Know people...make a difference

I have lived in Indianapolis for over 20 years now. Over those years I have become connected with various organizations and individuals. Some connections stemmed from work activities, some from church, some from our kid's activities, and some from volunteer efforts. None of these relationships were created on false pretenses or simply for the idea that I might "need something someday."

However, when you do the right things for the right reasons you tend to make solid friendships that last a long, long time. All of my volunteer activities have centered around something I was passionate about: Church, Heart (cardiac) organizations, soccer, football, scouts, those less fortunate, etc. I have always enjoyed these efforts -- a trait learned as a child back in Decatur, Illinois. (Thanks, Mom and Dad!).

Now, when I am "in need" myself I find that these longtime friends are willing to help out in any way they can. Mostly this means networking for a new position. People are willing to lend their endorsement and open up their "rolodex" if they have some contacts that make sense.

So....get involved in your community. But don't get involved just to pad your resume. Get involved in something that makes sense to you...something you are passionate about. There are SO many ways to help others.

Go on.....make a difference today.

Chaperon

Yesterday I volunteered to be a chaperon for high school field trip. Nate's Anatomy class was to visit Community Hospital South and they needed adults to accompany them. I was thrilled to learn that I passed the "background check" and was considered to be an Adult. Woo hoo!!!

At first Nate was VERY against me going on this trip. I guess it went okay and I didn't embarrass him too much after it was all done.

I had a clipboard with the instructions and the names of 11 students who were randomly put in my "Group." By the way...GROUP #3 rocked it!!

Anyway...we had a short bus ride to the hospital. After some orientation and a panel discussion each group was assigned to visit 2 different areas of the hospital. I must say that I was very impressed by how professional the high school students were in the orientation and panel...actually throughout the entire day. They were quiet and respectful, asked appropriate questions, etc.

Group #3's first stop was the SIMULATION ROOM.....which I initially misread at STIMULATION ROOM. What a disappointment. The mannequin in this real-life hospital room was a scary sight. Poor guy had fallen 20 feet on his construction sight. He had a piece of metal through his face, broken clavicle, intestines hanging out, burned arm, severed toe, etc. The really cool part was that there is a control booth behind a two-way mirror and a technician runs a computer that allows the "dummy" to speak, change his vitals, etc. So as the simulation is going on the dummy can go into cardiac arrest, talk about his pain levels (actually say anything the tech wants him to), etc. Really cool. The kids also got to try their hand at inserting a breathing tube which was interesting. Some of the accidentally got the tube in his esophagus and blew up his stomach instead of hitting the trachea and his lungs. Oops....poor dummy.

Then we were off to the Emergency Room area. Once we were in place they came rushing in with a 17-year-old patient (not a dummy) that had been in a car accident because he was texting and driving. This was all simulated but it was cool. The driver's "parents" were there as well as his siblings/friends. They were crying, etc. They hooked the kid up to all the equipment, started IVs and assessed him. Eventually they decided he needed to be airlifted to higher level trauma center. So....we followed the air-evac team outside to the helipad while they placed him in the helicopter and prepared to leave.

Other groups of students had different experiences including labor/delivery, pharmacy, surgery, etc.

All in all a great experience for the kids. Some of the students have an interest in health care and some others (including Nate) have no interest whatsoever in healthcare. It was still very educational and fun.

Next, Ellen wants me to join her as a volunteer at the Post-Prom party which runs from (something like) midnight to 3am. I'm pretty sure I will be sleeping during those hours!

Study Shows Unemployment Can Be Deadly

Great. Just great. As if I wasn't stressed enough already my wife shows me this article.

In reality I am not that stressed...yet. However I was speaking with a friend at our Rotary meeting this morning. He was recently hired...after 31 months of unemployment. Yikes. I see that Home Depot is hiring down the street.

I have had several professional opportunities go by the wayside already. One because I hadn't been in the I.T. field for more than 10 years and they went with someone who was in I.T. currently. Another because they only wanted to hire someone who had particular experience in their industry. Too bad because I really thought I could have contributed there! Some places are putting off hiring decisions, etc.

So, back to the networking circuit. I don't mind it. People have been very good (for the most part) about agreeing to at least meet and share ideas and thoughts. My problem is that I go into meetings thinking I am a prefect candidate for these positions...for the most part. Why wouldn't they want to hire me? I mean....c'mon!! :)

New Blog Initiative - Make a Difference

I am re-igniting this Blog to share things with family, friends, and others. Life continues at a dizzying pace and I like to share things with people!

Let me bring you up-to-date. In January 2010 I left the business world to join the non-profit world. This was a very deliberate decision not one that was "forced" on me by losing a job or anything of the sort. I joined a group that provided free heart surgeries to children in 3rd world countries. This made total sense because our 19-year-old daughter has had 10 heart surgeries....and we enjoy doing volunteer work in 3rd world countries.

I went in to this endeavor with perhaps too many stars in my eyes about helping others on a full-time basis. It lasted a year before we agreed to part ways. I am still wanting to believe that not all non-profits have the issues I encountered. I worked hard and raised funds....but not quickly enough for the Founder. I had hoped to stay there for many years but the environment turned out to be not suited to me. Bummer.

So now I am in the job hunt. At age 49. I read the papers and see that it is tough for people in this age group to find jobs. However, I don't "feel" 49. And, the new paradigm (a word which has been overused for too many years) indicates that I could have a good 15-20 years left to work....maybe more if I "want" to. What is your definition of retirement? Mine is not sitting on a rocking chair watching the world go by.

So, age should not be an issue when looking for a job. Income? I think everyone is fairly flexible to a certain degree. It's the new economy, right? Relocation? Okay....not flexible there to be sure. Work ethic? Strong, Experience? Plenty...those gray hairs bring a lot of knowledge and can turn a learning curve into a mere bump in the road. Ethics in general? Strong...we understand what's important and how to create long-term, long-lasting relationships.

So where does this lead? Perhaps in non-profit again. I am not ready to assume that all non-profits are the same. I think I just happened to latch on to one that didn't mesh with my business mentality and drive. Business --- sure. I was there for 26+ years. Being in Sales, Marketing, Finance creates a nice broad skillset that translates in to many industries.

Bottom line is that if you understand people you can succeed. Those skills that they teach in college and continuing ed classes are accurate --- listening is a critical skill. Create solutions that solve problems. Communicate regularly. Be real. Follow through. Dig, dig, dig --- got the extra mile. Make a difference.

I welcome your readership and your comments. Stay tuned for the next installment!