Job Hunting and Dating

During my job hunt process, I came up with a list of things that someone job-hunting can learn from dating, and things that people dating can learn from job-hunting. I just read this great post from Ask a Manager which talks about some of these things. Specifically, how there are similar things you should do on a date and an interview.

Yesterday Jacob wrote a comment, in part, discussing the idea of having preferences when dating. I think this is a big issue that comes up in both dating and job searching. I almost didn't apply to my current job because it certainly doesn't meet my preferences. Then even after I was offered the job, I almost didn't take it. Is it a perfect job? No, there are many things I don't like about it. But - in the quality areas of boss acting professional, boss having pleasant personality, no screamers in the office, and having flexibility to take a bit of time for my family's needs - it is great.

So as I said with regards to dating - it's normal to have preferences, and try to meet someone/find a job that meets those ideas. But one should not be closed off to looking into the possibility of finding a quality person/job that may not fit their "perfect" image, but which meets the real quality issues that are important. Send the resume and go on the interview - there's no commitment to take a job you don't want, but why be closed off to receiving the offer? If a firned who knows you well tells you that they really feel someone might be a possibility for you, give the person a call and go out once. You don't have to marry them, but why be closed off from possibly meeting the right person just because they don't have your preferred hair color or dress size?

(The same goes for making new friends - Cool Yiddeshe Momma and I know a woman who narrows down whether she is willing to be friends with someone based on very particular details about their background. Then she gets upset that her friends have other friends, who she is not interested in getting to know.)

Being Nice

Just wanted to share a quick story that happened yesterday. I was in the hall and a man from another company asked if he could borrow a stamp. While he came into the office with me, he asked if I was Jewish and Orthodox. (He told me he had grown up in one of our heavily Orthodox neighborhoods.) He said, "I'm not just asking because of how you are dressed. It's your attitude." I thought it was a great example of how we are always making an impression, either positive or negative, with our actions. Obviously he had enough positive experiences with the Orthodox people he met to associate that with positive behavior. Let's all keep that in mind this year.

Puppy picture

Isn't this cute!!!!

Safety with our kids

Yesterday we had a scare that was thankfully brief - my almost-2-year-old climbed out of her stroller while we were at a community barbeque. We were involved in getting carnival prizes for my son and she had already run off when we noticed (it was probably only a few seconds that we turned away, but she's fast!)

Thank G-d we located her immediately, and we were on a campus that was not bordering a street. It was also an environment where I would generally feel the kids were safe. However, it was still very scary for a minute - and obviously would have been even more so if it was at the mall or a larger public place.

Just this morning I read this article which criticizes the less-concerned attitude that many people have when we get used to being in our enclosed neighborhoods. I know we had a possible kidnapping attempt in our own community last year - a little girl from my son's class was in the yard with her brothers and father. The father stepped around the side of the house for one minute and a car pulled up. Luckily the father ran right back and the car drove off, but the school let us all know to be careful. They also sent a warning to lock our doors (it is Midwest mentality not to be so careful about that) after several early morning break-ins.

Some of the comments on the article misunderstood the author's point and thought she was saying to never leave your kid with a baby-sitter. Obviously, if there is another trusted adult or program supervising, that is not a problem. But we need to make sure to check out the school or camp to make sure we trust the safety standards used. I know I feel very confident in our school, based on how many seemingly trivial things they have notified us about (like when my son got a tiny cut one time), and the fact that the principal frequently sends out public service announcements about safety issues. (And, of course, the fact that they are accredited by the state.) On the other hand, we have a teenage babysitter whom we love dearly but I would not send her to an activity alone with both of my kids at the same time, as I do not feel that is adequate supervision in a public place. In fact, even I try to avoid going somewhere alone with both of them!