I am by trade a researcher. I’ve conducted research for award-winning documentaries, media agencies and for the heavy industrial industries.
Now, a researcher has to be patient. He has to believe that he will find an answer. An accountant knows his numbers and an engineer knows his machines.
But what does a researcher have? He has his tools. The best tools are simple, nimble and can be applied across a variety of subjects.
When I read Sean Cook’s Blog, Make a Career-Plan Mind-Map and Win An e-Book it got me thinking. What if I did this? What if I took one of my strengths and applied it to a new cause?
A Shift in Thinking
My approach to the mindmap was simple: it had to lay the foundation for success. A mindmap is a guide. It puts your job search in your hands. It gives you control.Your favorite pirate used a map to find his next great treasure. Your job is your next great treasure.
Look at the center of the mind-map. It’s exact: Landing the Job. That’s it. That’s my goal. Everything in this mind-map starts with the broad and gets very specific. I have a specific date. I have daily activities.
Maybe your goal is to uncover a target list of companies, find the names of hiring recruiters or discover your destination industry. Choose your target carefully. A thoughtful target will yield thoughtful results.
Atlanta based Johann Lohrmann is a research specialist with a passion for media. He is a German-American who speaks French. His love for media grew early, and by the time he was fourteen-years old he was writing for Children’s Express-an organization that teaches children how to write, interview, and research. There he interviewed sports heroes and politicians. In his senior year of high school, he produced his first short, An Era of Civil Rights. Later, he would write, direct, and produce documentaries for a PBS affiliate, serve as a media planner and research consultant to media companies, and conduct research throughout Belgium, France, Canada and the United States. Lohrmann was recently nominated for an Emmy for his documentary, How I Survived World War II. It explored how soldiers, children and those who lived and served during World War II survived. His work has appeared on PBS, BET, TimeWarner and online. He recently finished production on the award-winning documentary, Where Wealth Lives: An Exploration of the African-American Economic Experience. It has been green-lighted for national release on PBS. He currently serves as Director of Research & Development for Noodlehead Studios. Johann graduated in 2010 with a BA in Communications, summa cum laude from Ashford University.
For more information about mind-mapping, visit Mark Dykeman’s blog, Thoughtwrestling, or buy his e-book, Unstuck, Focused and Organized (affiliate link)
