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.

Mother's and Everyone Time To Toot Your Horns

Tooting your own horn does not come easily to people. I am pretty sure that it is even harder for most women than it is for men. I have no data to back this up with but I think most people would agree with me and someone looking for a research idea for a Master’s thesis is welcome to the idea.

This week started with Mother’s Day. There was a story in the news that stated an annual dollar value for the work mothers do. So, if a mom was paid for the work she does, at the comparable rates paid to professionals who do the same work, the American Mom is worth over $61,000.00. Yes over sixty-one thousand dollars of work produced by the average mother that goes unpaid every year.

Think of all the things people do everyday that goes unrecognized. Regardless if you are paid or not for the work you do, it shouldn’t go unnoticed. If your work isn’t getting noticed you need to do something about that. You cannot expect people to walk around and see your work and offer applause. Too bad that isn’t the case; companies hiring people just to go around and recognize and appreciate the good work that is being done. So until companies start hiring additional staff to find and recognize previously unnoticed work, you’ll need to toot your own horn. There is nothing wrong with it. Toot away!

I am pretty lucky in the work I do because people I work with land a job or get a promotion and tell me how much they appreciate what I do. Even before their success they tell me how much our work together helps them. I also do workshops, presentations and keynote speeches. At the end of my talk I normally receive applause and often get to see feedback reviews of people’s reaction to the subject matter and my presentation skills. Getting that kind of feedback is really great, most of the time. When I give a talk and it’s a home run, that’s the greatest feeling in the world. But I also make note of what worked well and what needed improvement after each presentation. Then when the people that pay me ask me how effective I’ve been, I have my numbers ready to share... I toot my horn!

If I can, you can. Take the time at the end of the day to jot down what you did throughout the day. If someone tells you thanks for your help make a note. Look for and recognize the value you bring to those around you and the whole world.