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Posted: 12 Aug 2011 04:29 AM PDT  It is a little haphazard, these days, to state that jobs come and go. And though they do, it is usually not a casual circumstance or easy process. Sometimes, uncomfortable incidents force the ending of a working relationship prior to either party being ready. One such situation occurred to me several years. I had been working for a healthcare specific executive search firm for many years. I loved my job and I loved the people for whom I worked. It had been a superior working relationship, or so I thought. We even celebrated holidays together. But over the course of my last year, several individuals had been hired as administrative assistants and then either left or had been let go rather quickly. It was proving a difficult situation. One Friday afternoon, I happened to unwillingly witness one of these firings. It had been handled rather carelessly and I was ill-prepared for the entire dramatic process. As a result, I handed in my resignation, effective immediately. The callousness and dismissal of the other employee caused every bone in my body to quiver. This once-valued employee had been with the firm and “part of the family” for four and a half years. Needless to say, the drama only increased with my resignation. It was one of the most horrific “business” experiences of my life. Four weeks later I was starting my new job as Manager of Recruitment and Retention for a technology start-up about 1.5 hours from my home. I was very excited about the new place of employment and the incredible growth opportunity it represented but the sting of my impromptu resignation still hung heavy in my heart. And I truly missed my other job and co-workers desperately. I had thought, honestly thought, that I would retire from that previous position. With the pain still lingering, I jumped in head first with my new company, as whole-heartedly as possible. I would leave work, making the trek home every day navigating sun-streaked freeways. About six weeks in, our company had grown so much, we started looking for a new location – we were literally bursting at the seams. It felt wonderful to be partly responsible for that growth. We even made hires that had to postpone start dates until we arrived at out new location because we simply did not have the space to accommodate them. I was doing well, the work was thriving and the hiring was a bit maddening. I was starting to get over the sting of my previous departure. I was even beginning to enjoy my commute. I purchased some audio books and was eagerly listening to Atlas Shrugged each night as I drove home. One evening, in particular, I was in a great mood – I felt valued and was loving my job. As I pulled out of our secure parking area, I waved my security card to raise the exit gate and I happened to glance in my rearview mirror. In my mirror, my past flashed, I saw my former boss’s face, my old office, my co-workers, it was all there instantaneously and only momentarily. I knew at that second that I had survived. I had moved on. And I was going to be ok. My previously-loved job was in my rearview mirror, exactly where it was supposed to be. And I was exactly where I was supposed to be: moving onward and forward. Looking back, I cannot imagine what my life would be like had I not quit on that fated evening. Everything happens for a reason. Everything. “My Mama always said you’ve got to put the past behind you before you can move on.” -Forrest Gump  Rayanne Thorn, @ray_anne is the Marketing Director for the online recruiting software company, Broadbean Technology. She is also a proud mother of four residing in Laguna Beach, California, and a contributor for Blogging4Jobs. Connect with her on LinkedIn.  Bonus Track #640 |
Posted: 12 Aug 2011 04:17 AM PDT  This post was written and published in the August 2011 issue of Edmond Active Magazine. I’m delighted to be their business and social media columnist. Social media is a community, a place for friendships, business, and conversations. Not unlike the small town I grew up in of Mayetta, Kansas. People shared stories about their past, the town gossip, and recommendations on the best places to eat, avoid, and shop. The difference between social media and my small town, is that the recommendations and conversations happen online instead of the traditional places like your barber shop, the grocery store, the your child's middle school basketball game. They're happening online, and with social media you have an opportunity to engage your audience, clients, and customers as the conversations are happening instead of waiting for the latest scuttlebutt from the local gossip queen to move from her lips to your ears. Yes, social media particularly Facebook is just like a small town. There are 750 million users now on Facebook spending between 6 and 18 hours a month planning high school reunions, connecting with colleagues, and making recommendations in an environment that is user and community based. Your community has the ability to spread the word in a way that traditional advertising and media always can't. You can connect to customer in real time and on their own terms. Goodbye focus group and hello Facebook. Consider the largest growing demographic on Facebook is aged 45 and over. This also happens to be the population with the most expendable income. And they're here to connect with their children, catch up with old friends, and watch their grandchildren grow. In a storefront or a business where family isn't always discussed, it's sometimes hard to make that personal connection with your customers. Facebook changes that. It allows for your biggest fans, current customers, friends, and family to connect sharing insights into whom they are. These insights allow you to make a more personal connection leading to more solid business contacts based on this shared story or connection. Whether it's a Facebook Group or Business Page, your engagement and conversation strategy will vary. For local businesses, it's important to create a sense of community at your pages, inviting your core audience to response, share, and learn from one another. This could be in the form of a recipe swapping forum or sharing your product's favorite feature or service. Larger organizations with a more broad reach can still engage their audience and should remember that their customers are also likely their current or future employees. With social media, it's no longer about you. It's about your audience and your customer base making them feel welcome and comfortable to share their experience and personal stories with you as well as others positive as well as negative. Social media is another tool or platform to talk with your customers on their own dime. Not unlike the casual conversation with a friend or family member during the Friday night high school football game. It’s your choice. You can either ignore or engage in the conversation. But consider how the people in your small town might react, if you didn’t say hello to passers by and neighbors on your own front porch. Not having a business presence on Facebook is just that. Photo Credit Lilac Lane Cottage.  |
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