Coffee Talk Mom

The Privilege of Writing

I was talking to my Mom the other day.  She is an amazing writer and has spent countless hours writing about each of our childhoods (hers included), family histories, spiritual feelings and much more.  She even wrote a kids book about a rocking horse that all of the grandkids used.   She has given up writing. (More about that later).

 

In blogging, I have found that I can take things happening in the world, or in my head and put them to paper and publish it to the masses.  In doing so, I have learned that there are many things "the world" need not hear from me.  No one really cares about my cheesy potato recipe...they just want to eat it.  In the same way, I found that how to put on makeup, whether to wear makeup, how to style your hair, or feel good about yourself may better be left to Pinterest, YouTube or Dr Phil.  

 

So Mom told me (at 80), "I've written everything I want to write about".  This wasn't an "I give up" at all.  This was the reality that everything she truly cares about, she has covered.  Bloggers of today are a dime a dozen and much of what they (we) write has already been written to an extent.  My hope is that when I post, it is something that gives you a smile or forces you to think about something you have pushed away to a dark corner, something that makes you feel...and for me...that is a privilege.  

 

5 years

200 posts

Thousands of readers

 

Thank You and have another cup for me,

 

Coffeetalkmom

Top 6 Tips for Returning to the Work Force

Maybe you are not quite retired, your kids are off to school most days, you never took the dive in to the non-profit volunteer wheel and you look yourself in the mirror and think, "What's next?"  It can be a daunting question for those of us who let our skills go in a sense and chose to sharpen our minds with family finances, driving , cooking, cleaning and more.  Don't panic.  Things have changed, but you can put yourself out there with your head high and translate those skills into a job.  It WILL feel overwhelming at first, but take heart and stick with it, have some confidence, and start small.

 

1. Resume: It is always good to spend time gathering your thoughts and skills, but hard-copy resumes are rarely exchanged.  Log on to LinkedIn and update your skills, add contacts, and be sure your profile is complete.
2. Get busy making and keeping contacts.  Although much depends on the kind of job you are looking for, it is always good to foster relationships and put the word out with family and friends.
3. Get your ducks in a row:  Think through what you are willing to sacrifice in order to get "back in the pool".  In my case, events tend to be nights and weekends, so I am gone a couple of nights a week.  I haven't had to work on a weekend yet and an occasional day is do-able.  Do you want to be full-time?  Would it be a job you would have to "take home" when you leave?  Do you need insurance? (That spells FULL TIME)
4. Get used to working with millennials.  It's GREAT if you are flexible, and realize that you can share your skills.  The people I work with are young and fully educated with technology.  I am better with people and road-blocks, speaking to a group, etc... Make the best of it, and get something out of it.  No complaining! 
5. Be confident in what you know about yourself and be willing to answer questions about what "you have been doing", and "what you know".  The best way to do this is to go through some top interview questions.  I actually thought through the answers, wrote them down and studied.  Sure enough, they were asked and I felt more prepared with my answers.  
6. Be willing to start small with a job where you can learn and grow.  Jumping in to something over your head may not get you off to the best start and working 9 hours a day with no flexibility may get some getting used to.  

 

Hilarious side-note:  I am back working a part-time job in events at a tech company in Boulder.  Many of the people I work with are young, and I was asked how long I had been married.  When I said, "Uhh...30 years" they looked at me as if to say, "OMG...I am working with my mother!"... I love it!

 

Coffeetalkmom