Archive
Ghosts
Recently we watched the remake of Ghostbusters and my granddaughter wandered in for the scene with the giant marshmallow man so she later said that she wanted to see the movie again even though she only saw one scene.
Ghosting is something that occurs in relationships, both romantic and professional. In romantic relationships, some people ignore others which is kind of rude. This was actually mentioned in the most recent episode of This is Us.
On a professional level, there’s a lot of ghosting in the interview process. As a candidate, it’s very frustrating to not hear back from a company to which you applied. I get it that a recruiter can’t reply to every application but if it progresses to an interview (or more) it seems like common courtesy to keep the candidate informed about whether they’re still a candidate. However, I had a couple companies with whom I had multiple interviews but am assuming that I’m no longer a candidate since I’ve not heard anything in awhile.
Switching sides of the equation, how much (or little) should the candidates update employers? If you’re in final stages with one company when another one asks for an interview, do you continue? What about those with whom you’re already in process? And how does that change when you get an offer or if you actually accept an offer?
These are real questions and I’d like input from colleagues from both sides, especially those that have been involved in the process of applying or hiring within the last year.
Making Lemon out of Lemonade
Earlier today, I saw a post on social media by a high school friend that 2020 “has been a blessing” for him. Since my friend was able to work remotely this year, he got to spend time with his Dad between the Cancer diagnosis in February and his father’s passing earlier this week.
Between time at work and time asleep, I don’t typically get much time to see my wife. However, with working from home for most of the year, I got to spend more time than usual with my wife in 2020. Then, my job was eliminated in November. I’ve spent time on job search and keeping current with my skills and what’s going on in marketing research, data visualization and the world in general. However, even with that, I’ve still had more time than usual to spend with my wife and local family that keep our circle of contact to a minimum.
For my brother’s birthday in April, my nephew had the idea of a Zoom birthday party; I put him in touch with several of my brother’s friends, many of whom he normally would’ve only seen over the holidays (although that won’t happen this year) and they were all able to join in for the (remote) birthday celebration.
While my Mom is in a Senior Living Community, the team at McCrite has been very focused on keeping her and the other residents safe. That’s meant we couldn’t spend time visiting in her apartment; however, my brother started hosting a monthly digital family reunion (via Zoom) with her sister-in-law in Georgia, along with the kids, grandkids and great-grandchildren. So, these monthly reunions have allowed me to spend more time with those relatives than I’ve had in years past plus Mom got to see the faces of lots of children.
I have lots of contacts via LinkedIn but many have been minimal contact; that’s changed recently. After I shared that I was in the market for a new job opportunity, I’ve had friends and former co-workers reach out … with care & concern and occasionally a lead on a position or company that might be a good fit. I’ve tried to do the same, pointing out opportunities to others.
Another positive that came out of the pandemic is that companies are much more open to working remote. Therefore, in the past, my job search would have been limited to just companies/positions here in KC; now, I’m using “remote” as a geography and exploring opportunities all over; I’ve even looked at positions in Canada and England.
And I can’t have a post that mentions lemonade in the title without mentioning Alex’s Lemonade Stand; a little girl was facing Cancer years ago and started a movement to raise funds for Children’s Cancer Research to help other kids. Alex didn’t win her battle with cancer but her cause lives on. My grandson faced cancer twice and is now fortunate enough to no longer require regular testing. To learn more about my grandson and how to contribute to the cause, go here.
Finally, we’ve seen a lot of awful in terms of discrimination and race relations; let’s hope that we can learn from the terrible things that happened and actually see positive change for the future.
Bad things happen and will continue to happen. Instead of asking Why, I’m trying to look for how to turn each negative situation into an opportunity for growth, either right now or learning for the future.
Best wishes!
November leaves
This is the time of year that the leaves fall from the trees and as the calendar shows us the end of November, I look back at the month that includes Thanksgiving and my birthday. It was also an election day that had most of the United States experiencing a bit of tension. And on a professional level, I saw the end of my time with a company that I’d been proud to be a part of for 21 out of the past 22 years.
The end of November also means the end of my company health insurance. I already had a few appointments scheduled but added a few more once I learned my job was going away. I’ve filed my paperwork for COBRA so it should mean that once it’s processed I have health insurance. Hopefully, I’ll land in a new job (with benefits) soon but I have a better understanding of the stress associated with those lacking benefits.
I’m not sure what will take place in December but am hopeful for new beginnings.
Grateful for Networking
Through the years, I’ve done networking in person and online but recently I’ve had an increased appreciation of networking.
I’m currently exploring new opportunities for work and I’ve been touched by people not only putting in a good word or asking how I’m doing but in suggesting companies or opportunities. Some of those haven’t been a fit as I’m interested in remote work or opportunities within the Kansas City area. However, I still appreciate the leads.
So far, I’ve received inquiries about my interest in positions with companies in California, Chicago, Virginia, Houston, and New York. For the position in Virginia, I’ve passed it along to a colleague on the East Coast. For others, I’ve inquired about whether they’d consider remote work since that’s becoming the norm in 2020.
I’ve had people inquire about positions on my behalf and had others volunteer to be a reference or make an introduction.
Bottom line … people are willing to look out for one another and it’s appreciated. I saw a former co-worker had been looking for months and then a former VP (from where we worked together but none of us are at now) reached out and offered her a job. It just goes to show that you shouldn’t burn any bridges.
So, thank you to my past, present and future co-workers, bosses, employees, clients and suppliers. And let me know how I can help you in your search for connections.
markrwhitaker 