Paying It Forward in 2010
January 4, 2010 by angelacristinanegro
Filed under Workplace Relationships
Featured Guest Blogger: Angela Cristina Negro
The Professional Careerist, Managing Your Career Through Personal Development – Helping young engineering professionals navigate the choppy waters of building a career
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It’s the New Year. 2009 is now behind us and we are thrust forward into the throes of the unknown that is 2010. I could do the usual and write about New Year’s resolutions that I will be making and…ahem…keeping…but I thought I would rather talk about a great theme that we should focus on for the next New Year. The idea came to me after an in-depth conversation with a great friend!
I was thanking my friend Meghan for passing my CV around her office to a few key managers (because I recently quit my job and relocated back to my hometown of Montreal). And in response to my thanking her, Meghan said the nicest thing; she said that she thought it was the least she could do seeing as someone had helped her get her job and she was just paying it forward. Paying it forward. Yup, that simple gesture of paying forward the kindness you have experienced from others.
For those of you reading this thinking that Meghan is simply a really nice person, well you’re right! But she is also a careerist: driven, persistent and ambitious. And paying it forward is such an important thing for careerists to do, as well. Here’s why:
It shows appreciation. It’s important to realize that the kindness of friends and strangers alike isn’t something to be taken for granted, but rather is something to be highly valued. Many people find themselves fighting fires and battling wars (figuratively…) on their own, both at work and in life. People get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of every day life that they forget simple gestures like thanking others for facilitating even the smallest things. Demonstrating appreciation is important for careerists because it shows humanity, empathy and understanding. People like people that understand and appreciate another’s worth and value.
It shows confidence. I find the largest problem amongst careerists these days is selfishness. So many people expect others to help them and have a sense of entitlement about everything. Unfortunately, no one is entitled to anything. If someone has taken the time to help you it is because they find value in helping you; they respect you and want you to succeed. True careerists are confident enough in their abilities that they don’t feel like they have to hog resources or shortchange others in order to get ahead. True careerists are confident in their successes so much so that they want to help others succeed as well.
It shows integrity. By paying it forward, you are acknowledging that others have helped you along the way and that you are returning the favor…maybe not directly to the same person that helped you, but by paying it forward, you are at least showing respect for those that have helped you along the way!
So this is my challenge to you. Let 2010 be every careerist’s year for paying it forward. Let’s do our part in helping others with drive, motivation and ambition in achieving their desired successes, as well.
