It was April 1977 in Istanbul, Turkey. I think, giving a background of those days might be helpful to understand my courage and commitment to make my move out of the comfort zone. I was twenty years old at the end of the March and a university student at METU (Middle East Technical University) in Ankara, studying Electrical Engineering. The school was closed down indefinitely during February as the result of student boycott extending the demand to change the rector, known as, for the people familiar with those days, Hasan Tan (the rector) boycott.
Back in Istanbul, I enjoyed my freedom away from the politicized days of METU for a while. Then the bare fact of being idle and useless at the age of twenty struck me. I had to do something at least work to be productive, learn the life experience while waiting for the school to be opened again. The reality of my grades during the last semester before the school closed down being awfully bad was another factor for my need to focus on having a job. If we were to go back to education, I would be failing the classes at that semester.
Anyhow, I thought of my situation and put down my strengths and weaknesses from a job opportunity perspective. I had a good language capability of English due to my studies at Robert College at high school level. Secondly, I managed to get through the inter-university exams to enter at METU Electrical Engineering, so I can put being a smart person at my strengths. A healthy, young, physically normal individual was another point. However, no job experience, other than the obligatory summer vocational trainings that I had to complete, was the weak part.
So, relying on the fact of my language capability and the approaching summer touristic season, I decided to start knocking on the doors of the tourism & travel agencies at cold-calls. In Istanbul, almost all of them were having their offices at those years on Elmadag Avenue. I got on the bus with a smart outfit and reached to Taksim square where Elmadag Avenue starts. After a couple of calls, not even managing to talk to anybody to explain my capabilities and willingness to work and contribute up to my utmost energy to their mission, I had a discouraged motive. I started wandering at Taksim Gezi park. Finally ended up in deeply demotivated mood on a bench overlooking at Mete Street, I had to review my speech and find a way to get their attention to listen to me.
I started thinking from their point of view. What do they expect from a person walking in to their office? Only one thing; to be a potential customer to buy a ticket, or a tour! So, that's what I have to do, in order to get the attention! Wow, I was impressed with my innovative approach for the new strategy! Now the question was how would I change the direction of the conversation to what I need, to ask for a job? Definitely, I should be asking for an out-going tour information and ask for the quality of the attention, care, and knowledge of the foreign lands that will be provided by the accompanying guide who will also be in charge of the tour. Then I should jump into the prospect for that job that actually fits me. This way my story would be completing the picture of a win-win formula. I would be able to go out with the tour abroad, they would be having a good tour guide to make the group happy!
Sounded good, attractive and exciting! I raised my head and saw the signboard of "Bosfor Tourism" right across the street.
Though it was noon time, lunch break, there was a young, tall and friendly looking man in there and nobody else! Good environment to try out my approach, I thought, moved out!
He welcomed me very friendly manner, that I had thought of. Of course, being a customer prospect, helped my situation to be welcomed there too. As he was explaining of the up coming summer bus tours to Europe, I jumped into my job request speech, a bit earlier that I had planned. He paused and waited for me to finish my hurried up long sentence that ended up as "I believe that I am the right for your tours as the tour guide". The more nervous I was getting, the calmer he asked "So, tell me why do you think you are the right fit?" I explained all my strengths that I had already listed in my head.
He listened and asked again "Not being abroad once in life, without considering even the route that we have for the tour, how would you believe that you could manage to take a really good care of the group?" That was the point that I had not listed on my weakness area, and caught awkwardly bad! He continued by changing the subject to METU "so tell me about your METU story and the closure of the school" I calmed down at a comfort area question that he asked. I had been very informative in explaining the case of the boycott. He told me that he was an graduate of METU, Business Administration Faculty. He said "you have the right attitude and willingness for the job that you don't know at all. I will talk with the other managers here and call you back. Give me a contact number, and don't worry we can make you ready for the task and teach you all about the job". What a relief, I had, by being not obliged to go back to the most difficult question he had asked previously! So, I gave my number and walked out!
Next day, he called back asking me to come to their office on Monday and start the job as the trainee for Tour Guide of Out-going tours. He said I had to work hard for two weeks to come to learn all about being one.
I had managed to get the job but the challenge was to be successful as I promised to him and to myself!
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