A Public Health Holiday: Taking Care of Our Communities and Ourselves

“Dashing to the store in a turbo powered sleigh. O’er the aisles we go, crying all the way! Wah wah wah!”

This does not have to be your holiday. Budgets and time are limited, but by practicing professionalism and keeping our public health philosophies in mind, we can take care of our communities and ourselves during the holiday season.

Taking Professionalism Out of the Office: Holiday shopping can raise blood pressure and increase anxiety, but remaining calm and professional can help you get through the long crowds and long lines. Just like having a deadline for a project at work, remaining calm and focused will reduce stress so you can produce the product you want. Prioritizing and planning ahead helps you be productive at work, so why not use the same tools in holiday preparations?

Life of the Party: No one wants to be the talk of the office Monday morning after company or coworker holiday parties. You can be social and have fun while maintaining professionalism. Watch your alcohol intake. Be sure to drink water and keep talking. Use that time to connect with people from other departments while keeping work talk at a minimum, but keep in mind who you meet as you may need to contact someone in their department at a later date. If a manager or coworker did something special for you during the year, take the time to thank them. If you have to talk about work, think about some accomplishments through the year that you can celebrate. The more you interact with people, the more fun you will have and the less alcohol you will drink.

‘Tis the Season of Giving: The greatest gifts come from the the heart and not obligation. Some traditional ways to give back to a community are to volunteer at a shelter or food kitchen or donate coats, toys, and other items to local shelters and organizations. These are great ways to help, but to have a bigger impact, try getting your office, neighbors, family and friends to volunteer and donate with you. Don’t limit yourself just the holiday season. Get a group of people to volunteer or donate items every month of the year.

If you are feeling short on time, you can still have an impact in your community by making financial contributions. Donating to the favorite charity of the person on your list who has everything is a wonderful way to show how much you care about them and what they care about. Every year, my family makes a donation in tribute to a family member who passed and make that the gift to the family.

If you are short on time and money, little acts of kindness can be gifts of great impact during the holidays and throughout the year. Offering to help someone who is struggling with packages at the post office, holding doors, smiling at people, offering to reach something for someone on a high shelf (maybe that is just me), shoveling a neighbors walkway or raking their leaves, are all free and quick things that can inspire others to be kind to each other.

Stop Holiday Stress in its Tracks: Even with all the smiles and volunteering, you may start to feel the stress of the holidays sneaking up on you. Here are some tips for preventing and reducing holiday stress.

Recognizing stress triggers, planning ahead, and keeping a budget can help prevent stress. If you know that big crowds trigger stress and anxiety, plan to do your shopping during off peak days or hours. Keeping a tight budget will help you feel like you are not breaking the bank. Take it a step further and offer your skills or services as a gift and save some money. When I worked as a mechanic, I changed a friend’s oil and rotated her tires as a gift. It was a gift that kept on giving for 3,500 miles. Remember that your holiday plans are not going to turn out perfect so be realistic of your expectations of yourself and others.

As much as we try to prevent stress, we may still experience holiday stress. Some of the tried and true ways to reduce stress are to take deep breaths, take a break from the hustle and bustle, maintain healthy habits, and reach out for help. When you start to feel anxious, take some deep breaths and find a quiet place to take a break. With all the savory foods and baked treats that surround us this time of year, remember that good things in moderation are still good. Also, use time with friends and family to do something active if you are unable to get in your workout routine. Some of the ways I reduce stress is by playing games with friends, listening to some of my favorite music, writing, and taking a walk. Despite your best efforts, you may find yourself feeling persistently sad or anxious, plagued by physical discomfort, unable to sleep, irritable and hopeless, and unable to face routine activities. If these feelings last for a while, talk to a doctor or mental health professional.

Being professional, expressing gratitude, giving back to your community, little acts of kindness, and creating the holiday you want will help keep the season merry and bright. If it all gets too much, remember to reach out as there are people who can help you no matter the task.

Social Media: A Professional Approach

You never want to put yourself in the position of losing an opportunity or your job because of your activities on Facebook and Twitter. Companies are more likely to hire and keep employees who do not partake in questionable social media activities. Sometimes, comments people leave on public forums can produce a dreaded pink slip. While you have the right to your opinions and free speech, make sure you understand your employers or potential employers policies. We hear so often about how NOT to use social media as a professional, but what is less often discussed is how you can use social media when job hunting and maintaining your professional status.

Social media can be very useful professionally. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter can all be used to further your career and share your professional personality.

LinkedIn acts as your own virtual resume on a virtual networking platform. The idea that recruiters, employers, coworkers, and other interested people can find your body of work and reach out to you with just the click of a mouse is a very appealing prospect. Making LinkedIn really worthwhile takes more than a polished profile and professional profile picture. Connecting with professionals in your field of work, joining LinkedIn groups, and posting relevant updates are all ways to attract the attention you want  and more opportunities. When you are actively looking for employment opportunities on LinkedIn, take the time to look at the Hiring Manager’s profile. You may find information that you can use to tailor your cover letter to your strengths and the needs of the organization. Putting a fraction of the work in to your LinkedIn activity will maintain a positive and professional profile.

Facebook can also be used for your job search and to increase visibility in your field. Connections from volunteers, college contacts, former professors, former and current co-works; all of these people can and should be in your Facebook network. By posting relevant news and topics of interest to these groups, you gain that visibility which can help you when searching for the next opportunity. Let friends know that you are looking and what you are looking for and you will be the first person in their mind when a position opens up at their company. Then when your company is hiring, you can return the favor. The key to keeping your professional and private life separate are those Facebook lists. Used correctly and maintained, you can choose exactly who gets to see the pictures from your weekend fun or more personal posts to your volunteer activities or career news.

Twitter is another media that has attracted professionals as it is a very easy and quick way to share a message. Hiring managers will often post about open job opportunities with a link to a more detailed post. Professional associations and companies will post news about upcoming events, advances in the field, and other related topics. You can use it for sharing your resume. By tweeting the hiring manager with a link to your resume, you will stand out and show your internet savvy. Retweeting communication from the CEO of a company you want to work for, or someone you want to work with will show that you are like minded. Ask them to follow you as you tweet about topics in your field. Then when you are looking for a job and tweet your resume, they will be the first to see it and click the link. You can also join hashtag discussions about topics that interest you to connect with link minded professionals. One word of caution though, make sure your Twitter has a professional handle and be sure to understand how you can communicate with narrow and large groups.

I usually post by, “Would I show or say this to my boss?” when it comes to social media. Take some time to understand how to use the media and how you can make privacy settings work for all of your audiences. Use LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter when you are ready for that next step on your career path and consider your audiences when posting.

[For more on Using LinkedIn for Professional Connections]

[For more on Smart Ways to Use Social Media in Your Job Search]

[For more on using How to Use Twitter to Land a Job]

Awkward Moments: Asking for a Reference or Letter of Recommendation

As the applications for the 2014 Summer Internship Program roll in, I am reminded of some of those potentially awkward moments for professional development. I would not consider myself a shy person, but it is always somewhat uncomfortable to ask for something from others.

Asking someone to be a reference for you or write a letter of recommendation can be one of those awkward moments. How do you ask? Who do you ask? When do you ask?

Who to ask: It may seem obvious, but deserves noting, do not ask someone who does not know you, or you have had a bad experience with, to be a reference. I have had people ask me to be their reference and frankly, I still do not know their name or body of work. The other side of this is when people who I have had bad working experiences with ask me to be their reference. While it is extremely rare, it does happen. These situations put me in an awkward situation because I have to say no. Of course in these cases it does not mean I have ill feelings toward them, I am just not the person be their reference.

When thinking about who you want to be a reference, some good options are professors, supervisors, and other professionals who can speak to who you are and what your goals are. This requires having those conversations early and often with these people and keeping them up to date with professional and career changes you experience.

During my undergraduate education, I got to know a number of my professors and met many community members and professionals who I can call upon when I need a reference or letter or recommendation. These relationships are built in little moments throughout the student experience such as walking with a professor to class or staying after for a few minutes, listening to community members you serve and engaging in their lives, and of course volunteering to be a member of a board, or joining a club. Sometimes even your fellow classmates can serve as the perfect reference to speak to your leadership and your personality. Sharing your experiences and goals helps build relationships and allows you to call on these people in the future.

How to ask: Now is the awkward part. With a lot of communication being through email and the busy schedules of your references, it can be appropriate to make your request through email. However, making the request in person is preferred. Whether you ask in person or through email, it is best to offer some context including what position you are applying for, why it is a promising opportunity, and how you feel it can further your career. If you have a job description, that can be helpful to. If you are asking for a letter of recommendation, the same things should be provided so the writer can frame their letter around what is needed.

When to ask: The short answer is, the earlier the better. A week for a letter of recommendation is not enough time for the majority of professionals and professors because they do have very busy schedules. Giving a month for a letter of recommendation is ideal, but not always possible so asking your people what is best for them before you begin your search plants the seed.

As an example, I knew there was a summer leadership program offered in my area and in previous years they asked for two letters of recommendation and an additional professional reference. I made my requests as soon as the opportunity was publicized which gave my writers plenty of time.

Another example is when I interviewed for a job and was not asked for references until after the first interview. Luckily, I had asked two people (a former professor and a former supervisor/ friend) to be semi-permanent references. A quick email of what I had interviewed for, why I wanted the job, and how it would further my career and within minutes I had my references and sent them to the hiring manager within the hour.

It can feel awkward or uncomfortable to ask someone to be a reference or write that letter for you, but if you do the work to build the relationships the question is easier to answer. Keep in mind that you are not the only person who has or who is making this request and people do have busy schedules so ask early. Don’t take it personally if you do not receive a response or the person you are asking says no. If you are sincere in your relationships and requests of others you should have no problem getting that much desired reference. Also be sure to be available to offer the reference for others who come up behind you and make the effort to share their goals and experiences.