One thing…(one thing)…leads to another…

Do you have that 80s song stuck in YOUR head now?

Sorry about that.

They say all you need to do to get the song out of your head is to finish the song. Trouble is I don’t know all the lyrics. Anyway, what does this song have to do with our topic, one thing leads to another? Well, probably nothing but I’m not sure because as I’ve admitted I don’t know all the lyrics.

However, one thing leading to another is a GIANT piece of the ‘finding the best role for you’ puzzle. I see this most often when people connect and share a bit of sensitive information, like they are looking for a new job. Why do we hesitate? I guess you never know if the person you are talking to is really your boss’ cousin and they are going to tell them all about your plotting to find a new gig.

Or maybe we just don’t know what they’ll think of us in general.

When you tell someone you trust – or at least trust enough to share that you are actively thinking about finding a new role – often one thing leads to another. Here are some examples I know of from this past month. (Yes, the last 4 weeks.) I am being a bit stingy with the details so if you are their boss’ cousin their story is still safe.

Neighbor One, Neighbor Two

My neighbor, Neighbor One, mentioned to me that our other neighbor, Neighbor Two, was thinking about finding a new position. I am practicing for my upcoming Certified Professional Resume Writer exam, so I offered to update Neighbor Two’s resume. Just as I finished and got his feedback, a post popped up on LinkedIn. A former colleague was looking for someone to fill a role … that was a match for Neighbor Two! I connected them. Interview was scheduled. Second interview to come. If Neighbor Two had never mentioned to anyone that he wanted to find a new position, where do you think he’d be right now? Yep, chit chatting with Neighbor One about the lawn (or the dogs, or the dogs on the lawn) wishing he had a different job.

A Friend of a Colleague Newly in Job Transition

A colleague of mine from “back in the day” and I have breakfast on occasion to catch up. I enjoy our discussions. We talk about our jobs, past and present, and I mentioned to her that I really get excited about helping people with career confidence and job transition. Turns out one of her good friends just got let go. He reached out to me, and we had a nice chat about his situation. At the end of our discussion, he had more confidence about his next steps. Where would he be and where would I be if neither of us (her friend or I) said anything about our situations? Maybe he’d be talking to my neighbor about dogs and lawns too…I know I would be. I was grateful to be of assistance. (Not that I have anything against dogs or lawns, or chatting with my neighbors.)

First Co-Op Position

A colleague’s son is looking for a co-op position and I was asked if I could help with a mock interview. Of course! When I looked at his resume it had an objective that read, “First mechanical co-op position.” We had a call and as he became more comfortable sharing (i.e. testing how much he could trust me) he said he was really interested in automobile powertrain/engines. That’s cool! However, I don’t know anyone in that area. But…

I do know people who know people in that area! Turns out I know someone who used to work in powertrain assembly (I had no idea). I reached out and ask if she would connect our student with people she knew. She eagerly agreed. How awesome is that? I know back when I was a student, I certainly would have benefited from someone connecting me with others in the field I was interested in.

Common Starting Point

What is the common starting point of all of these one thing leads to another stories? The common starting point is having the courage to share something scary with someone you don’t know if you fully trust. Whether it’s admitting to a neighbor you want a different job, mentioning to a colleague that you’re excited about a certain kind of work, signing up for a call with a complete stranger to practice interviewing, or reaching out to ask for help with connecting a student to a professional, it all takes courage.

One thing does often lead to another. There is no guarantee of course that reaching out to anyone will lead to something great. But I know this…not reaching out to anyone will certainly NOT lead to anything PERIOD. (I guess that’s a double period…forgive me, I don’t know how the grammar rules on that…and I see I have a period and an ellipsis in this parenthetical statement, that’s four in a row…make it (hard) stop!)

In summary, if you have a new direction on your heart, be brave and share with a fellow human. You never know when one thing leads to another.