Break Into the Human Resources Field in Just 5 Minutes
While some people can’t go a month without bringing home the homeless, lost puppies, or patients in need of kidneys, some of us–let’s face it–don’t have that same knack for helping.
But here’s a small resolution we can make, a la yesterday’s post, to resource the people in our lives.
Make up your mind that whenever you hear a person is in need of one of the following 4 items, you will invest 5 minutes to try to help them find a solution.
1. CLOTHING OR HOUSEHOLD ITEMS
Evaluate whether you already have a needed item (a high chair, a coat in a certain size) that meets the need at hand. If not, make a call or send an email on the person’s behalf–either to a friend who you know might have the needed items or to an organization like the Salvation Army, Goodwill or St.Vincent’s dePaul.
You might wonder, why can’t they just make the call for themselves?
They could. But need sometimes makes people feel vulnerable and strips us of the emotional energy needed to take even small risks on our own behalf. Besides, you extending yourself on their behalf sends a life-affirming message. All is not lost. Even if you don’t succeed in meeting their need, you’ll have spent five minutes demonstrating that there are still people in this world who care.
And on a bad day, that itself can often be enough.
2. DREAMS
When you hear that someone has always wanted to record an album and you happen to know the manager of a local recording studio, maybe the response is easy: you introduce two like-minded people. And they get to it. Dreams come true.
But even if someone’s dream is ouuuuut therrrrrrrrre, and you don’t know a single soul who can help them along, you might make their day by dropping your five need-meeting minutes just listening and believing in possibility with them.
You can be that stranger they met on an airplane or in line at the grocery store who believed they had potential. The person who said go for it. And who spurred them to go home and get serious about living out their vision.
3. JOBS
Obviously if you know of a job in the field they are pursuing, you can list some off-the-cuff ideas.
(This part takes about 1.5 minutes.) =)
But after that commit to remembering–REALLY remembering–to send at least one email asking any relevant contacts about openings on their behalf. And again, even if your search doesn’t turn up a lead, drop them an email or let them know next time you see them that you’ve made an inquiry on their behalf.
I also often offer that I’d be happy to serve as a recommendation (if I have honestly good things to say about their qualifications).
And again, if I help them make a great job connection, it’s a bonus. But either way, they hopefully walk away knowing that someone could empathize with the sometimes desperate need for income. That someone heard them. That someone cared.
4. TASKS
Sometimes, out of no where, we hear that an elderly person is having a hard time getting their leaves raked or a person who just had surgery is unable to pick up their prescriptions. Granted, you might have to evaluate whether you have more than 5 minutes to become their helper. But even if you truly don’t, rack your brain about whether there is a call you can make on their behalf. Know a local boy scout troop or youth group who might be able to lend a hand? Why not try a local social service agency who might be able to connect them to a community advocate or program?
Some final words…
In resolving to give five minutes in four areas, you might decide there are eight and not four areas you’re committed to helping in. Or you might decide that you can give an hour, a day, even a week. But for me, little commitments like this–setting a minimum of five minutes–become sort of a personal benchmark that ensures I never become so busy that I blow off an easy chance to help keep someone’s head up.
And here’s the sweetest part. Many times–when it comes to these four areas–five minutes is all it takes. Five minutes really does help. And even sweeter, sometimes five minutes pries open the door to our heart and helps us feel God stirring us to clear more than five minutes off of our schedule to show who we are by our love.