborhood surrounded by children.  Now that it’s nice out, the kids run in packs from house to house, playing games, having fun, and being kids.

How does Career tie into this?  As I reflected with pride, I realized I’m not here without my first corporate role and all the subsequent positions that followed.

I recently spoke about career coaching with someone in the industry and he said he doesn’t do it anymore.  For various reasons, the resumes, cover letters, and job search support were not where he wanted to invest his time anymore.  I should take the opportunity to add that this is not where Eels focuses with Career either.  I mean, we can review these documents, but it is not our expertise.  The most we’d do in this area is the interview preparation to give pointers on the tactics and strategy for the interview itself.  Additionally, I do have my own opinions on the job search dos and don’ts but again – not primarily where we focus.

So what do we do?  We help to get you to your own Wonder Years.  Or at least get a step closer to it.

I have been incredibly lucky in life and have excelled at each of my professionals stops.  In the Navy I was promoted and ranked #1 against my peers on multiple occasions.  During my corporate tenure I held five cross-functional positions within ten years.  There’s been patterns of success, and each stop has made an impact on the home, family, and quality of life.

That’s the goal.  Maybe not today, tomorrow, or even six months from now.  But to begin a process of preparing you so when that door does open, you’re in the best position possible to walk through it.  Because if you begin when the door itself forms, you’re too late.

We start as early as we can and review what the development plan looks like. Who you have networked with. If you have shared your goals and aspirations with leadership. The list goes on and on. Let's review the org chart, your experiences, and figure it out.

The workplace and even world challenges today can feel insurmountable.  Look past them.  Impact what you can control and think long-term.  We’re amid a lot of change – as we were in 2015, 2005, and 1995 - and there is plenty of opportunity for those who wish to take it.