Twenty years late: Thank you…

Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life. – Steve Jobs

I remember this clearly.  It was a few years ago.  I was in Philadelphia for NAFCU’s Management and Leadership Institute.  As I looked out the 33rd floor window at the city skyline, a buried memory rushed to the surface. I worked in Philadelphia in the summer of 1993.  I lived with my cousin Sean, and we spent our nights exploring the city and rooting on the Phils.

That’s where I worked in 1993.

I wrote for my college newspaper, and I thought I was a fantastic writer.   So I was attracted to one job opening in particular – a “gopher” position inside a Philadelphia publishing house.  I pulled out a resume and pounded out a cover letter.

A few days later, they called to set up an interview.  On the big day, I had a fantastic visit. The job would be perfect. Many of the tasks would be basic, but if I stuck it out, there’d be press releases I could write. Plus I could sit quietly in staff meetings and soak it all in. I was excited.

As the interview neared its end, the gentleman pulled out my resume and my cover letter.  As he turned them around, my heart dropped. I clearly saw three typos circled on my cover letter. 

“Anthony, you’re a great kid. But we’re in the writing business. There’s no way we can hire someone with three typos in their cover letter.  I’m hoping that someday, you’ll thank me.”

I was embarrassed.  And a bit angry.  Why would someone bring me down and put me through a complete interview only to let me know that I never had the job.

Fast forward 20-some years.  As I looked out that window high above Philadelphia, I realized the man was a champ. He took the time to teach me some very important lessons. You get one chance to make a first impression.  Your words represent you. I remember that day clearly, and how I felt as I took the elevator down to the street.

I wonder if he ever thinks about what he did.  In any event, I apologize for the tardiness.

Wherever you are…many thanks.