Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Basic principles stay the same

I had no idea when I first started talking with folks about mentoring and networking - about building personal communities and finding like minds - that I would be blogging during a time of a growing global recession. To me, building community makes sense regardless of time or place. I always need my community and look to add to it whenever I can.

My friends are losing jobs. My family has seen savings dwindle. My son and his friends can’t find part-time work (it’s drying up) and some can’t get into colleges, competing for spots with more seasoned folk who are finding themselves in need of jobs or retraining. I'm happy in my new job but I know it's a finite assignment. It’s the same for everyone - not quite a terrible situation but touching each of us somehow.

With the immediate needs, someone asked me how I can still say: build your network before you need it.

It’s obvious many more folks currently need support than in the previous months and years. We all know this and share job leads as we find them. For those still working, keep building for the future. For those of you unemployed - remember there is a difference between a job interview and a friendly coffee. As long as the person you’ll be meeting is clear on which it is, then do what you do best.

Asking for help is never a bad thing - in any context.

Besides, every job interview can still become someone in your network if you make the right overtures.

And you can still put some time in to building a network and mentoring between job interviews because solving the problem of today doesn’t give you a safety net for later. This won’t be our only challenging time (personal or global) and our only time to help each other.

The basic principles stay the same. Reach out as best you can and try to keep looking ahead when the daily challenges weigh you down.

With great respect for all our struggles and successes, no matter how large or small,

dennie

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