Become the bullfighter, defeat your bull, and be like JFK

I was interviewed by City Sylvester the other day,  and one question asked me to talk about a favorite quote of mine that could be helpful for job seekers.  Right away, a quote that I had read in Sam Sheridan’s “A Fighter’s Heart” stung clear in my head.

Bullfight critics, ranked in rows
Crowd the enormous plaza full.
But only one is there who knows,
And he’s the man who fights the bull

Sam Sheridan had read a book about John F. Kennedy that claimed he walked around everyday with that anonymous poem tucked inside his wallet.  Maybe Sam Sheridan and I are alone here, but this poem is absolutely outstanding.

When broken down, it’s meaning and overall theme points to confidence and believing in yourself.  While job seekers will find great value in these words, I love this quote because pretty much everyone can find it to be insightful.  Here’s a deeper look into how a job seeker should view the poem.

Success in interviewing and your career has a lot to do with your own view of yourself.  While you might have more experience than most of your competition, if you don’t bring confidence, assertiveness, and a little bit of swagger to the interview, you’re chances of success drop significantly.

You need to be the one who “knows”.  You need to be the bullfighter.  When you are unsure of yourself and lack confidence, it makes it easy for the bull to take you for a long and bumpy ride.

And don’t worry about your critics.  They will always be present, and it’s their job to doubt you until the end.  Bottom line is, if you “know” you’ve got what it takes, then they’ll eventually “know” too.

Are there any quotes that you’d consider keeping in your wallet like JFK did?

Who’s winning your fight right now.  The bull or the bullfighter?