Desperation Leads to Connection
A cry for help reaches my computer screen. In a desperate attempt to assuage the pain, a stranger reaches out from the depths of his despair. A name and a face have been placed on the myriad of headlines that scream out from the daily news feeds: Caterpillar, Home Depot, Sprint-Nextel, Google, and Pfizer….. the list goes on- all have bludgeoned thousands of jobs from their corporations. This daily occurrence tends to inoculate us from feeling the pain that the collapse of the American economy is causing on an individual basis. Unless of course the pain has a way of reaching you in a palpable way as it did for me.
In the midst of a Sunday night of media multi-tasking, a single email burst through the noise of my other endeavors. The plea contained within its short paragraphs, and the pain woven in between the lines of each word, affected me in such a way that I felt an immediate need to contact this stranger in my virtual midst. I responded back to him to let him know that there was help out there. He detailed in his missive, that after nearly 30 years of working for the same company, he had been let go- another victim of the failing economy. With two children in college and another two in private schools and a resume last written while still an undergrad in college, he was reaching out on a social media network in the only way he knew how to do: a straight out appeal for advice, help, free-lance work, a part-time job. As he stated: “No options (given) to take time off, a furlough, nothing…..this is what this economy has come to.”
The great news about this wonderful community that I live in, is that by 9:00 a.m. this morning, many others had stepped to the plate and offered this man advice on the many resources and networking opportunities that are available to him. He is just beginning the journey that many of us have been traveling on for a while now, but it’s nice to know that he is in great company. Reaching out and creating relationships with others- NETWORKING- is the best way to help you get back on the career path. The bonus is that you get to help others along the way at the same time.
So go ahead, reach out and contact a friend. They'll tell two friends, and so on and so on...........
Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin
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