Enjoy the Meaning of the Season

Lot’s of folks have taken temp jobs with retailers who have added staff for the Holiday shopping season. It’s much like the saying, “Strike while the fire is hot.” Or, “Make hay while the sun shines.”  A few of my clients tell me that they are really happy for the opportunity to work and get a paycheck. But... they expect that after Christmas their jobs will probably go away.

Yet, I have one client that knows the score and how these jobs come and go, however, she is working as though she is on a 6 to 8 week long interview. She’s “working her butt off” and doing everything she can to do to ingratiate herself on the managers. She looking for this to turn into a full-time gig. She knows that her chances are slim, but she also knows that stores often invite the best of the “Holiday Temps” to stay on.

She reminded me that it’s more than just working hard. I point out to job seekers that a hiring manager will often choose one candidate over the other folks because they like that person better and see them fitting better into their team. This is really true, so if you have a “temp job” this year, think of it as a very long interview where you can prove you value.

Still, just having a job, even a temp job, is like getting a Christmas present. Christmas presents under the tree will be a common site in most households. But the holidays aren’t only about the gifts. The holidays give us an opportunity to stop and think about our blessings.

It doesn’t matter if it is Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa that you’re celebrating, we need to step out of our everyday lives and experience the meaning of the Season. This is a gift that you can give yourself, regardless of the balance of your check book.

For this year, may you have a blessed holiday. May you wake up in the morning and find that you’ve received a special present under the tree. May you have a fire in your hearth that warms you and your heart. And may you know that you are special, loved and important to our community and the whole world.

Christmas 2010 filled with hope

Christmas is in the air and have you noticed how warm and kind people are in the stores? I was at the movies tonight with my daughter and there was a traffic jam exiting the Mall at 10:15 PM. This is a lot different than just a year ago.  There seems to a sense of hope for the future. My wish is that you’ll experience the peace and hope of the Christmas Season. And may the new year be filled with success and prosperity.

I have worked with over 200 people this year. Many of the folks I coached, trained or presented to were motivated and invigorated in the hope of an improving economy. And a good number of my clients who had been in transition for over a year landed a full time jobs. They did that with some new tools, hard work and a commitment to working their network. They quickly found that the more they called their contacts and asked for help and support in their job search the more interviews they were getting. 

Making the calls

It’s easy to say it’s a numbers game... it’s hard to move out of your comfort zone, learn new skills, practice phone and networking scripts and ask for help. They tell me that it’s even harder to accept people’s help when you have nothing in return. But with me in their corner, cheering them on, they made the phone calls, got the meetings, did well in the interviews and landed the job.

This November I was privileged to give the Keynote Speech, which was an inspirational talk to the Career Stimulus Program’s 150 attendees. For weeks afterward, I ran into people who told me how motivated they were by the talk. They emailed me with accounts of how it gave them courage to carry on and trust in a higher power. As I said at the end of the presentation, I cannot guarantee when, but each one of your will find a job, if you trust in your God, your friends and family and most importantly, have faith in yourself.

Have a Merry Christmas and may the blessings of the Christ Child fill your heart, your home and your future. Happy 2011