Life Beyond the Cubicle

Although work is important, many of us are unable to quench all of our thirsts in life within our cubicle walls.  A dear friend of mine from childhood has embarked on a journey to spread good will to the world, beginning in Panama.  

I wanted to spread the word of Erin's quest to clothe the less fortunate.  She has taken initiative beyond her day job as she voyages to Panama several times each year not only to visit friends and family from her year abroad, but to bring clothing donations from the U.S.  It is amazing what a difference one person can make!

Erin's cause is called "Clothes for the World" or "Ropa para el Mundo".  She has begun in Panama and hopes to grow this organization through Latin America and eventually the world.  Our local news paper growing up, the Sharon Advocate, has done a story on her efforts:

http://www.wickedlocal.com/sharon/news/x1686365379/Former-Sharonite-is-clothing-the-needy

Former Sharonite is clothing the needy - Sharon, MA - Sharon Advocate

Source: www.wickedlocal.com

If anyone would like further information or to contribute, please feel free to channel your donations in the NYC area through me.  I will be sure to get them to Erin. Thank you in advance for your support and be sure to continue thinking about the big picture.

The Growing Importance of Networking both On and Offline

This past week has been especially enlightening.  I've had the extreme pleasure of meeting with several brilliant individuals to discuss their career paths as well as current projects on which they are working.  It is only through networking that I was able to have these experiences. It is almost a "pay-it-forward" situation.  It feels great to be connected with like-minded individuals and generates a positive inertia to introduce others within my personal network who they may learn from. 

With the growth of LinkedIn as well as other outlets of the social media community it is pertinent to connect with people once you've had contact with them so that in the future either party is able to reach out whether it be to reconnect, discuss business opportunities or seek advice.  There are many colleagues of mine both from past places of employment and business school with whom I may have lost contact if it weren't for the channels available today.

With that said, the face-to-face interaction has not lost its importance in my opinion.  I believe it to be far better to get a true impression of someone when they are present versus an online introduction via email correspondence.  Once the connection has been made, the preservation of that relationship is more easily maintained through the social media channels.

Moving forward in the weeks to come, I strive to set up additional meetings with new connections not only to discuss full-time opportunities, but also career experiences.  At this juncture on my journey I am thankful for all advice others have to offer based upon what they've seen and learned throughout their careers.

Situation Analysis

As I continue to press forward in the search for a full-time position, it is both liberating and frustrating.  Liberating in the sense that the world is my oyster and I have the ability to really evaluate each opportunity from an objective point of view so that my final decision is in my best interest.  Frustrating in the sense that there are so many options, and sorting through what sounds interesting and what will actually be a productive career move becomes a challenge.  Last week, I became very excited about a potential position in Chicago and got to the point of convincing myself that moving out of NYC was indeed the solution.  When I was informed that this position would not be offered to me it was upsetting, but on the right side of the bed it became a great source of insight in my journey.  Not landing this position reminded me that my evaluation process as well as my method of pursuit must be fine-tuned so that expectations are indeed in line with the reality of each situation.  Upon my return to NYC, I remain excited about the prospects here as well as those currently outside of the city.  No matter how this process progresses, my mind remains open to the idea of moving as well as finding the appropriate fit in this metro area.  I also have to admit that it is rather nice free-lancing when the weather is this beautiful...