Keep Calm and Prepare On!

A couple weeks ago some areas in Mass received over 30 inches of snow!  Naturally schools were closed for two days and a driving ban was issued for about 24 hours but during this same storm a friend of mine living in Virginia told me they received less than 2 inches of snow and schools were closed with a winter warning of “blizzard like conditions”.  Any true New Englander is probably laughing at this (as I did) because even with 30 inches of snow, once the driving ban was lifted most of us were back to work the next day (and let’s face it – 2 inches is a dusting to a New Englander).  My friend, who was born and raised in Mass, told me how completely SHOCKED her friends were to hear that even after 30 inches of snow people drove to work the next day.

I didn’t think much of it at the time, just another day in Massachusetts right!  But afterwards I started thinking about the fact that many people really drove to work the next day and didn’t think twice about it.  The truth is we drove to work because we were prepared for it.  Plows and trucks were ready to go before the storm even hit, and when you live through a New England winter you know exactly what’s coming so we prepare for it better.  A couple inches throughout the night?  Set alarm 30min earlier to clean car off and shovel.  High winds/potential power outage?  Fill the tub with water; make sure you have plenty of candles and flashlights easily accessible.

Winter is 2^nd nature to a New Englander so why can’t your job search be the same?

If your last interview didn’t go well, what can you do better next time?  Maybe it’s bringing a few extra copies of your resume, preparing examples and/or answers ahead of time or dressing more professionally (even if the position doesn’t require it).  Passed 1^st round on to the next?  Try preparing new questions that are more challenging and think about the first round and any answer you wish you explained differently.  There is always room for improvement.  Life is all about adapting and making ourselves better and the best way to do that is to prepare for it!