You’re a pharma or device marketer. You read PM360 and other publications and blogs to keep up on what’s happening in the field. I’m a career coach. I do the same. I visit career websites and subscribe to several success blogs. The other day, I came across an interesting quote, “Go the extra mile. It’s never crowded.”
I teach in the business school at the University of Denver. Olivia is a student who is doing an independent study with me based on her internship with the Denver Broncos. Olivia’s internship involves event management. While it’s a great learning experience and looks good on a resume, it involves a lot of grunt work—like setting up and tearing down displays. The Broncos hold events almost every week. Interns can sign up for as many as they want. Olivia signs up to work all of them. And it’s paid off for her.
Pro-football training camp is a busy time for NFL team marketers. The Broncos, like every other team, have open training camp sessions where fans can get an up-close look at their favorite players. The Broncos, like every other team, have corporate sponsors. Corporate sponsor executives get invited to observe training camp from the Corporate Sponsor VIP room. There are 22 of days of training camp and just one intern is selected to host and manage the VIP room. It’s a big deal to be selected as the intern who does this job.
Your Work Ethos Attracts Attention
The Broncos choose the intern who will host and manage the Corporate Sponsor VIP room—by observation. They watch how often interns show up, how hard they work, how well they get along with other interns and Broncos’ staff—and select the one who has gone the extra mile. This year Olivia was selected. I’m proud of her. She’s proof that going that extra mile pays off.
And there is a common-sense career success point here. If you think that no one is watching, you’re wrong. Managers and executives are always watching for the next up and comer in their organization. You can become that person by going the extra mile, putting in the extra effort that sets you apart from your colleagues. Take a few minutes right now. Think about what you can do to show that you go the extra mile. Then start doing just that.
