Happy New Year!  As you face 2013, and whatever new resolutions you made a few weeks ago, let me ask you, “are you satisfied with your career?”  Is your career in “stuck” mode, where you have been doing the same thing for many years and now are hoping for something new?  Do you find yourself wondering how to advance to the next opportunity or how to meet new people with a similar passion?

I would encourage you to volunteer.  Think about it, volunteering gives you a chance to work on a project, a community need, or event and meet a whole new group of people.  And, each volunteering opportunity gives you a chance to develop skills which most certainly will translate into any profession.  Which company doesn’t value fantastic team work experience?

I especially like the idea of volunteering because it allows you to meet people with whom you likely share many traits and special interests. A woman on our team volunteered last year on a trip to Seeta, Uganda with a Christian-based ministry group. Now, you may be thinking, what does that have to do with recruiting or with Incepture? Everything.  This woman is a valuable member of our team.  Her time to volunteer was incredibly special to her – and she made many wonderful connections all over this world. And, it filled her spirit.  So when she returned to work, she was renewed and ready to resume her other passion…recruiting.

Now not every volunteer opportunity needs to take you to the other side of the world!  There are plenty of opportunities in your local community (church, athletics, charities, social groups, etc.).  In fact, many employers sponsor or support volunteer opportunities through many different local charities in your community. You may even do that as a way to meet people who work at that company.  That is a terrific way to gain exposure to different parts of a company and what different people do.

I used to live in Atlanta and my company would often participate in a Habitat for Humanity project.  I never worked on a “Habitat House” without meeting people from at least 2 other companies.  Some of those people have become wonderful friends and associates.

So get out there and volunteer!  You never know where it may lead you…and those New Years’ Resolutions may actually come true!

 Amy

So, I have been thinking about the beach lately.  The weather here in Jacksonville is warming up, the beaches are getting a little more crowded and the children’s laughter a little more high pitched. Having spent my summers as a kid going to visit my Aunt Joan at her beach bungalow in Breezy Point, N.Y., I have always had a sense of fun and excitement about going to the beach. Even today, I love to sit in my chair, and watch the kids run around and play in the sand and dance on their tippy toes in the water!  Some of my very favorite memories of my childhood took place on that beach in Breezy Point…playing with my sisters and cousins, meeting other kids and tumbling in the waves. I can still feel the pull of the undertow every time I place my feet in the ocean water! 

How many times have you seen kids building a castle together or holding hands and running toward the water…squealing with delight?  Many times, they only just met. Why is it that, as children, it is so easy to meet a “stranger” and instantly become a friend – especially at the beach? 

Or, maybe the better question is, why is it so much harder as adults to be open to meet other people and work together in the name of fun?  It is something we like to do on a professional level at Incepture.  We like to meet new people and find ways to help you build your “castle in the sand.” So, next time you see us out in the community, be it at a job fair or Chamber meeting, stop by and say hello.  You never know.  Maybe we met before, on a sandy shore, blissfully holding hands together and running toward the water!

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @alruthHR

Amy