This year I've learned a lot, like who are my really good friends, who I can count on and how to be accountable in return, and how to survive a layoff and find a new job. I've always known that I had enough stuff, but as I cleaned out my basement in September and assessed my surroundings I realized I had more than enough. I've been rethinking stuff in general over the last few years and with the holiday season now in full swing, this is a good time to focus on gift giving and what makes sense for family and friends.
When my two oldest nephews were young they were gifted with a lot of family who gave them a lot of presents on Christmas and Birthdays. One Christmas I remember thinking that they had so much stuff they couldn't see straight and they had no idea who gave them what. I didn't want a present I'd put a lot of thought in to just be thrown on a pile and forgotten about. I didn't want to be known as the Aunt who just handed out presents. At that moment I decided that I wouldn't spend money on toys for them anymore, instead I'd spend time.
Time is a limited resource. It will never be replenished and its the most precious gift that we can give. My oldest nephew was turning four and he and his Mom and Dad would be in town for Christmas. His gift was a sleepover at my house with a movie and popcorn and the next day we drove to Liberty Mountain, took a ski lesson and spent the day outside skiing and having a great time. Since then our adventures have included a day in DC visiting the Spy Museum and China Town, movie nights and adventure parks and when he was twelve, a road trip in California. I've done the same for his younger brother. It's meant lasting memories that we fondly talk about when we're together. They're older now and more interested in spending time with their friends than hanging out with their Aunt, but we have those moments together that I hold close in my heart and I know they do too.
My Mom and Dad are challenging to buy gifts for and have been for a while. They're in their early 80s and they don't need anything. Which I think is true for most people who are lucky enough to have a good job and food on the table no matter what your age. I also stopped buying them regular gifts and started purchasing tickets instead. Tickets to a Christmas concert to hear the Canadian Brass, a subscription to Toby's Dinner Theater and dinner at a favorite restaurant are at the top of the list of gifts that I've given them. We're lucky to have such high quality, entertaining productions coming out of Toby's and it's so family friendly - for both young kids and seniors - that we go at least once every year. My first theater experience as a young child was seeing Guys and Dolls at Toby's for my birthday and it's something I remember to this day.
Spending time as a gift doesn't have to be expensive and there are so many ways to do it. From sitting down to read to a small child, cooking holiday recipes in the kitchen together to driving around to see Christmas lights, there are so many ways to give the gift of time. A hike in a nearby park with friends and pets, an afternoon at the movies or hosting a holiday party - these are the things people will remember for years with a smile on their face.
Volunteering is one of the best ways to make a difference for those who might not be as lucky as you and it's another thing you can do with friends and family. Remember that at this time of year there are plenty of volunteers, but once the holidays are over is when a lot of non-profits can really use the help. If you check out Volunteer Match they can help you find a good opportunity that aligns with your interests.
No matter what you decide to give as presents though, don't forget yourself. Give yourself the gift of your time to do something you've been thinking about for a long time. Even if it's just getting a good night's sleep, you're important too and no less deserving of your time than anyone else.
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Friday, October 25, 2019
What Real Help Looks Like to a Job Searcher
From my last post you know that my job was eliminated in January of this year. Now that I'm fully employed again I want to share what it means to really help someone who is looking for a job - whether they've been let go or are fully employed and searching out new opportunities. The reason I want to share is because while today you may enjoy full employment, you may one day need this kind of help. Helping others in their search is the best way to help yourself.
Most important, don't ask someone who has been let go how their job search is going. When you're busy looking for a job you have no idea how it's going until you actually land an interview and then get a job offer. Until that happens all you know is you're doing what you've been told works and keeping at it until something happens. It's a lot like fishing and when you're out there everyday and not getting any bites it gets stressful. Instead, ask them how you can help and then be prepared to follow through with that help.
One of my favorite people and a good friend said "I can't wait to help you!" when she found out about my job loss. We would meet for lunch every couple of weeks and I'd talk about what I was doing, who I'd networked with, and where I'd submitted resumes. She gave me my first real opportunity with another friend of hers who had an opening that was a good fit for me. She would ask me questions "Did you follow up with...." and "Have you talked to....". I really looked forward to meeting up with her and now that I have a job I miss our meetups!
Another friend messaged me on Facebook with a job opening at his company. This was super helpful and I really appreciated it. I wasn't a good match for the job but he was actively keeping an eye out at his company for opportunities, and probably not just for me, but for all of his friends looking for a job.
To be the most helpful you need to keep an eye out for the opportunities available at the company where you work. Are they a good match for your friend(s) who is looking? If there's an opportunity, do you know the hiring manager? Do you know the internal HR Recruiter? Can you find out the salary range for the opportunity? If your friend wants to pursue this opportunity are you willing to walk their resume to these people and put in a good word for them? Several years ago I had a contractor working for me who wanted a permanent position. I didn't have an immediate opening in my department and I felt this person was too good to see her walk out the door. I had seen a job on the company career site in another area that was a great match for her. She was definitely interested and after finding out all of the information and sharing with her, she decided to apply. I emailed the hiring manager with a letter of recommendation and attached her resume. She got the job and a large part of that was just getting her in front of the hiring manager so she could showcase her skills.
The most challenging part of job searching is getting a human being to physically look at your resume. When you apply for a job on a company website these days its going through an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) and a program using an algorithm is sorting through the resumes submitted matching key words from the job description to them. If you haven't done a good job tailoring your resume for that job you aren't going to come up as a match for the position and you're not going to get an interview let alone a call. That's why it matters who you know.
The next thing you can do to help someone searching for a job is to think of all the people you know and where they work. The job searcher might be looking at a job at a particular company and you know someone there who can help get their resume in front of the hiring manager. Arranging introductions to who you know is extremely helpful. I introduce people using multiple methods - the messaging features on LinkedIn and Facebook help with people you might not run into or talk to all that often. I reach out and ask if I can introduce them and if they say yes I send a message to both folks with the introduction. Then the job searcher and the contact can figure out how to meet up and share information. This is a mini-interview for the job searcher because they're now asking a new acquaintance to clear a path to the hiring manager.
The job searcher has to do their part of course - getting their resume together, actively searching company websites for current opportunities, and then following through on meetups when they've been introduced, but you are one of their best resources in the job search. They need your help.
If you're the person who has just been introduced to a job searcher, you've been given the opportunity to pay it forward for any help you've had in previous or current job searches. You can make a huge difference for someone in the job hunt and now that you know them, do all the things I just described above.
Most important, don't ask someone who has been let go how their job search is going. When you're busy looking for a job you have no idea how it's going until you actually land an interview and then get a job offer. Until that happens all you know is you're doing what you've been told works and keeping at it until something happens. It's a lot like fishing and when you're out there everyday and not getting any bites it gets stressful. Instead, ask them how you can help and then be prepared to follow through with that help.
One of my favorite people and a good friend said "I can't wait to help you!" when she found out about my job loss. We would meet for lunch every couple of weeks and I'd talk about what I was doing, who I'd networked with, and where I'd submitted resumes. She gave me my first real opportunity with another friend of hers who had an opening that was a good fit for me. She would ask me questions "Did you follow up with...." and "Have you talked to....". I really looked forward to meeting up with her and now that I have a job I miss our meetups!
Another friend messaged me on Facebook with a job opening at his company. This was super helpful and I really appreciated it. I wasn't a good match for the job but he was actively keeping an eye out at his company for opportunities, and probably not just for me, but for all of his friends looking for a job.
To be the most helpful you need to keep an eye out for the opportunities available at the company where you work. Are they a good match for your friend(s) who is looking? If there's an opportunity, do you know the hiring manager? Do you know the internal HR Recruiter? Can you find out the salary range for the opportunity? If your friend wants to pursue this opportunity are you willing to walk their resume to these people and put in a good word for them? Several years ago I had a contractor working for me who wanted a permanent position. I didn't have an immediate opening in my department and I felt this person was too good to see her walk out the door. I had seen a job on the company career site in another area that was a great match for her. She was definitely interested and after finding out all of the information and sharing with her, she decided to apply. I emailed the hiring manager with a letter of recommendation and attached her resume. She got the job and a large part of that was just getting her in front of the hiring manager so she could showcase her skills.
The most challenging part of job searching is getting a human being to physically look at your resume. When you apply for a job on a company website these days its going through an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) and a program using an algorithm is sorting through the resumes submitted matching key words from the job description to them. If you haven't done a good job tailoring your resume for that job you aren't going to come up as a match for the position and you're not going to get an interview let alone a call. That's why it matters who you know.
The next thing you can do to help someone searching for a job is to think of all the people you know and where they work. The job searcher might be looking at a job at a particular company and you know someone there who can help get their resume in front of the hiring manager. Arranging introductions to who you know is extremely helpful. I introduce people using multiple methods - the messaging features on LinkedIn and Facebook help with people you might not run into or talk to all that often. I reach out and ask if I can introduce them and if they say yes I send a message to both folks with the introduction. Then the job searcher and the contact can figure out how to meet up and share information. This is a mini-interview for the job searcher because they're now asking a new acquaintance to clear a path to the hiring manager.
The job searcher has to do their part of course - getting their resume together, actively searching company websites for current opportunities, and then following through on meetups when they've been introduced, but you are one of their best resources in the job search. They need your help.
If you're the person who has just been introduced to a job searcher, you've been given the opportunity to pay it forward for any help you've had in previous or current job searches. You can make a huge difference for someone in the job hunt and now that you know them, do all the things I just described above.
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
My Job Was Eliminated And I'm Fine
Last December I wrote a post about potentially being involved in a lay-off at my company. Well the band-aid was ripped off in January when my job was eliminated. I've been having a really interesting year since it happened and I've been writing about it, but I haven't been ready to post publicly. The good news is I have a job. I'm also working with some friends who were let go on the same day I was and we're thinking of putting our experience in to a book. We think people might find it helpful.
What I want you to know though is if your job is eliminated don't go through it all by yourself. Reach out to your family and friends and tell everyone what's happened. You will need their help and the help of many more people as you figure out "Now what?". That includes me. I will help anybody. I've been there and I will help.
I haven't given up on blogging, I just have to figure out how to mix it back in with everything else I'm trying to do these days.
What I want you to know though is if your job is eliminated don't go through it all by yourself. Reach out to your family and friends and tell everyone what's happened. You will need their help and the help of many more people as you figure out "Now what?". That includes me. I will help anybody. I've been there and I will help.
I haven't given up on blogging, I just have to figure out how to mix it back in with everything else I'm trying to do these days.
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