Everything Happens in Threes, Including Random Acts of Kindness for My Job Search

It is true -- everything happens in threes. For example, over the past weekend I had three very near misses in traffic accidents. I was particularly stressed out that my young sons were in the car each time. The last near-miss was on a beautiful Sunday afternoon and was very scary as it happened right in front of my eyes in that cliché type of slow motion.

 

But what three things have come to light in my ongoing job search? Well, for me, it has been three individuals who have demonstrated random acts of kindness to help me in my job search.

 

One individual is a partner in a small, boutique consulting and recruitment business. She came to my attention via one of my job search networking groups, because she volunteers her time to job seekers. I thought I had nothing to lose, so why not sign up for a time slot with her? We fixed a date, and a few days later I was in her office. I was pleasantly surprised in her helpfulness and kindness in sharing her insights -- and giving up her earning time. Some of her specific ideas have helped me break through the clutter in getting noticed for various job opportunities. She basically gave me the ammunition to be armed with the heavy artillery in the job search quest.

 

Another standout individual was someone I met socially at a weekend BBQ. She knew of my job search efforts given the amusing T-shirts my sons wore to this event soliciting work for Mommy. As we spoke, she extended herself to helping me network with a key employer in our area. She even went back across several lawns to her house to retrieve her business card and gave it to me at the end of BBQ. In the next couple of days, she stayed true to her word and helped me navigate the twists and turns in networking with this employer. Her kids were also at the party and enjoyed playing with my children, so there was common bonding happening on a generational level.

 

The third individual who stands out is someone I have never spoken to live nor met in person. I know it sounds odd, however, some folks seem to do their nicest work by email. In this case, it was a recruiter seeking to fill a very specific position. While I wasn’t a fit for that job, I was able to refer him to three individuals who might be. I thought that would be the end of our transaction. Lo and behold, this recruiter has reached out a few times to let me know he hasn’t found suitable matches yet but that he was still keeping me in mind during his placement fulfillments.

 

It sounds kind of corny, but had I not become unemployed, I would not be meeting such a wide variety of interesting and very kind individuals. While employed, I just stayed focused on the job tasks at hand, and then off hours, I took care of my young family. I didn’t venture out of my normal routine and circle of friends and family much. Surprisingly, you can depend on the kindness of strangers -- after all, strangers are only friends you haven’t met yet.

 

Have you experienced any random or not-so-random acts of kindness during your job search? How has it lifted your spirits or otherwise impacted you?

 

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