What’s the best graduation gift? Money? A watch? A car? A trip to another country? All good! But I’m giving something some might think is rather dry. I’ve decided to give the gift of education…I’ve been reading about the difficult time new grads, and those who haven’t even graduated yet, are having finding jobs this summer and I want to do something to help. I’m offering our Interviewing Excellence program on June 10th for free to those people out there who are under 23. I may even do that with our Navigating Career Change panel on July 10th, too. There’s just so much you don’t really know about work when you’re just getting started.
I know I didn’t know much about how to handle an interview when I was 21, or 23 (and sometimes when I was older, too, although I did get really good at it). My life would have been completely different if I’d gone for the job at the brand new little shop on Columbus Avenue – The Silver Palate. Had I handled the introduction and the interview with confidence and ease that little shop, with it’s two illustrious owner/chef/authors, might have launched me into a whole world of work that I would have loved! But I didn’t know the first thing about doing an interview, let alone a job search. That opportunity swept past me faster than a falling souffle! And that shop and its owners went on to make culinary history (writes the woman who just (happily) made 8 doz. cookies today).
So my gift is extended because I remember all of the things I didn’t know. And I’d love for someone, someday, to write me a letter and say that because of my gift of this program they got the job that launched many years of satisfying work. Now that would be a real gift for me 😉