Introduction
Bamboo, the fastest-growing plant on earth, takes five years to grow. It requires watering and fertilization, and throughout this time, nothing seems to happen. After five years, the bamboo suddenly breaks through the ground and grows 90 feet tall in just five weeks.
So, did the bamboo grow 90 feet in five years or five weeks?
Landing job offers in five days is akin to growing bamboo. It takes five years to nurture your seed before reaching the point of securing job offers in five days. Every overnight success was a decade in the making.
If you're the type of person who can commit to an action plan without seeing visible results for potentially years, then you possess what it takes to follow the strategies I've outlined in this book.
How can you tell if that's you?
It's straightforward. If you recognize yourself in the following mindsets, it's likely you'll remain motivated and progress toward your goals, regardless of setbacks.
This book is right for you if you're willing to do whatever it takes to have an extraordinary career—not just a good one—an extraordinary career in which you earn lots of money doing what you love. Individuals motivated primarily by money do not end up with extraordinary careers. Money can only incentivize us up to a certain point. Once our financial needs are met, we become complacent. We stop pursuing further because additional work seems to offer marginal benefit. People who truly succeed cannot imagine doing anything else with their lives. We must pursue a career we love. We must refuse to compromise or quit until we succeed.
This book is right for you if you aspire to become a leader in your field. You'll instinctively know whether that's the case. God provides us with visions of what the future could be and plants in our hearts the desire to serve humanity. We often experience a strong calling to do something and feel we must answer the call, or else. He has given every single one of us certain gifts. They are called gifts for a reason: we must share our gifts with others. It is in serving others that God provides us unbelievable opportunities. In an already crowded world, our gifts will make room for us. If you're unsure of your divine calling, I encourage you to download the Finding Your Calling: A Career Self-Discovery Worksheet at annieyangfinancial.com/calling. It's designed to guide you in unveiling your unique gifts and potential career path.
If you haven't discovered your calling yet, that's fine. This book is still right for you. If you constantly feel as if you've forgotten something crucial, this book is for you. When I was still discovering my calling, I experienced that feeling constantly—as if I had lost something essential. It nagged at me, and I couldn't rest until I found it. I tried numerous personality and career aptitude tests, read various books, and enrolled in courses claiming to help me find my passion. None of them worked. My calling was already within me; I merely needed to peel it layer by layer to discover its core. Once I found it, I had to accept and embrace it.
Lastly, this book is right for you if you're ready for everything in your life to change. Each year will look entirely different from the previous one. The reality is, not everyone can handle such changes, even if they are positive. I underwent at least one major transformation annually, be it leaving a toxic relationship, getting a new job, enrolling in a new course, getting married, moving to a different city, or buying a new home. My life changed so often and so dramatically that I faced several identity crises. Who is Annie Yang? Just as I thought I had defined myself by my job, residence, or relationship with someone else, everything would change again, and I was on the verge of breaking. I couldn't create an identity based on my ever-changing circumstances.
Who you are today is not who you will be tomorrow. You possess the power to change! We are not defined by our circumstances. It doesn't matter where you started in life. There are countless stories of people who went from rags to riches, and stories of people born with a silver spoon in their mouths who lost it all.
It only matters where you're heading. It's crucial to have a crystal clear answer to the question, "What do you want to do?" Many people can answer the question with what they don't want. There could be a million things you don't want. You need to answer this question with the things you do want. It needs to be so clear and visible in your mind that you feel as though you're already living that future in the present moment.
It doesn't matter where you are now. It doesn't matter your age either. Often, people cite "being too old" as a seemingly valid excuse for why they aren’t capable of success. When we're young, we think we're not old enough. When we're older, we believe we're not young enough. In reality, the best time to start is now.
I've been encouraging my husband, a tenor, to pursue opera as a career. At 35, he is older than most successful singers in the industry, who typically start before age 30. Tenors generally begin their careers in their 20s, quit at 30 if unsuccessful, and change careers. My husband uses this as the number one reason why he can't succeed. However, since those tenors quit before finding success, it's impossible to determine if one might have achieved overnight success at age 38 if they had persevered for another eight years.
Understand that everything will come to fruition in God's time—not according to the arbitrary deadline you set for when you want things to materialize. Those tenors decided the cutoff age was 30. You can't rush God. Do your absolute best in everything you undertake and then step back, allowing God to work his magic. God uses ordinary people in extraordinary ways to demonstrate and inspire within us what's possible.
Take, for instance, Ke Huy Quan, who portrayed the male lead, Waymond Wang, in Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022). As a child star, he appeared in Indiana Jones and The Goonies during the 1980s. With limited acting opportunities for Asians in the 1990s and 2000s, Quan left acting in his 20s. He attended film school and focused on working behind the camera. Only after witnessing the tremendous success of Crazy Rich Asians (2018) did he feel compelled to join the action. At 50, he auditioned for Everything Everywhere All At Once, ultimately winning the 2023 Golden Globe Award and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture. After a 38-year hiatus, he made an astonishing comeback. Quan's story inspired my husband to consider the possibilities if he pursued a singing career in his 30s. Living small impacts no one; we must chase our dreams. When ordinary people achieve success, it prompts others to question their own potential.
I experience the same struggles as everyone else. I started learning piano at 26—my parents never allowed me to take lessons as a child—and for a long time, I looked for names of professional pianists who began learning in their 20s. I couldn't find any. I was looking for the answer on the outside and realized I would have to wait and see for myself my own abilities after 10,000 hours of practice. If I couldn't find an adult example, I would have to step up and become that example. The same principle applies to you. If you can't find a role model, forge your own path and become the role model for others.
Now, let's discuss who this book isn't for:
If you look for fast and easy shortcuts or tend to fall for get-rich-quick schemes, this book isn't for you.
If you find comfort in the idea of staying in the same job for life, this book isn't for you.
If you believe trying new things is risky, this book isn't for you.
If you're unwilling to relinquish the belief that you're entitled to opportunities due to a prestigious degree, this book isn't for you.
If you've justified staying in an undesirable job due to high salaries, health insurance benefits, pensions, or work-life balance, this book isn't for you either.
If you're not prepared to dedicate a minimum of one hour per day to self-improvement, this book isn't for you.
Lastly, if you're not open to challenging the societal paradigm conditioned into you since birth, this book isn't for you.
This book may not be a right fit for eighty percent of the population. Not everyone wants my help, and I don't need to assist everyone.
I aim to help the remaining twenty percent of the population who would be receptive to the ideas presented in this book. Even then, not everyone will act on the information. Why? I spent years contemplating the answer and realized that it was counterproductive to expend energy trying to figure it out. I've come to accept that many people are interested in the idea of achieving success but don't genuinely want it for themselves. They wish for success to be handed to them on a silver platter, reaping the benefits without paying the price. The price isn't money; it's time and energy.
I once believed that if financially struggling individuals had access to the right information and personalized assistance, they could break the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck. Assuming they couldn’t afford personalized financial advice, I offered free one-on-one help, no strings attached. I wanted to hold people accountable and help them in developing good financial habits by calling them every night for five-minute check-ins, ensuring they tracked their daily expenses. I genuinely cared about them.
While many people were drawn to the prospect of paying their bills on time, becoming debt-free, and having money saved up, they would often vanish by the third-day check-in. Despite numerous calls for several days, they never responded. I couldn't comprehend why.
One man claimed he was desperate to straighten out his finances and was "willing to do anything." We agreed to meet at his apartment on a Sunday at 6:00 pm for our first session. I confirmed with him three times that I was going to meet him on Sunday at 6:00 pm. Three times, he confirmed, "Yes." I showed up and found myself in the middle of his brother's birthday party! After waiting for 30 minutes, I asked when our financial coaching session would start. It turned out he hadn't even collected his bank and credit card statements for me to review and create a plan.
Don't people want to have lots of money and never worry about money again?
That's what they say.
The fact is, they don't.
Don't mistake interest for commitment.
Approximately five percent of readers will apply the knowledge from this book, but only partially. A mere one percent will fully commit to the action plan, going all the way, and become highly successful.
For those willing to commit, the first part of this book, Possibility, will be crucial in your journey. In the first part, Possibility, I discuss the importance of adopting the right mindset. By sharing my experiences and insights, I aim to help you establish a solid foundation for success. I will cover topics such as strategy, intuition, declaration, determination, courage, faith, and more. These traits will transform you into a highly sought-after job candidate, making employers eager to hire you, even without the conventional qualifications or experience. In fact, companies will compete to recruit you before their rivals do.
In the second part, Preparation, you will learn how to develop yourself to the point of securing a job offer within five days. From building your personal brand, crafting a professional email signature, optimizing your LinkedIn profile, and getting a professional headshot, I will cover everything needed to impress potential employers.
Lastly, in the third part, Opportunity, we explore the art of applying for jobs. I will provide practical tips on crafting a winning resume, preparing for interviews, acing interviews, and dealing with rejection. With the average career spanning fifty years, long-term thinking and planning are crucial for a rewarding journey. When you receive multiple job offers—which you undoubtedly will—you'll have the wisdom and discernment to know which opportunity to accept in order to make your big dreams a reality.
If you've determined that this book is right for you, commit fully. My advice works. I'm not asking you to do anything I haven't tried and done myself. The problem is not my advice. The problem lies in people reading books without applying the knowledge. Reading alone is not enough; you must read and apply, and then read more and apply. Don't claim you've "tried everything" when, in reality, you've only attempted a few ideas. I've never met someone who said they tried 1,000 different things like Thomas Edison did. You must follow my system in its entirety in order to achieve the desired results.
Now, if you're looking to achieve some rapid progress in your job search, we've got you covered. For those seeking quick wins, the advice in the following chapters will significantly expedite your job search:
· Chapter 15: Curating Your Online Narrative With Your Full Name
· Chapter 16: Creating a Lasting First Impression With a Professional Headshot
· Chapter 18: Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile to Maximize Interview Requests
· Chapter 22: Expanding Your Network With a Professional Email Signature
· Chapter 25: Presenting Your Best Self in Every Situation
· Chapter 26: Enhancing Virtual Meetings With Realistic and Stylish Zoom Backgrounds
· Chapter 42: Crafting Attention-Grabbing Resumes That Reach Hiring Managers
· Chapter 43: Boosting Your Interview Chances by Applying to 50 Jobs Daily
· Chapter 44: Researching Companies to Tailor Your Interview Strategy
· Chapter 45: Mastering Fearless Salary Negotiation for the Best Offer
· Chapter 46: Harnessing Personal Power to Boost Interview Performance
· Chapter 47: Projecting Confidence to Increase Interview Success Rates
· Chapter 48: Evaluating Job Offers Beyond the Salary
Now, let's shift our focus to those who are committed to a more strategic approach. For those willing to play the long game, be prepared for an incredible journey. This book covers everything I've learned over the past decade. The content is comprehensive and thorough, spanning 49 chapters. It took me five years to reach the point of landing a job offer in less than a week, and another five years to consistently replicate this result. Fortunately, you can achieve the same results in just three years by following this system, which I had to develop through trial and error.
My progress was slow due to my low income, making it difficult to afford online courses and professional coaches. I had to save consistently for months. Then when I finally had the money, I was too scared to spend it! It was a real challenge for me to overcome the fear of spending my hard-earned money on information that might not work. Thankfully, this book is accessible even to low-income earners.
Though the plans outlined in this book may seem overwhelming, you can tackle this step by step. After all, the fastest way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. Aim to consistently take two action steps per month. Some steps might take an hour, while others may require weeks. By being consistent, you'll average 24 action steps per year, and in five years, you'll be amazed at your progress.
To adhere to this plan, restructure your life around your goals. Evaluate your current obligations and commitments, dropping those that don't align with your objectives. Set aside two hours each day to implement the strategies in this book, ensuring no other commitments interfere.
Consider my current dedication to learning piano as an adult beginner: I restructured my life around this commitment to pave the way for my success. I don't allow clients to schedule meetings with me on Thursdays, ensuring my piano teacher has the entire day available if she needs to reschedule the lesson for earlier or later in the day. Additionally, I refrain from answering work calls and emails, helping me stay relaxed and focused for my lessons. I carefully plan all my travels around my Thursday piano lessons and attend piano performance seminars at the New England Conservatory every Friday. To further my progress, I practice piano for two hours daily and maintain a time diary to hold myself accountable.
This level of dedication serves as an example of what is required to land a job offer in five days. I have applied the same level of dedication toward advancing my career for years. Most readers will realize the amount of work involved and decide it's not worth it. However, for the one percent who believe it's worth the effort, I assure you it will be life-changing.
