Failure is really the key to success.

In this episode of Competencies without a Classroom podcast, we interview Austin Belcak, founder of Cultivated Culture and Director of Partner Development in advertising at Microsoft. Listen and learn:

• What separates two identical resumes when Austin is hiring for a role
• What is Austin's #StrongOpinionLooselyHeld
• What Austin would choose to write on a billboard, if he could write any one thing

Missed the last episode? Listen to the interview with filmmaker Rob Comeau and have students reflect.

Reflection Prompts for Your Students

Use the prompts below to have your students reflect on what they heard in the episode and consider how Austin's advice can be applied to them.

1. 1. Consider what Austin says about writing out the worst-case scenario of something that scares him. Do you agree with this approach? Why or why not?
   2. Think about something related to your future that you're scared to do/try. Write down the worst-case outcome of doing this thing. What is it? Is it worth not doing/trying that thing?
   3. Consider what Austin says about selling versus summarizing on one's resume. Why do you think this is an important way to present oneself when applying for a job? How could you change your resume to sell versus summarize?
   4. Austin shares that perseverance is an important skill when working towards a job (or anything) you want. Share a time that you perservered. What did you learn from this experience?

Bite-Sized Video Clips

If you're running short on time, or just want to play a snippet for your class or colleagues, the bite-sized videos below are perfect for sharing.

• Copywriting (1:15)
• Get Started (1:19)
• Cultivated Culture (0:38)
• The Transition to Cultivated Culture (1:34)
• A System for Job Seekers (1:48)
• Action Bias (0:17)
• A Tip for Job Seekers (2:09)
• Double Nope Rule (0:51)
• IQ vs. EQ (1:03)
• Failure (1:53)
• Mistakes, Failure, and Lessons (1:57)
• Fear Setting (1:16)
• Expectations and Frustrations (1:00)
• Narrowing the Scope (1:20)
• Summarizing vs. Selling (2:45)

Learn More About Austin

I’m Austin Belcak, founder of Cultivated Culture, and I help people land jobs without applying online.

I am the luckiest person on the planet.

But that wasn’t always the case. A few years ago, I was making close to nothing at a job I hated in a small Southern town. I was putting 1,500 miles on my car a week, could barely afford to eat Ramen for breakfast, and was swimming in over $10,000 of credit card debt.

I knew I was worth more than that, and every night I dreamed of the life I wanted. A job I loved that paid me what I was worth, an apartment in New York City, exotic trips overseas. Then, one day, I decided to make those dreams my reality.

Over the next year, I spent my waking hours improving my skill set and applying to any and every job I could find. Soon, I was interviewing with companies like Google, Uber, and Twitter.

The past two years, and over 50 interviews, allowed me to perfect the process of finding a job – not just any job – but THE job.

Now I want to show you how to do the same.

Other Resources Shared in This Episode

• Cultivated Culture (Austin's company)
• The 4-Hour Workweek
• Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
• Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade
• Scientific Advertising
• The Adweek Copywriting Handbook

How You Can Help Out

• Tell a friend or colleague about the podcast
• Use the hashtag #CompetenciesPodcast on Twitter (tag us @spaces_edu)
• Subscribe to our YouTube channel
• Submit a question you want answered on the podcast