The power of connecting

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Years ago, when I was looking for the organization which most closely fit my values, I started noting down particular mission statements, company manifestos, “who we are” paragraphs, and statements of purpose that I found particularly compelling.  Over the years it has evolved from a spiral notebook to a spreadsheet, but the reasoning remains.  A clear, well-stated, and passionate explanation of who you are as a company/organization/group will attract others who feel equally passionate.

After a recent spate of  #dogsofthinkgeek, photos on my feeds, I started looking into ThinkGeek for more than Christmas presents and self-indulgences.  Because dogs, and companies that welcome dogs, are my kryptonite.  Combine that with merchandise that is smart, occasionally sly and snarky, unabashedly enthusiastic, at a variety of price points, and I’m all in.

Poking around their company pages, I came across their Manifesto, and it is brilliant in so many ways.  Clear, funny, passionate, welcoming, and very smart.  Almost every person I sent it to agreed – it made them want to go to work there, whether or not they even knew of ThinkGeek previously.

In three clicks, I went from a casual customer to an advocate.  All it took was a few pictures of dogs, some geek dresses (with pockets!), and the ThinkGeek Manifesto.  What other companies do you know of that do an excellent job of stating who they are and drawing people to them?  My spreadsheet wants to know.

Unexpected conversations….

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I have to admit that I’m probably a bit unusual in that I actually generally like interviews.  I’m still nervous, of course, and still worry that I’ll have the wrong answer to an important question or that I’ll draw a complete blank on something that I know cold.  But, even so, I view them as a opportunity to meet new people and learn about a company, and hopefully gain some new interesting coworkers .

I’ve had a few rather unexpected conversations during interviews, and perhaps that is why I find them so interesting.  That moment when the script gets put aside, you have an entirely different experience, and I love those moments.

When I was just out of grad school, looking to use my MA to make a difference with a great organization, I managed to score an interview with the one at the very top of my list.  After sitting down to take a logistics test (which included a question about how many solar panels I would need to use to maintain a proper cold chain, which made me laugh out loud, because that was not something I knew the answer to, and certainly couldn’t come up with one in the time I had for the test) and a budget/admin test (that had questions I actually could answer), I sat down with my recruiter.  After my clear lack of technical logistics prowess, I was pretty sure they wouldn’t be interested in me, so in desperation, I decided to be brutally honest:  I would do whatever they needed me to do, in whatever way I could best help a team, because I really believed in what they did and why they did it.  It took a few months, but eventually a position that required more admin, planning, and financial ability than technical logistics knowledge was available, and off I went.  Best decision I ever made in an interview was to just honestly state that I was much more interested in helping the organization than in what job title I would hold within it.

Years later, having just completed my first year of law school, I went in for an interview for a summer legal internship.  Somehow, in the course of the interview, the topic of my master’s research came up, and we spent a few minutes sidetracked by a discussion of malaria, vectors, drug resistance, and combination therapies.  It was so much fun to discover a very unexpected mutual interest that had nothing to do with the position for which I was interviewing.

More recently, I was interviewing for position, and I decided that I was tired of giving the “coached” answer about why I had left my last position and had been doing project work since.  I admitted that I had taken a break from full time work so I could provide care for my father in his last years of CODP, that he had recently passed, and that I had prioritized providing care for him over a full time career.  While every career coach I’ve ever talked to advised me to focus the discussion on how I had kept my skills updated and relevant, I opted to explain how watching my father struggle through an incurable lung disease made me particularly interested in the position for which I was interviewing – which was focused on lung disease.  They say that you should not mention family care in an interview, as it will make them see you as less committed to your work, and perhaps for some companies that is true.  But in that moment during that interview, the connection I found was one of the brightest moments during a difficult time.

In each of these interviews, I had no idea I was going to have the conversations I ended up having.  And yet, they ended up being some of the most memorable moments, and always make me smile to think back on them.

Have you ever had an unexpected conversation during an interview?

Favorite companies/organizations that are NOT in your field

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I am one of those people who loves change and trying new things.  I like to learn for the sake of learning.  I love meeting people who do things that I never even knew existed, and could never do myself.  Because of my explorer tendencies, I’ve gotten to know of a lot of companies and organizations that are amazing and fascinating and that I would love to be part of, but do not have the personality, skills set, or knowledge to be hired.  Sometimes it’s because they build their teams very specifically and have little to no turnover; sometimes it’s because they need very specialized experience; sometimes it’s a location issue;  and sometimes it’s because their working style is not a match with mine.

Because I love learning about all sorts of people and groups, I find a lot of companies and organizations that are simply not a professional match for me (even if I might wish they were).  However, I know that there are many good people who ARE a good match, and who would love to know about these groups.

For myself, I have several that I love:

Basecamp is one of my favorites.  I love them not only because I use and love their product, or because CEO Jason Fried has the most reasonable approach to work, business, and technology, but because he routinely supports other people and champions ideas that create a better life balance.  They are small, have little to no turnover, and focus on small teams of engineers and designers.  As I am neither an engineer or designer, I mostly just follow, read his blog (which is amazing),  and dream.

Zappos is utterly fascinating to me, with their implementation of  holocracy and work towards becoming a teal organization.  I, personally, would love to work in that sort of system, but I’m not willing to move to the desert to do it.  While I love few things more than moving to new places, I’ve spent enough time in deserts to know how much I don’t like living in them.

Hootsuite is another of my favorites, and not only because I’d love to move to and work in Vancouver (it’s one of many places on my “dream places to live”).  As a B Corp and a global company, it checks many of my preferred working environment boxes.

There are many others, including some that I’ve worked for in the past, such as  Medecins Sans Frontières/ Doctors Without Borders (the single most amazing working experience of my life) and some that I’ve applied to in the past, but my skills/background are not what they are looking for, such as Jellyvision and The Nerdery.

So, here’s my question for all of you today:  What companies or organizations do you love that are not looking for your skills, but that others should know about?  Please also mention WHY you think they are great places.

What is your favorite part of job searching?

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So, I get it. Looking for a job is hard. It can be demoralizing and depressing, and sometimes feels futile. I understand, as I’ve been at it for a while. But today I was thinking about the positives of job searching, and I realized that I’ve done some pretty amazing things lately that I most likely would not have done if i were working full time. Don’t get me wrong – I miss working. But it hasn’t been entirely negative.

For me, it’s given me the time and space to explore ideas I never would have if i were concentrating on a full time job. I’ve been able to put some serious time in on the novel I’ve always wanted to write, but was never focused on enough. I’ve explored new parts of my city, tried paddle boarding, and gotten in touch with friends I’ve not talked to in years. I took the no-longer-really-a-puppy to agility classes, because there is nothing like seeing a happy, exhausted fluffy curled up on her favorite rug at the end of the day. I’ve laughed, and run, and learned, and grieved, and finally organized the darn bathroom closet.

I’ve been able to use my law degree for good, putting in solid pro bono hours. And I’ve had the opportunity to learn new ideas, research really interesting companies, and meet so many new people. I’ve gone to really great networking events with groups like FinTech Women, Women In Tech, and NSENG. I’ve caught up on my CLE, and learned to design for social impact with AIGA. I’ve learned about some really interesting companies – some because I’ve applied for positions, and others because I’ve been impressed by the company itself. Companies like Jellyvision and Basecamp, that are amazing in how they treat employees, Coapt, which is doing incredible work building technology for controlling protheses, and MATTER Chicago for their IPF Challenge.

Searching for a job is difficult, but there are also positives. So, my question to you is: what has been your favorite part of your job searching time?

To lawyer, or not to lawyer, that is the question

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A few weeks ago, a woman on one of my lawyer forums asked us a question:  “If someone came to you asking if you thought they should go to law school, what would you tell them?”  The answers were eye-opening.  Most of the people who answered said no, they wouldn’t recommend it – mostly due to the cost of law school and the dismal pay/hours/stress ratio.  Some said no, due to the difficulty of transitioning out of a legal career after being a lawyer (how often have attorneys heard the “overqualified” comment?).  And some said a qualified yes, because they loved their job, but disliked many aspects of it.

My first reaction was, no.  no, I would not recommend it.  Law school is brutal, and it breaks people.  The Bar exam is two excruciating days to prove you were worth 3 years of stress and $100,000 in student loans.

Part of my “no” was due to the incredible expense of law school, bar exam study courses, annual license fees, the cost of CLE courses, and the fact that most lawyers do not make anywhere near as much as aspiring law students (and the general population) believe they do.  The hours can be brutal, the clients and cases can be difficult, the job itself is incredibly stressful, and new associates at most law firms are expected to work 100 hour weeks.  It is an isolating, pressure-filled profession, and many people who do not understand what a lawyer does will find great enjoyment in denigrating you and your profession while refusing to listen to what you actually do.  As the adage goes, everyone hates lawyers right up until the moment they need one.

And part of my “no” was due to the difficulty in transitioning out of law when you’ve decided it is not what you want to be doing.  Either because hiring managers and recruiters don’t hear  what you did, because they are afraid you’ll expect an attorney salary for a non-attorney position, or because you’re older than the employees they want to have as the face of their company.

But then I thought a bit more about what I like about being an attorney, particularly what I enjoy about not being a full-time attorney.  And here it is:  I was raised to believe that it was my duty as a human being and as a member of society to use my skills and talents to help those who might have need for those skills and talents.  And, while I have no desire to work 100 hours a week for a law firm, and don’t wish to run a solo practice, I do have a set of very specialized skills that I can and must use to help others.

I was incredibly fortunate to come across an amazing legal nonprofit, The Center for Disability and Elder Law  while in law school.  I have continued to provide pro bono legal help through this organization whenever I am able, from working in the office to joining their amazing staff for different community initiatives.  The more pro bono initiatives I have joined, the more worthy initiatives I have found.  I also have had the opportunity to assist other attorneys on their pro bono cases, and will continue to use my legal knowledge for the benefit of those who would otherwise not have access to justice.

In the end, I would not be able to give a solid “yes, law school” or “no law school”  t someone else.  Because life is funny in that what you thought your life was going to be when you entered law school is usually not at all what life after law school actually looks like.  Like so very many things in life, law school, and being a lawyer, is about knowing who you are underneath the academic degrees and the career titles.  It’s about understanding what you hold most important.  What you will fight for.  Who you will fight for.  And it’s about knowing what you will do to hold true to who you are, with or without a law degree.

In the end, I am glad I went to law school, glad I passed the Bar, and glad that I am able to use my degree and my license to support what I believe in.  And I wish all of the potential law students,  law students, lawyers, former lawyers, and especially those of you studying for the Bar Exam all the success in the world in finding your meaning,

 

What is your perfect day?

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I live in Chicago, where I spend half the year freezing, and the other half of the year ecstatically happy because it’s warm.  There’s not a whole lot of in between.  I hate being cold, and have no tolerance to it, so once I can go outside without 19 layers and hand warmers, I spend as much time as possible with the windows wide open, enjoying the heat.  I also spend winter envisioning my perfect summer day.  What would I do on a day when I could do whatever I wanted?

My perfect day would absolutely begin with a couple hours at the dog beach, throwing tennis balls, letting the dog run off her crazy energy and watching the sun come up over the Lake.  Yes, I am one of those people who enjoys mornings, and I tend to wake up just before sunrise, whenever that may be.  Starting the day with sand and dogs and water is about as perfect a start to my day as I can imagine.

Coming back home with a happily exhausted dog, I dream of a huge mug of coffee and  sitting at the open window for a few hours of writing.   The fun kind of writing, where thoughts just flow onto the screen, and where there is no such thing as plot holes or dangling participles.

The afternoon would need to be spent at the ballpark, grabbing a seat in the Bleachers, soaking up the sun, the excitement, and that electricity that skates over your skin when you come out of the concourse for your first sight of the field spread out in front of you, glowing green with promise.  I have spent years going to the park with an idea that I will keep my own scorecard, and I do well for about two and half innings, keeping all the details of batting order, passed balls, line drives, catches, strikeouts……  At which point I shift my attention to the people around me, learning about them and where they are from, who they are at the game with, have they ever caught a ball, and – perhaps most importantly – how do they feel about ketchup on a hot dog.  By the end of the game, I’ve met interesting people, watched a great game, and, since we’re talking about my perfect day, have actually, finally, caught a ball.

There’s no better end to my day than a stroll up the block for some amazing barbacoa and a margarita on a secluded, flower-festooned patio, or a perfect burger and fries out at a sidewalk cafe with friends, as the sun goes down and the night owls come out bursting with energy and excitement for the evening ahead of them.

If you could envision a day when you could do anything you wanted to do, what would it be?

 

 

Where would you live?

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Anyone who knows me, knows that I adore exploring new places.  Whether it’s traveling, working, studying, or simply wandering, it’s one of my favorite things.  I love Chicago, love living here (except for January), but as I consider my next professional moves, I am revisiting some of my favorites.  Almost every place I’ve been, I’ve spent some time thinking of what it would be like to live and work there.

I realize how fortunate I am.  By luck of personality, opportunity, and education, I’ve been able to do a fair amount of traveling and working abroad in my life so far.  Some of it was for work, and some of it was for fun, and some was a bit of both.  A few times I set out with friends, but mostly I went alone, meeting new friends along the way.  Sleeping on trains,  in hostels, and, once, outside on a lounge chair on the deck of an overnight ferry,  while living for days on a loaf of bread and some cheese remains one of my favorite experiences.

In my post Peace Corps travels, I wound my way through The Baltics (as this was in 1998, there were some incredible grass-roots memorials to the resistance movement that brought about the end of the Soviet occupation) and Scandanavia (Bergen is amazingly gorgeous, and I loved exploring Helsinki) ending up on the Isle of Skye just as the heather bloomed.  I went from two years of desert to this amazing profusion of purple flowers rising up against the stunning beauty of the Hebrides.  I ended up spending months there, when I’d originally planned on staying a few days.  I absolutely fell in love with Scotland, the people, the history, the culture.  I would move back to Scotland in a heartbeat.

In college, I spent a semester abroad at Flinders University in Adelaide.  Australia in general remains one of my favorite countries I’ve ever visited, and it remains the only place I’ve traveled that I cried at having to leave.  In addition to visiting the cities such as Sydney and Melbourne, I was determined to see as much of the country as I could.  I spent a week riding horseback through Tasmania,  an adventure which remains one of my favorite experiences ever.   I took a train to Alice Springs, scared the heck out of myself coming way too close to crocodiles in Darwin, visited The Pinnacles outside of Perth.  When I found myself alone on Thanksgiving in Cairns, (during box jellyfish season, which was an error in planning on my part), an amazing restaurant owner threw an impromptu party and fed me an incredible seafood dinner.  I flew over to New Zealand to meet up with my mom for spring break, and had an absolutely magical trip  through the South Island.

So many other amazing places I’ve worked and visited, from relaxing in Portugal while on R&R from my work with MSF in Sudan, to geeking out about all things William Butler Yeats in Sligo, to the scariest helicopter ride of my life in Sierra Leone.  From meeting up with my mom in Thailand on my R&R from MSF in China, to touring through the USA with the  MSF Access to Essential Medicines EXPO.  I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have met so many wonderful people in incredible places around the world.

My question today is:  if you could move anywhere in the world to live and work, where would you choose, and why?