Heard it was open mic night at The Chanticleer. I’ll give it a go.
Leaving Coastal and heading back to Surfside last week, I spontaneously popped into the Waffle House on 544 just west of campusmid-afternoon for a to-go order (scattered, splattered, peppered, diced, topped). Place was empty, sat at the counter. The server noticed me doodling lecture notes. “You at the college?” Yes nod. I inquired if the place gets crazy with the college crowd late nights.“Soooo busy. But they don’t tip!”
C’mon dudes and dudettes. Show a little class. That server might be a single mom enduring two/three jobs to barely cover survival costs. An extra couple bucks could equal enough gas to get to her next job, after dropping the kids off at school. Maybe the server is a fellow Chanticleer dealing with the Bursar.
Be a star. Pay it forward, good things will happen. My bill was $9. I left a twenty.
Was recently contemplating
——————————————————-
contemplation in search of inspiration (spacing out) in which I tend to glance at my diplomas. We in the biz often hear “what’s the value of a degree?” For me, those diplomas represent an internal satisfaction reminder of all the tasks demanded and sacrifices made that allowed me to join an elite club of graduates. Perseverance. Grit. Logic. Relationships.
A quick glance at the framed parchment and the brain spins of experiences and people. Yes, earning your degree gets you past the first HR filter, but the feeling, the satisfaction only the individual can grasp. Gold.
Earn that degree. Frame it.
Semi on topic is the value of a quality recommendation letter. A solid recommendation can be the game changer in your application. Have you earned one?
Too many years ago: My
——————————————————–
phone barked “Caller ID Not Available.” A former colleague and friend had jumped to a software corporation and recommended me for a job that I didn’t even know existed. Label me intrigued. The Human Resources rep I spoke with set up a lunch meeting at the Space Needle restaurant (since I currently worked across the street from it). Corporate head-hunting is real.
Met with four people all dressed in company garb. Pleasantries exchanged, we moved to the interview. Only three questions. AI’s list of potential interview questions would not have rendered these.
“Tell us something we don’t know about something we know.”
Seriously?! What kind of interview question is that? “Did you know that the football field for Army at West Point is only 96 yards long?” (random seemed to be the theme).
Amused, “We’ll bite, tell us more.”
I detailed how I was freelancing a playback/replay gig for a sports network and the first-and-ten operator called me into his booth. “Check this out.” I explained the tech we used to confirm the quirk.
“Interesting. Now we know. So, we like your resume and your references are solid. Tell us, what makes you (company name) material?”
“OK, that’s a great question. Let me think for a second (my mouth was buying the brain some time). Well, I’ve used and enjoyed your products since y’all hit the market. I’m cool with the culture of your company. I also know two items that you have missed the mark on.”
“Oh really, and those would be?”
“You’d have to hire me to find out.”
“When can you start?”
Mama was adamant about “learn skills that will make you money and make your own opportunities.”
Thanks Mom.
—————————————————-
Oof. I’m outta time. You’ve been a great crowd. Tip your server.
LYMI. MK
