003 STUDENT SUCCESS: TODAY IT MEANS SMASHING 'THE STRUGGLE'

?33 Years later from 1984 from when apple introduced Mac on a superbowl commercial that paved the way for what we know of today as Mac, Apple has gone on a tear because they kept to the true root of what people want, simplicity, functional, habit forming, and with the sexy.

Student Success 33 years ago was all about your grades and people. Connecting with them. Getting to know them. Getting them to know the student. Trust the student. Like the student. Reminisce a bit on their college days. And make a decision if that student is the fit for what their business, company, or startup is looking for based on fit, grades, and experience. Maybe they could hire you or be the one to introduce you, but either way then they were an influencer in your path to help a student get ahead.

Now, then it was about who you knew and what they thought about you based on your appearance, handshake, personality, follow up, and how much you can impress them, in person.

Today, it's what they see all about you before they meet you and that can go South quick; or it goes no where. Absolutely no where. Do you know why? You did nothing to impress them online. Nothing different. Nothing engaging or creative. Nothing that gets their attention to say 'wow, I get it, I want to meet them.'

But online is only 20% of it, and here is why. I don't have to remind or tell you that most 37--53 year olds grew up without all the bells and whistles, tech, data, maybe some some devices at best. Today for X'ers it is a necessarily evil to keep up. You may be surprised thought because many may understand tech now better then you, so be prepared. All in all, for those Gen X'ers 37-53 it's still mostly about human and relationships but they too have become conditioned a bit as well. Why? Because they are stuck behind the data and devices that block out the human component we call connection, likability, and that 'care component', which exists in their being, to want to help you. The trick is, you have to know how to get that out of them, do it early, and fast...

See today, because they have ATS (Automatic Tracking Systems) for your resume, which translates to your resume meaning almost nothing except keywords today because if you don't crack the ATS key word reader code, your resume will never get through. And if you do crack it, 80% of what you put on there is BS and you will be gone in 4 months because you sold them a pile of college condom wrappers. I won't clarify any further for the sake of respect to this forum, but you get my point.

For your startup founders, mid size company managers, corporate professionals with inroads to mid level hiring managers, it's about getting through physically, mentally, and yes pulling a few emotional chords too. Have we forgotten the human component and how that works? That's another article, another time. See you are a student, just like they as in Gen X hiring professionals and startup founders, were 25 years ago. And when you frame your story right, you get somewhere, no everywhere, with them. Hmmmm, a Gen X 37-53 audience that connects a certain way, a way that their systems they are stuck behind have nothing to do with. A way even they need to break back through a bit too and need someone like you to smash through, a human connection again.

They day to day non-human engaging system that they barely enjoy promotes everything that is NOT HUMAN making some of their hiring even more difficult then ever. Even their interaction with teammates is challenged but they as Gen X'ers will never tell you that, they will just be impressed when you go against the grain of tech and be human and sincere. So hiding behind all of it is my point, behind it are the people who want a student to play on their nostalgia bone a bit and re-instill to them that students today still do really care about people, connecting, and being interested in what advice they, as experts, have for them.

You have that sledgehammer to break down that anti-human component; so break it down with your story and sincerity here in 2017.

So this whole struggle thing, is it real or very real? It is very real, for reasons that we feel in our bones the human component, the trust component, the relationship building, real relationship building component are all severely lacking which effect the invisible hiring trust curve out of college. In 2017, Smashing the struggle is defined as being real. As the struggle is real, it is defined as by being real too. It means putting in effort knowing that people care about you. You have to be telling your story of you that is real, calculated and with purpose. And being on that discovery campaign you are on to investigate with and through experts like them WHO DO CARE about you, and will help you when you connect with them on a human level. I swear with every fiber if you listen, you will be so far ahead, it is fact and no science test on data needs to validate that, ask anyone, it's still about people, always has been, and always will be, so smash data and tech with human.

So what is the little secret on connecting with people are you tell them you are college student, and enjoyed their profile along with your reason for calling with your campaign you are on? What's the secret? ... You have to do one amazing, magical, jaw dropping thing, It is something for some reason got away the past 10-12 years... and we can guess for a number of reasons why... are you ready.... The answer is just ask. Ask for direction and guidance in a calculated way that is planned, purpose driven, professional, and sincere with some key reminders. Those reminders are the nostalgia bone that you are a college student like they were who does not want to be left behind' and say it in very short concise rockstar messaging. No one will say no to you, at worst, you will get 'I don't have the time right now'. That means this thing called follow up and that blows them away (use reminder alerts in phone and SET IT).

The real struggle is sending resumes, writing cover letters, going on job boards, being at career fairs with 10,000 others, speaking to recruiters over and over and over for what, being almost as robotic as the Go-Bots, a transformers rip off. At least if you are going to be robotic, do a video and tell them who you are and why they should meet you with a call to action. That is the struggle today that is impersonal, robotic, and tech heavy. Don't get all wrapped up in it. Know it. Use it. Understand it. But remember take that sledgehammer of human connection and use it to smash the struggle.

For more info, you can go to: StudentSuccessU Linkedin group and see our launch on April 25th on iTunes with The Student Success Podcast to 578M listeners globally. For speaking on campuses, you can email us @ [email protected].