I've Got A Friend

My friend, Pat Mason, is always telling me that God works not only in mysterious ways, but in his own time and that we just have to wait for him to unveil the plan.  As I have said, waiting is not the best thing I do.  But, in this job economy, it's all I can do.

But, I think I am starting to agree with Pat.  I blogged earlier about speaking to a woman (Judy Budd) who is the Sales Manager for the Greater Wilmington Business Journal. Speaking to her was an accident.   I was actually trying to find an email address or phone number for the regular Wilmington paper and couldn't, so I resorted to the Yellow Pages.  The Regular Wilmington paper was not listed there either, but Judy's paper, the Greater Wilmington Business Journal was.  I called her to find out if her paper was hiring or had a sales Call Center. 

Judy asked for my resume and invited me to the Biz Tech networking event, which I attended early in February.  Yesterday, we met for coffee and spent the next hour and a half talking about people she was going to contact on my behalf for a job.  I couldn't believe that this busy woman would not only take an hour and a half out of her day, but take me on as a project as well.  After coming up with an entire page of contact people, she told me which companies were hiring and who was the best person to speak to at various companies.  We just clicked.  She said later in an email that she has never felt the connection we seemed to have with anyone else so quickly as she did with me.  Personally, I found her to be an older version of me.  She grew up in Parma,  we have the same hair color and style and were even wearing similar outfits.  But, aside from the "outside" things,  I too, felt an immediate friendship.

I sent her some flowers to say thanks after our meeting.   This morning, she called to say thanks and asked what Tony and I were doing this Saturday night.  She went on to invite us to go to the American Heart Association Ball at the Convention Center.  A black tie event (yep, Tony gets to wear his tux again!!) where some of the people she wants me to meet will be attending.   I was shocked and very excited. 

Sometimes in the working world you find people willing to go the extra mile to help others--sometimes you don't.  I have always believed that being successful in your job meant helping and mentoring others so that they get a shot at the success that  you have experienced.  Some people think that helping and mentoring others puts their own success at risk and that's just not true.

I may get a job as a result of the time and effort I put into contacting and building relationships with the people Judy knows--and I may not.   But if I do, I will spend whatever career I have left making her glad that she recommended me...and I will do the same for the next newcomer. 

In Judy, I have a mentor--someone familiar with Wilmington who can help me navigate the job waves in the city.  But in Judy, I've also got a friend.