Friday, August 14, 2020

Recent College Graduates - The Keep It Moving Strategy



As Smart Moms, we are deeply concerned about our children and how they will survive and make a living in a world that has come to a grinding stop. The job market is dreary.   The June Bureau of Labor Statistics's Economic Release Report stated that 1 out 5  in their early 20's was jobless.  As moms, we are watching our young people at home struggling with motivation, establishing next steps, and how to make the best of a tough situation.  


Most moms are not career coaches, but you do have experience LANDING your 1st job, and you DO understand the importance of skills and having confidence in using these skills. I hope this blog post will empower you to help your children Keep It Moving until things turn around.  


As mothers, we have the wisdom to know that the Pandemic and recession will pass. It is our job as mothers to help our young people embrace this truth and do what they can. I believe our young people can engage in activities that will make them more appealing to employers when the job market turns around.  


Here are some steps to help your young people Keep It Moving:


1.   Encourage our young people to make a list of the skills they are secure in and ones that need work.  Chime in and give them some gentle suggestions. Help them see how their dream job will require proficiency with these skills, and now is the time to work on them. Visit https://www.mynextmove.org/ to identify skills based on a job title or keyword.  


2.   Help our young people identify a class, internship, externship, part-time, or volunteer job that will give them confidence in secondary skills.  Some of these skills could be Problem-Solving, Teamwork/Collaboration, Professionalism/Work Ethics, and Oral and Written Communication. Be open to using your network to create a connection for them.  https://online-learning.harvard.edu/catalog/free 


3. Please encourage our young people to be gentle and patient with themselves when things don't work out. Thoughtfully remind them to Keep It Moving. Our world is strange now, but setting realistic goals, having action steps, and following timelines will win the race.   

 

Here is a scenario to help you think through your support strategy: 


Maya is a 2020 Communications graduate. She has been looking for a job in her major in many different industries but no luck. Maya engages with her college's career services office and applies to positions on various job sites (Indeed, LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter), but the opportunities are slim. She has determined some associations and organizations that align with her profession, and she attends some online networking events. Her network is growing, but no job offers yet. 


As her parent, you know two individuals in your network who have used their communications degree in the field that Maya has mentioned. You reach out to those individuals and see if they would be open to talking with Maya about their career path. It works out, you make the introduction and encourage Maya to brush up on information interview skills before talking to your contacts. Maya learns through the interviews that constantly developing strong written communication skills is critical. 


 Over a quiet dinner, you and Maya take time to visit mynextmove.org and explore some job titles that fall under the Communications major. Maya has always talked about working in a health-related field. The Health Educator position appeals to Maya, and so you hone in on the knowledge, skills, and abilities section. You spend time talking about the skills that Maya needs and the ones that need work. It turns out customer-service and written communication are areas Maya feels she needs work. 


 Maya begins to look for a job locally and finds that several security companies supporting pharmaceutical and healthcare facilities need site managers. Also, eldercare companies are looking for marketing coordinators. Both opportunities are part-time, but they involved writing reports, documentation, and engaging with the public. When hired, Maya will be able to offset employment gaps and add relevant transferrable skills to her resume. When the market bounces back, Maya can refigure her resume to include this transferable experience.  


With patience and an agreed strategy, Maya will eventually land in a career using her Communications degree and earning decent wages. Smart Moms is available to assist recent college grads with a personalized Keep It Moving Strategy. Contact info@smart-moms.net for more details.


Monday, May 11, 2020

Who are the Best Part-Time Remote Workers?

Who are the Best Part-Time Remote Workers? Smart Moms, of course, and here’s why!  

Has Covid-19 shifted your 2020 plans for your busy growing law firm?  Maybe you were planning on hiring multiple on-site full-time employees, now you’re thinking that a few part-time workers, who can work remotely, is the safer, low-risk option for your firm’s growth. 

If you need employees to work flexible schedules, remotely, with part-time hours, Smart Moms are the perfect match.  Here’s why:  

Smart Moms are multi-talented; they can fill many roles in the workplace.  They bring a wealth of skills to the virtual workplace. They are experienced paralegals, attorneys, Legal/ Virtual Assistants, IT, accountants, and bookkeepers AND they’ve worked in a variety of fields.  They bring their ENTIRE skill set to your workplace, including 5+ years of knowledge in their expertise area, leadership, management, strong communication and interpersonal skills.  

Smart Moms desire flexibility, and they offer it as well. They are seeking flexible opportunities that accommodate their lifestyle and other demands. They can work during non-traditional hours which can keep daytime business work moving. Employers need flexible workers that can ramp up or scale down depending on the work demands. It is a perfect match.

Smart Moms partner their innate collaboration skills with seasoned organizational and professional skills.  They are mothers and grandmothers, and they possess countless experiences pulling activities and families together within the home. They can “herd cats” and pivot on a moment’s notice.  This experience is directly transferrable to the work environment. Their style of leading is tied to compassion, intuition, and inspiration, which is much needed right now.

Smart Moms bring emotional intelligence to physical and virtual work environments.  They can control their emotions and help those around them even over Zoom (smile).  

Smart Moms are reliable and conscientious workers.  They enjoy contributing and doing quality work.  When given the right job that fits their lifestyle and passion, their quality of work and commitment is unbeatable.  

Our Smart Moms are educated, current, ambitious and on fire to make an impact.

Ready to find a dedicated, hard-working and flexible part-time (or full-time too) remote worker? Email info@smart-moms.net and let’s schedule a brief conversation to discuss your needs.  

For over 16 years, Smart Moms LLC has helped employers find their perfect match from the rich talent pool of Smart Moms.

Monday, February 17, 2020

The Natural Collaborator

The Natural Collaborator – A Smart Mom

High-functioning teams have different people in different roles.

One key role in a successful team is a collaborator.

Collaborators work jointly on an activity or project; they are NOT prima donnas. They bring strong interpersonal skills that support the team working together.

Collaborators ask for feedback, perspective and assistance; they don't create information silos. They withhold harsh dialogue. They volunteer to serve in roles and partner.

Smart Moms are natural collaborators. Their skillset has been developed by countless instances of pulling activities involving many people and rallying family together within the home. They lead home activities and influence home culture with compassion, intuition and inspiration.

Smart Moms partner their collaboration and organizational skills with professional skills.