What Is Your WAK?

Get WAK’ed!



What the heck is that? It’s an acronym for "Walking Around Knowledge". Still wondering what this is about?



With the economy still obviously in a recovery stage (despite the government telling us that the worst is over) many of us are still looking for a future. Unemployment is high, money is tight and trying to find a job with this much competition can be an uphill battle. That is why it is so important to "know what you know" to give you a lift above the others.



How much "WAK" do you possess and how can it help you?

Her are some questions to get you started rethinking what you actually know: How well do you know your industry? Do you have specialized knowledge that only comes with experience? Are you an avid reader or researcher? These all make a difference to your employability in this brave new world.



I remember a conversation that I had with a co-worker when I was leaving, yet another, "Government Job for Life". Downsizing had reared its head and many of us decided to take the opportunity to leave with a package. We were talking about the quality of people who had decided to leave when I asked him, ‘How much walking around knowledge is going out the door with no plan to replace it?" He laughed and said, "Management is too young to know what that even means!" And we both laughed some more. But it was a statement that rang true, and it was a hard time for the remaining people to get through. The reality is that life goes on and nobody is irreplaceable! They got over it!



WAK is only gained through time, education and experience. There is no other way to get it. So how much do you have?



Take some time to think about all of the knowledge that you have gained, both formally and informally. Have you ever read, Sun Tzu’s, The Art of War? Or is that just a movie title to you? How about "Lost Symbols" or do you opt instead for the sports page? Do you have sports statistics down to the point where you can sprout names and numbers with accuracy? Who was the President during World War II? Can you text like a twenty year old? Does LMAO actually translate to anything? What’s a Snookie? Do you watch, "Are you smarter than a 5th grader" or "Jeopardy"? All of these things go into our WAK and conversely go into what we can offer employers.



Do you think that top performing people are watching "Jersey Shore"? Of course not! It is childish beyond belief for those of us who can spot childishness, but to be fair, that takes some WAK! Use time to enrich yourself and increase your WAK. If you like to watch T.V., choose a show that you can learn from. If you like to read then choose a book that has information that you can use. Love stories and crime stories are fine to relax and enjoy, but if that is your limit, it’s time to expand your brain.



Try to learn something new everyday and relate it to something meaningful so that you can recall it later. This is particularly useful when conversing with potential employers about everyday issues that may endear you to them. Look around the work environment notice personal things or the lack of them. These are indicators of the type of environment that you may be entering. If you see pictures of a personal nature, it may mean that there is an emphasis of family values. If everything is only work related this may indicate a less personality based work place.



If it is a family values workplace then you can feel free to mention the beautiful kids and talk about yours, or you may see a book by an author that you have read, which can lead into a conversation making you more memorable than other candidates. If you only see work related postings, the last thing you want to do is stand out from the crowd by talking about your dog and cat, so keep it professional.



WAK will help you determine which way to go. Everywhere you go WAK goes with you! That’s why it’s called "Walking Around Knowledge"; it’s always ready when you are! The more WAK you have the more comfortable you will be in any situation, especially if you know when to relate information and when to simply listen.



Get WAK’ed and impress future employers with your overall intelligence, demeanor and general "WALKING AROUND KNOWLEDGE"…Don’t leave home without it!



It makes you rise above the masses!