This presentation takes a lifetime of experience and proposes a process for career design for youth who have had some education and work experience.

1. A different
way
Career Designing and Execution
For Youth
Draft of a webinar by Blair Davies
(647)923-8967
blair@blairdavies.com 1

2. Why create this
 It’s tough out there (demand)
 Internet has made it more difficult not less, and jobs are different (Dan
Pink’s book)
 Fewer big co’s willing to invest in youth
 A lot of misperceptions, a lot of misleading assumptions out there
 I happen to have the process (supply)
 Major transition in 2005, hired a coach Mary Frances Fox (MFF)
 Unconsciously competent since high school, thanks to Dad et al
 About a dozen sons and daughters of friends and friend’s friends have
been sent my way, and they have had success with some or all of this
process.
 Why do this (demand meeting supply)
 Sad when I see skilled youth flounder getting launched
 Bad for Canada if they leave or do not get launched properly
 Wondering how this helps or could help kids of less privilege
2Story: Transition I took was later in life, but seen the process apply to young people who have had
some experiences to see that they like, learn, are driven by etc.

3. The economy of jobs
Formal and informal market.
 Formal is on the net, on job boards, on company
websites. Everyone sees these, and robots find them
too. Very small part of the market
 Informal is every business or manager thinking about
how to grow
 No way to know where the informal is or where it
might be next
 Need different strategies for formal and informal.
3

4. Informal Job Market
 People meeting people
 Internet speeds things up but does not replace people meeting people
 Done during ‘waking’ hours
 Many jobs created for people
 Most of these jobs are not down on paper yet, they are in minds of leaders
 You can be only candidate
 You can negotiate pay
Don’t get caught applying for jobs during ‘working hours’ and think you are finding
a job. Formal job hunting done off hours, and only if you think it will help.
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5. Truths and falsehoods
Truths
● This is designing, not planning - you cannot tell what
is really going to happen.
● Life is a carnival, try every booth
● call as high as you can
● young people are respected by senior people
● there is a deliberate specific process to follow
● it’s not just about ‘finding yourself’.
● resume comes last not first
● most jobs are created around you
● a job is temporary, so no one decision matters that
much
● there is limited time in your 20’s to gain a foothold.
you can change careers in the future, but somehow
you need to prove to yourself and to the world you
are a serious person
● it won’t just work out unless you design your career
Falsehoods
● Life is linear, and so is career
● You can plan every step.
● start with preparing your resume
● networking is going to group events
● senior management does not have time
● internet helps you find a job
● get as many applications filled in as you
can.
● getting this job is essential to your well
being as a human
● finding yourself is the same as getting a job
or career
● it’s about wandering around
● there is a lots of time
● it will just work out if you don’t design your
career 5

6. Mary Frances Fox – the process
 A very special person
 A thinker in a world of followers
 Brave dreamer
 Taken from us way too soon
 She invented this process
 Gave me permission to publish it
 If there are financial returns I will pass some along to things she cares about
(juravinski hosp in Hamilton, I believe)
 She introduced me to her family, unknown to me, who welcomed we nicely
at her funeral
 Tell the story about weaknesses become strengths
 First of many lightning bolts from MFF!
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7. 7
First Second Third Fourth
Who are you
Where apply
you, possibly
Go after
places you
have decided
to apply you
Find out
more about
where to
apply you
Get job
offer,
negotiation,
contract etc.
Summary of process

8. Why you should design your career
 Get right job, not just get job you apply for, faster.
 You can.
 Less work than just applying.
 More motivating by keeping focus
 Possibly be more happy
 Possibly make more money
 It’s fun
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9. A few rules
 Follow the process and divorce yourself from the outcome
 MMM – make more meetings
 Don’t predict which door will do it, as you do not know. Follow the process
 Be objective as if you are watching from afar. Be curious, be a scientist. No
assumptions needed.
 Listen to yourself, your body, your feelings – other than angst that it is not
happening fast enough. Eg I needed to be social so I went to tradeshows until
I was prepared to hit the hunt.
 Don’t get stuck in your own mind
 Duck rule – above water calm and confident, below water kick like hell
 Fulfill your other needs. Eg if need to earn money then do so. Just don’t
confuse this with career design.
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10. Nobody has to know….
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11. 11
First Second Third Fourth
Who are you
Where apply
you, possibly
Go after
places you
have decided
to apply you
Find out
more about
where to
apply you
Get job
offer,
negotiation,
contract etc.
Summary of process

12. First Gear
12
Who are
you
Where can
you apply
you
Prepare
for Second
Gear

13. First gear - who are you
Figure out your aptitudes, skills, needs from analysis
● read the chapters on inventorying you of “What Colour is Your Parachute”* (ch 4+5?)
○ Who are you. What parts of your brain do you like to use. Good videos on youtube.
● Briggs myers - career aptitude matching test**
● review past performance evaluations. If don’t have any, ask for them. Eg 360 survey of
former employers, employees and peers
● take a styles course or test (maybe we should approach one of the firms like Styles
Training Source
● catalog what worked and what did not work out so well in past jobs
● Ask people who know you in working environment (classmates)
● Don’t ask people who are just friends and will not know how you work
● Set of questions (next chart)
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*Rest of WCIYP is excellent too. Some of the thoughts of this presentation are similar
**https://www.mbtionline.com/TaketheMBTI US$50. May want some help with it.
.

14. Flow - look it up
Looking for threads of strengths, stories, unique selling propositions. It’s likely the
combination of a few things, not just a specific item, but you never know. Cross over of
what you are good at and what you like to do.
 Based on what you have done before, when were you in ‘flow’. Look that up. It means:
 Things felt easy
 Results came easy
 Time flies
 Lots of energy and juice around this
 People came towards you to help, you did not have to seek people and resources
 You truly enjoyed
Could be a day, a week, a month or a five year experience – does not matter.
Ask others who know you well, especially in a work environment.
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Sources of info
Dan Pink “A Whole New Mind”
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Ted Talk
https://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow?language=en

15. Questions to ask yourself
Things you want to know ( infinite list, but you get the jist ) about the job you want.
● Simple stuff about the environment you want to work in.
○ With people or on your own
○ Outside or inside
○ Same place every day or changing places
○ Busy and loud or quiet
● Technical or more about people
● Always learning or applying learning
● Process or project oriented
● One event at a time or multitasking many events or projects
● Collaborative or competitive
● Employee or employer
● Money or experience is the motivator
15
Don’t shoot too low, this is time to expand your ideas, not
shrink away from opportunities.

16. Example of skills - see Appendices – from the Author*
● Taking technical and connecting to business, and growing the business (my flow)
○ Understand what technical things can do for businesses.
○ Involved in designing things being part of the team. Getting buy in to my ideas, creating
bigger ideas.
○ Look for frameworks, or market structures on how things work, how people interact.
○ Understand markets
● Recognize the value of enlisting the right people to meet the goal
○ Capable to spot weaknesses in the process and the people
○ Networking to find people of all types of skills
○ First response is ‘who can I bring to this’, as someone knows this better than me
● Partner. Like to work with others on a goal, not compete with others as much as collaborate.
○ Charged by meeting new people who can help
○ Like to learn from others
● Intelligent
○ Figure things out, often by networking
○ Read signals, or just ask
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*These are some of the author, after many years of work
Good to think of examples where you applied this for later work

17. Where do you apply you
Now you know you more, and an idea on the kind of place you want to work at, so
where can you apply you.
 Brainstorm industries and careers
 Not too specific
 Place to dream
 Likely need help with this, someone who has or can see a lot of the world
 Make list and decide which ones you want to investigate in Second Gear
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**May need a coach or a partner in brainstorming
this.

18. Dreams
Of course I believe in Dreams. In my yearbook in High School I said I wanted to ‘Design
something worth putting my name on’. Well I have done that.
 Some realism needed to determine the balance between a dream and a nightmare
 Market structure can shed some light. If the chance to make the NHL is low for
even big guys and you are 5’2” you may have to find other dreams.
 Dreams are not forever either. You can have many times in your life with different
dreams.
But in the end, go for it. This process is trying to give you a way to get there.
Yes it’s a bit intimidating. But so what.
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19. Degrees of Freedom
 Degrees of freedom are the number of directions you can change from where
you are now. You can only change 1-2 items of the factors which include
geography, location, skill needed, culture, and vertical. (may be others, but
this is a good list)
 So if you are an accountant in Toronto with 5 years experience you can
likely be an accountant in Chicago with 5 years experience, but not likely
plant manager in Seattle with no years experience
 I had a young man come to me looking for aerospace in Canada. Not sure we
have a lot of that, but maybe you only need one job. Key aerospace in in big
military countries like USA. Your call in the end.
 What specific places can you apply this USP? Keep an open mind but maybe
realistic.
 Don’t shoot too low. This is time to expand your opportunities, not shrink
away from ideas. 19

20. What did I brainstorm
● Investment banker**
● Venture Capitalist
● Angel investor
● Head hunter
● University alumni officer / donations manager
● Alumni association CEO or senior officer**
● Economic development officer for CIty or Province
● Sales in software
Note: ended up going back to gear one when I realized I had not looked at the thing I
really wanted to do. I wanted to be involved in the building industry! So I started over
again!! Not perfect eh.
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**Interesting things I learned about myself through this process
● Investment bankers compete vs collaborate
● Alumni directors very old school (may be out of date now)

21. Output of First Gear
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● Know much more about yourself
● Have several occupations you would like to investigate
● You may have an occupation that it make sense to skip to
Third Gear and go after, but be sure.
● You have Unique Selling Propositions for each which “roll off
your tongue” for Second Gear.

22. USP (Unique Selling Proposition)
Write your story, like you are selling a product for that occupation
● A top line message that you can repeat - the elevator pitch
○ Supporting points
○ Stories or proof points
○ See appendix for mine
○ Can be several
○ Can be specific or general
● See appendices.
● I think Simon Sinek’s message on ‘start with why’ is important when
considering how to communicate why your are unique and have value.
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Simon Sinek – Start With Why

23. USP Example for Youth
 I am well underway with a plan to be a significant team member of an
industrial engineering team. While combining technical, people and
creative skills I have had success that I will leverage to assist the growth
of an excellent company….. Something like that..
 Story to support: in third year I was a team member who creatively developed a
solution for ____ and resulted with a 2nd place out of 25 teams. The comment from
the professors was that we developed a solid creative solution and communicated
it well.
 In the summer before school I launched a firm that provided a service to local
businesses in google search, online marketing and promotion. I handed those
clients over to a good friend who continues to support their growth.
 In 2005 I immigrated from Rumania with my family, learned English, entered high
school, graduated in good shape to enter UWO and have recently graduated with a
75% average in mechanical engineering. (this is a true one for a young man I have
been helping) You have overcome challenges, this is the place to put them.
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24. The importance of stories
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Facts are free now, so stories are the new medium. Internet has
commoditized facts, so we are over saturated with data, facts, and
of course sometimes don’t trust facts.
● Stories that make people believe, and that are detailed,
inspiring and verifiable are how to related to other people
● Obama changed the game in 2008

25. 25
First Second Third Fourth
Who are you
Where apply
you, possibly
Go after
places you
have decided
to apply you
Find out
more about
where to
apply you
Get job
offer,
negotiation,
contract etc.
Summary of process

26. Second Gear
This is investigating the careers you contemplated in First Gear. Its not finding
that job yet. If you want to skip Second Gear on some job paths, feel free to
do so, but its at your peril if you do not fit that role yet, or know the lexicon.
 “Learn what the best know, and see if the suit fits”
 Brief, specific, few meetings with leaders to learn what the best know
 Not tire kicking, very specific method to determine if the suit fits
 Outcome is deciding if pursue that career path, and to get contacts if so
You will be meeting senior people and stating “I have a plan to be …. And want
to learn from the best what it takes to be successful and take my first steps.”
more on this….
26

27. A Note on Markets
You are going to investigate roles in ‘Markets’. What is a market?
 A market is a part of the economy in which people “refer to each other”.
 So when you meet with someone they will know others in that market
 Or course there are overlaps but turns out to be quite distinct
 Important point when we decide who to go see
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28. Rules of Second Gear
First rule: it’s about them, not you. Is about what you can do for them. Other rules
● Learning not selling.
● Warm reference not cold calling
● Control the conversation with excellent questions.
● Short meetings
● Not too many meetings.
● Tightly spaced meetings
● Want to learn the lexicon. What words, terms and phrases matter.
● Figure out how your stories relate to this industry
● Defer but reserve offers to interview
● Get contacts
● If bad reception, need to decide if its person or market
● Be a detective not a salesperson.
● Did I tell you its about them not you?
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29. Second Gear logistics
● Not a lot of prep
● As high a person as possible
● Brief meetings (20-30min), not lunches
● 5 good questions, control the conversation
● Best outcome is lexicon, a feeling of what it takes to be successful, and contacts
● Get contacts
● Last step before third gear - tune your USP for each search.
Two stories (UT/UW re Alumni Development and CIBC re Investment Banking)
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30. Who
● 1-2, As senior as you can get in the organization. (Story of meeting VP at York for TD)
● Industry Association Executive Directors
● See if you can find visible influencers online eg press
● Warm connections if possible.
● First phone call… “I have a plan to……. And would like to learn what the best know. I
would like to visit you for a brief 30 minute meeting. I will have prepared my questions
and we will have an excellent discussion.
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How

31. In meeting
● Manage meeting with excellent questions
● Start with your USP, and repeat you have a plan to… and want to learn what the best
know. You are looking like you are serious to pursue this occupation, but are not there
to ask for a job. You decide later if you want this occupation.
● Watch time. If you are approaching end but you are not done, you ask for more time.
● Don’t make note taking disrupt flow. You can write notes right after.
● Be curious, be a scientist.
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32. Example questions in Second Gear
● Theme is basically ‘what do the best know’.
● In an field, what roles are key to success. ( I am trying to avoid saying business, but I am a
business person. If it’s clearer to call it a practice, business, service or whatever do what
makes sense)
● What do you like best about this field?
● What keeps you up at night, (and what can someone like me help with that?)
● How did you get started, and what do you think has changed that would guide me on on
getting started?
● What’s a day in the life of people in this space?
● (if you don’t know) what education or certificates are prerequisites?
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33. Output of Second Gear
● Know which career pursuits worth of going to Third Gear
● Contacts
● Better at second gear every time
● Better for third gear, as you know which words these people use
33
Be sure to send thank you. Tell story about young lady
that came to see me at Celestica.

34. 34
First Second Third Fourth
Who are you
Where apply
you, possibly
Go after
places you
have decided
to apply you
Find out
more about
where to
apply you
Get job
offer,
negotiation,
contract etc.
Summary of process

35. Third Gear
Finally we are going after a job.
● If know you fit the job you can skip to this step, eg if you need the money get a job in
what you already did, while you pursue First and Second in something else
● This is packaging up the product and going after the job - product is you
● Play to Win - get the offer, and then decide if you want it
● It’s not about you, it’s about what you can do for them
35

36. Rules of Third Gear
● What roles are you seeking? 3 - 4 max likely.
○ You can do same role in different markets eg sales in auto and construction.
● Don’t get stuck, make more meetings. Disconnect from the outcome. All the previous
rules apply.
● You are not ‘looking for a job’. You have a plan to be a senior executive in the medical
sales industry and are looking of that first step on that plan . It’s a dance.
● You ask for what they need. They will ask what you have done.
○ You say we will get to that but please tell me your top needs or what keeps you up at night, or
what do the best in your team do in this role (see appendix on 3rd gear questions)
● You do not send a resume ahead of time - absolutely - see slide on resume
● You sell high, even though you might get sent down to the hiring manager.
● Tune USP for those positions with lexicon (words, terms) learned in Second Gear
● Make sure Social Media does not contradict what you are doing
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37. Who
● Senior people, maybe from connections from second gear. Maybe second gear people
themselves.
● Target companies or organizations. Use connections to get to senior people.
● May take connections of connections, make more meetings. Go for uber networkers.
● Industry association execs are good again.
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How (key idea is ‘I have a plan’, rest can be in your words.
“I am executing on a plan to be …. and am seeking to discuss how I can
provide value in your organization.” This is not a job search, but making a
connection to see if there is mutual value. We can meet and we will know
rapidly if there is mutual value.
Or if networking to find the person, “I am executing on a plan to be… and
would like to meet executives in the field of …... I would appreciate your
support in making introductions.

38. Getting in is tough?
● If getting in is tough, there are ways to get visibility
○ write a blog, a whitepaper,
○ conduct research and then offer the research to execs
○ volunteer at the industry association
○ get to know the industry association execs
○ go to an event where the CEO is speaking.
○ Attend IA events
38
Story of Hannah from McGill and GM story of meeting George People

39. Human Resources and Their Hiring Process
Many companies have a hiring process and you will likely need to follow it
 Will contradict some what I am saying
 If you have what they want, they will bend, but if you are striving to get in you
likely need to follow their process
 See slide on resumes
 HR is not your friend, they are not looking for people to get in, they are looking
to screen people out
 Pay respect, and play the game, but expect no more
Note: it was not supposed to be this way, but it is.
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40. Resumes
Why would you let a piece of paper sell you rather than you sell you.
● The full and complete resume is not useful to you, it will only get you filtered out. There
are other types of introduction documents
○ Brief USP and stories to support
○ Fact sheet with dates, companies and roles
○ Essay on who you are and what you can do for them
○ Video, blog, other creations are starting to show up
● Be different, and reinforce your USP (Unique Selling Proposition) with what you have
done and what you can do for them
● Tell stories, not just facts and figures
● Many interviews have been achieved without resumes Try IT!
40
Tell story of not giving resume to Telus

41. Interview Questions
Lots of great books on this topic, so read a few and be prepared
● You are not looking for a job, you have a five year plan and this is the first step.
● “What are your weaknesses. Answer: with a pause for thought, say I have had a wide
variety of experiences and successes and I do not see any weaknesses that will keep me
from delivering on your needs. Don’t’ budge. These weaknesses could lose you the job.
● Be enthusiastic, but aloof. Divorce yourself from the outcome. You do not want to be so
eager to sacrifice fourth gear in most cases.
● Be humble, and thank the teams you worked with.
● Claim the accomplishments you had, but turn them around to what you did for the
organization, and what they thought about that.
● Again, it’s not about you, it’s about what you can do for the organization.
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42. What do you want to earn?
They, often HR, asks what you did earn before, or what you are expecting. You do not answer
this question.
● Answer: Right now I am eager to better understand my fit and how I can help the
organization, and if we mutually agree it makes sense to work together I am very
confident we will reach a remuneration package. I always have.
● Smile and resist if necessary
● Use empathy to pushy HR -’I understand part of your job is to get that answer, but I will
not be answering the question. I am sorry for the inconvenience.’ Repeat point above.
● Difference can be a lot of money, see Fourth Gear
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43. Recruiters
Great book - “Rites of Passage” by John Lucht
● Valuable, but you need to control the situation
● Valuable if you are a square peg in a square hole – ie simple fit.
● You only get introduced to companies you agree to
● I say, but now after many years, that they must tell me the company name. If I can
honestly say I can get that interview on my own with one phone call, then I reject their
offer. To reciprocate I offer that I will bring job ideas to my friends for them.
● Good people to know, but no greater body of shark infested water than recruiters.
● Want them saying good things about you, as you don’t know who they talk to
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44. 44
First Second Third Fourth
Who are you
Where apply
you, possibly
Go after
places you
have decided
to apply you
Find out
more about
where to
apply you
Get job
offer,
negotiation,
contract etc.
Summary of process

45. Fourth Gear -
Offer! Yea. But hold on it’s not done.
● Great book “Negotiating Your Salary, How to Make $1000 a Minute” Jack Chapman
● All round good book on negotiating “Getting to Yes” by Roger Fisher
● There is a lot to ‘compensation’
● Assuming you want to work for these people for some time, this is your ONLY chance
to set a platform for your compensation.
● There is a lot at stake
● All firms are flexible
● Play to win, divorce yourself from the outcome
● Keep looking for other opportunities
45

46. Compensation
● Base pay
● Incentive pay
● Next raise or review milestone
● Overtime
● Benefits like car, toll road access,
● Vacation
○ When does vacation increase
● Education
● Expense account eg in sales
● Hours
● Anything that will make your life better and easier
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47. Negotiate salary
They will respect you more if you know you are worth it and negotiate
● Negotiation is about perceived power. Your perceived power is you can walk away, and
they have spent all this time with you to get you on board, so they won’t want that.
● Be respectful and humble. No demands.
● ‘This is the time I can best represent me and my family and I just want to pursue this
conversation in an open and honest fashion’
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48. Contract
Always
● Will respect you better if you insist on a labour contract
● Covers compensation
● Other terms like separation, but as long as it does not restrict common law this is
not likely too important for youth
● Probation period - ask why and why this long. Ask what they are looking for.
Document this.
Get labour lawyer to provide good ideas on contracts
48

49. Sign it and start!!!
But it does not end there
● Get going on that job, but keep some of the other conversations alive
● You won’t do this much work again for awhile, and others opportunities will come up.
● Pursue them too, as you don’t know what will happen
● At some point may need to tell these people you are placed, but not right away
49

50. 50
First Second Third Fourth
Who are you
Where apply
you, possibly
Go after
places you
have decided
to apply you
Find out
more about
where to
apply you
Get job
offer,
negotiation,
contract etc.
Summary of process

51. Conclusion
 There is an opportunity to design your career
 Need to because its tough out there
 Need to find informal market
 Opportunity for growth
 We have process
 First gear – who are you; where apply you possibly.
 Big concepts like dreams, “flow”, and learning about yourself
 Second gear – where apply you, possibly.
 Third gear – go get a job
 Fourth gear – get offer and negotiate.
 Do your best. Nothing is forever
 This is a life long process.
 Others don’t likely know this process – so you have an advantage
 Share your advanced knowledge
51

52. What do you think?
Please tell me what you think
blair@blairdavies.com
6479238967
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53. Appendices
These are the raw 3”x5” cards I used to write down what I think I am good at. This
work shaped what I would say as my USP. While its the work of a person with 20
years experience, you can see a lot of its about working with people.
● USP is what you are good at, and feel good doing (flow)
● Backed up by stories where you applied it (omitted some of the stories are
they would not make sense. Tell the stories in the presentation.
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