Article: Breaking a Pattern: Female Science Department Chair, Maryke Moreau ’09

If you’ve ever been to Kents Hill School, recently, or in the late aughts, you likely know our newly dubbed Science Department Chair, Maryke Moreau ’09 (Ms. Mo or Rake for those who know her personally). She attended Kents Hill, she is a fierce Winter Carnival competitor and hockey player, she’s a coach, and she is a Dorm Parent in Maine Hall. Her presence is well-known and we are proud of that because she represents achievement in two primarily male-dominated sectors: science and math. 

Female Leadership

I’ve had the distinct pleasure of serving as Moreau’s co-Dorm Parent, so I’ve been able to see firsthand just how passionate she is about her area of expertise and being a visible female role model. And, I think it is fair to say that anyone around her knows that she is doing a bang-up job at it as such a young Chair. 

She says her presence as Chair, “shows other aspiring young females that they can be a scientist and leader in an academic career.” What may surprise some people is that she didn’t always plan to lead a department.

She says, “When I first imagined going into this profession, I only envisioned being a teacher. In fact, during my first five years of teaching, I never even aspired to have this position. I think this was partly because I’ve been in a male-dominated discipline, and I’ve only seen male department Chairs in the previous schools I’ve worked. The other reason was due to confidence. It wasn’t until Kents Hill that I felt like my opinions and creative ideas about curriculum were worth much.” 

In fact, before Kents Hill, Moreau had to actively fight to be seen in the way she now shines. She says, “There are absolutely societal barriers that limit or dissuade women from pursuing careers and higher education in my field. I’ve even experienced a few of them. I would argue that most of the societal barriers stem from bias. One of my favorite examples comes from the day I met my college advisor. It was only supposed to be a five-minute introduction meeting, but mine became a 15-20 minute meeting where I had to prove and justify my existence in the Physics program. Even though I had a detailed trajectory and plan for my career goals and a plan for making up my math course requirements, I had to debate it with a man rather than having him support my goals. During this meeting, I learned that part of the reason for the interrogation I got was because I was the first female in about twenty years to go through the program, which played a role in his tone and remarks. 

“I also think part of the dissuading comes from the environment of the classroom. In college, I dealt with living in two worlds. I was in a male-dominated program with my Physics courses and a female-dominated program in my education courses. I witnessed moments of gender bias in both disciplines, but it wasn’t until I was out of college that I realized it. 
 
It’s little things that can drive a female student to silence and quick disinterest. The best way to combat that is through support. For example, making sure you use language that supports a student when they get an answer wrong and celebrating when they get it right. Most importantly, it’s about making sure you do everything equally—calling on students, praising student success, and shutting down students’ negative statements.” 

NOT a “Math Person”

Another surprise to those unfamiliar with Moreau’s journey is that, though she uses it daily, she doesn’t consider herself to be a “math person.” When we asked her “What first made her realize her interest and passion for math and science?” she laughed.

She says, “I would never describe myself as a ‘math person.’ To say I struggled with math throughout most of my life is an understatement. I didn’t learn until college that I had math anxiety, so being in a math classroom was the worst part of my day growing up. My math teacher at Kent Hill was confused about how I struggled so much in the Algebra II class but excelled in Physics. I can still hear him say, ‘the math is the same; why can’t you do the same thing in this class?’ when I’d say Physics was easier than his class. 

“When I got to college, it wasn’t surprising when I learned that I scored moderately low on the math placement test for college. I knew I’d have to spend a couple of my summers taking Calculus courses to meet my graduation requirements on time. But, this was the best thing that happened to me. By having to start back with the basics, which I was reasonably confident with, I learned how to overcome the anxiety associated with math, rather than trying to do that AND learn math. This led to my first 100% on a math test since the third grade, and it was in a reasonably difficult course called Differential Equations. I still have that exam framed in my apartment. That moment inspired me to continue breaking barriers, so I decided to minor in Mathematics, which also shocked my parents. To this day, I’m not a ‘math person.’ I’m a person who appreciates the beauty associated with mathematical relationships and how math can be used as a tool to describe the world around me.

“While my interest in math is complicated, my passion for Physics was easy. It started from my first Physics class in high school. I loved it from day one. It’s a subject that explains how everything in the universe moves and behaves. I enjoyed that I could see the concepts we were talking about by simply throwing an object in the air or that I could predict how an object would move and behave and, as a result, design a machine.

“Math is nothing more than a tool to describe the world around us. It isn’t something that is bound to a classroom or a subject area. Whether you like it or not, you will use it throughout your life, and it is an important tool for things like figuring out the behavior of the universe, social justice, mental health research, and more. It shouldn’t be a tool that is feared.”

What Keeps Her Excited

It is obvious that Moreau loves Physics, but innovation within the curriculum structure itself also interests her greatly. She says, “I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to support the teachers in my department and creatively imagine our curriculum as the school continues to incorporate 4D learning.”

While she is still fairly new to the role, she is actively making change. She says, “It’s still in the works, but I can say that I’m re-imagining the scientific journey for our students and ways we can incorporate more interesting electives into the curriculum.”

Role Models

Even a role model has role models, and while she is staying mum on the names, we can guess at least one of them…

She says, “There is a Physics teacher who I would regard as my biggest role model because he is the reason I became a physicist in the first place. If it wasn’t for him, I doubt I would be a teacher, let alone have a degree in physics. My teaching style is also influenced by his enthusiasm and creative techniques as inspirations for my teaching style. 
 
“A second role model is a former colleague of mine. When we worked together, she pushed me to think outside of the box when thinking about simple demonstrations and mini-class projects geared to challenge students’ critical thinking skills. I was in awe of how she incorporated books and readings into her biology course and then had students do round table discussions on the scientific ethics involved. This ultimately led to my passion for character studies in my physics class. These are short essays that have students analyze and form opinions about various ethical dilemmas in science or character traits of famous scientists like Isaac Newton. Each day I felt like I learned something new from her and was inspired to push my creative boundaries when designing projects.”

The Big Lesson

We can largely agree that even classroom-based lessons aren't just about specific coursework—they can be about overcoming future obstacles, academic and otherwise too. Moreau says, “My goal is to have students leave my class with confidence in themselves to succeed and overcome challenges in the classroom. For many of my students, it’s easy to know how to overcome challenges on the sports field, but knowing how to do this in the classroom isn’t as clear-cut. I want my students to understand how to do this and continue to do this as they go into college.

“ANOTHER GOAL IS THAT STUDENTS LEAVE MY CLASS WITH THE ABILITY TO SELF-ADVOCATE. I ALWAYS APPRECIATED THAT KENTS HILL TAUGHT ME THIS SKILL, AND IT IS BECAUSE OF IT THAT I WAS ABLE TO GET THROUGH DIFFICULT SCIENCE COURSES IN COLLEGE CONFIDENTLY.”

In the same vein as self-advocacy, Moreau urges students to take charge of their academic destiny by asking questions. She says, “No matter what the question is, ask it. I tell my students this all the time. Students hold the key to their education, and you must take advantage of that power. You can turn a concept that looks like a bunch of numbers or something that may seem unrelated to the world around you into something meaningful. When that happens, you leave the classroom knowing how a concept explains how to fix your bike or how to make a change in your community.”

Maryke. Ms. Moreau. Ms. Mo. Rake. Friend. Teacher. Science Department Chair. Whatever you call her...we call her AWESOME and are proud that she chooses to continue her career with us on The Hill.

Originally published March 2, 2021 on Kentshill.org

Article: Government Gulls

With a political season that dominates the news circuit and engaging conversations between friends, families, and colleagues, it can be difficult to resist the siren call of getting involved in the excitement of American government. For many Endicott alumni, the potential to innovate, advance, and make a difference has pulled them right into the center of our political world as they seek to shape the future of our country.

Massachusetts Pride

Abdourrachid Sow ’20 and Isis Patterson ’19 have both been instrumental in Massachusetts politics. Sow interned for the Office of Congressman Seth Moulton in 2019 and Patterson currently works full-time in that same office as Staff Assistant and Constituent Caseworker.

Sow, like many activists before, has had politics thrust upon him. He says, “I became involved with politics at a very young age when war ravaged my country. I experienced firsthand the aftermath of war, namely loss of property, extreme poverty, famine, lack of basic necessities, lack of education, and refugeedom. From that moment on, I decided that I wanted to become a diplomat and work in conflict resolution.”

Though most of us will never experience a political awakening in quite the same manner as Sow, he encourages all people to get involved. “I think every individual on this planet should be involved in politics in one way or another, as politics affects every aspect of our lives,” he says. “An informed populace has the power to shape the policies, governments, and the institutions that govern them.”

Jot Sow’s name down now as an up-and-coming political juggernaut. He has big dreams and we are confident that he will achieve them.

Like Sow, Patterson began her journey toward politics early on. She says, “I first became interested in politics as a result of my internships at homeless shelters and an affordable housing developer. During my time interning at Family Promise, a small family shelter in Beverly, Mass., I experienced many challenges.”

She continues, “I worked as a receptionist doing intake for the families admitted to the shelter, and in that position, it was at times difficult to have to turn families away or refer them to other shelters that had more capacity, only to learn they’ve been turned away from those shelters as well. It was then that I realized the final resolution to homelessness should not be funneling people through shelters; the true solution is to provide more affordable housing and help people to retain the housing they have.”

As a result of her epiphany, Patterson changed her major from political science to self-declared public policy. “I believed that change in my education would allow me to research and analyze policies that truly work to better the lives of the public,” she says.

The theme of Patterson’s overall life track has been a strong desire to help, and she does just that each day. “No day in my role is ever the same,” she says. “However, if I could visualize a typical day in the office, it would probably be interacting with constituents from all over our district and trying to assist them with the issues they may be experiencing with federal agencies. We are literally advocates, advocating on behalf of our constituents to the agencies they are encountering difficulties with.”

That Patterson has found her calling is apparent when she talks about how she personally defines success in politics. She says, “If you want to succeed in politics by improving the lives of the public and the constituents that you serve, it will take courage, empathy, transparency, authenticity, accountability, and ethical behavior.”

Christian Nakkashian ’17 is also on the pulse of the Bay State’s political scene in his position as Deputy Director, Constituent Services/Internship Coordinator in the Office of Governor Charlie Baker, a role that he earned after interning there.

Nakkashian loves how small town politics have the propensity to affect real change in our world. Throughout his political career, Nakkashian has advocated for cutting taxes, balancing the budget, reducing government spending, advancing LGBTQ rights, and protecting women’s right to choose.

Nakkashian, a Massachusetts native, is passionate about representing the people here. He says, “Although I grew up in California, I was born in Massachusetts and decided to move back for college. I knew I wanted to become involved in politics in Massachusetts, knowing we’ve had some great Republican politicians like Governor Weld, Governor Romney, and Senator Scott Brown. Once I heard Charlie Baker was running for Governor in 2014, I knew that his campaign was the one I needed to get involved with.”

Making an impressive local impact is Mayor of Medford Breanna Lungo-Koehn ’02. As the title implies, she is a busy woman. “A normal day for me is checking and responding to 200–300 emails, 4–7 meetings, returning 5–10 phone calls, reading and signing contracts, dealing with 1–2 employee matters, and putting out one fire,” she says. Lungo-Koehn also chairs school committee meetings once a week and, prior to COVID-19, she attended 1–3 events and visits a day.

Lungo-Koehn knew she wanted to help shape Medford even before she graduated from Endicott. She says, “I was 20 years old and wanted to join an almost all male council where there was no one under the age of 40 or 50. I wanted to speak out for the youth
and be a young female voice for the city I was born and raised in. In my early years, I worked hard with a number of families and pushed to implement a high school girls hockey team, kept our park league program alive, and advocated for many issues involving our youth, families and seniors.”

Prior to running for office, Lungo-Koehn had a successful law practice that she had owned for over 10 years, and had no plans to pursue the mayor seat. She shares that she only ran because she saw things going in a direction that she was not happy with and wanted to make Medford a better place for her family and others.

In line with her goal, she is actively making Medford more exceptional. Lungo-Koehn is advocating for enhancing the City’s tree canopy and improving streets, sidewalks, parks, playgrounds, buildings, and schools, as well as pushing for charter review, racial equality, and parking reform.

New England Strong

Victoria Bonney ’06 has stayed relatively close to the Nest by taking on the role of Communications Director for Maine’s First District Congresswoman Chellie Pingree.

“As Communications Director for a member of Congress, it’s exciting to open the newspaper or turn on the TV and see the words I wrote for the Congresswoman shared broadly,” says Bonney. “It’s a distinct honor to play a small role in shaping the national political discussion.”

She continues, “There are 535 members of Congress and each office only has one Communications Director. I never take for granted the unique honor it is to be a senior staffer on Capitol Hill and how lucky I am to work for a member of congress who is not only principled and whip smart, but also exceptionally kind.”

Bonney is passionate about involving everyone in politics, as she truly believes no one is apolitical. She explains, “When you drive on public roads, get married, voice an opinion without being jailed, eat food with confidence that it is safe, have letters delivered to your door, or even walk your dog in a city park, you are engaging with our political system.”

Bonney started her political career at age 19 as a Field Intern for the Howard Dean campaign, which controversially spoke out against then President George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq. While Dean’s campaign ultimately did not succeed, politics took root in her and changed her path forever. We are inspired by her continued drive and dedication to democracy.

Consulting Coast to Coast

Brian Y. Goldmeier ’06 is a pillar of one of the most robust communities in the Southeast. As the Principal at BYG Strategies, Inc., based in Miami, Brian has spent the last decade helping politicians and candidates make his community a better place.

“Miami politics are truly unique,” says Goldmeier. “The non-partisan nature of our elections provides candidates the ability to run on issues important to all Miamians and forgo the political polarization that is currently the status quo in our national politics. Rather, we debate opportunities to meet the important challenges facing our community, such as transportation, affordable housing, and climate change.”

Goldmeier’s involvement in local politics has allowed him to be the youngest person to sit on the United Way of Miami-Dade board. On a daily basis he is able to work with “some of the smartest, most passionate people,” to create a meaningful impact and meet the challenges for some of Miami’s most vulnerable fellow citizens.

Involved Anywhere & Everywhere

Whether it’s working in-house or consulting, a local or national scale, Republican or Democrat, one thing is for certain: we expect the contributions of Endicott graduates to echo in government buildings and history books for years to come.

Originally published December 10, 2020 on Endicott.edu

Article: Essential: Executive Chef Timothy Langlois

When the threat of the coronavirus (COVID-19) first sent students, faculty, and staff away from campus and toward remote learning certain people remained behind—the essentials. Physical Plant stayed on to create new policies for distanced classroom seating and cleanliness. People from many areas of campus including the School of Nursing joined the Reimagine Endicott Task Force. Residence Life jumped into action to move students out of the dorms and start planning for fall. Finally, employees like Timothy Langlois, Endicott College’s Executive Chef through Sodexo kept the College fed.

We assume the first question many will have is, who needed to be fed during that time? Actually, quite a few people did—among them staff and students who were unable to return home or were essential themselves.

“The staff and students that were here during the spring were greatly appreciative of Freddie [Melendez] and myself. They were happy to have options when so much was closed everywhere. It was great to be able to still work, plan, and spend some time with the student population while everything around us was, and is so very different. Sodexo and Paul Belski have been so awesome as well as Endicott and I can’t thank them enough!”

However, it is Langlois who we want to thank. He was one of the very first names Director of Dining Services (Sodexo) Belski mentioned where we asked him to define who his essential team members were. It is easy to understand why once you know what a working week was for him and his team.

Langlois explains, “Freddie and I worked opposite shifts and hours to limit contact. We were the only ones cooking, cleaning, doing dishes, and everyday projects to keep the students who were still here fed. We did not go out in public, we wore face masks and gloves everywhere, and we used a crazy amount of sanitizer. We each worked longer days—10 hours—some were longer and being alone the isolation set in a bit. I created menus that we had to execute for each meal period using products that we had on hand to limit deliveries and contact with the outside. We made micro meals—a lot of grab-and-go items—daily so they could have snacks back in their rooms.” 

Belski says, “The Endicott community is very fortunate to have Tim as our Executive Chef. He is very committed to our success and his focus is always on our customers, especially the students that spend so much time with us in the Callahan Center. This was even more noticeable during the time when the College closed down and there were very few people on campus. Tim made sure that the small group of mostly international students remaining on campus were taken care of.”

He continues, “While most of the Endicott employees had the luxury of working from home, Tim came to work every day and made sure that those students had a place to eat, and in a small way interact. He got to know them, and they got to know him. It was obvious how much they appreciated all of his hard work and dedication. Since the end of May when the students left, Tim has spent a great deal of time making sure that we will be ready when the students return to campus. I am extremely proud of the job that Tim did during the start of COVID-19 and I am thrilled to be able to work with him as we plan to reopen.”

The process made living Langlois' own life distinctly different due to the need to uphold the safety of our Endicott on-campus population through self-quarantine. He says, “During that time it was very hard to retain any normalcy. Living alone and having to self-quarantine left my world very quiet. The students and faculty left on campus gave me most of my normalcy.”

He continues, “They helped to keep me in a routine and gave me a sense of purpose. They were my everyday interaction with society. My family and friends were quarantined just like me for their work, so the only people I saw were here. I did start to hike and walk as much as I could to keep in shape and try to work on myself. With everything closed, everyday things like haircuts, gym time, and talking to people kind of just stopped.” 

But Langlois is an obvious optimist. If you get to meet him you will notice that despite his ever-present face mask, he is clearly smiling. He loves what he does and we love him for that. We are happy that his hands are among some of the ones helping to create a safe fall at Endicott.

He says, “For our team, the new school year will be first and foremost be about health, safety, and wellness. Keeping everybody safe is priority number one. Masks will be required as we enter the building; 6-foot social distancing will be in full effect in all areas; cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting will be happening everywhere, all the time. The biggest thing for our team will be adjusting to the new ‘normal’ and we will all be working hard to ensure that everyone has the same positive dining experiences as before. Each location will have changes in routine, changes in what we offer, and will be designed slightly differently to keep us all safe.” 

For those curious as to what changes Langlois and his team at Sodexo has planned, here are some highlights:

• The Lodge and Gully's will have express lunch and dinners available.

• The floors and spaces will be transformed with 6-foot spacing floor decals and stations to keep everyone physically distant.

• Mobile ordering will be available through Bite and our grab-and-go offerings will be increased.

• Naturals will be offering some type of express simple serve meal for lunch and dinner

• The Callahan will offer reduced seating capacity based off the 6-foot social distancing rules and state guidelines.

• The Callahan will also have one-way entrances and exits which will be well-marked along with the expected flow through the dining room. Floor decals and arrows will mark the way to travel and where to stand.

• Each Callahan station menu is being revised and engineered to keep great offerings, but also keep speed of service in mind as well as no self-service.

• All Callahan meals will be served and plated with flatware and each station will have to-go containers for those who want to take meals to-go.

• Callahan beverages will be served to guests at our beverage stations, and as with everything else the amount of options will have to be reduced.

Langlois says, “Sanitizer will be everywhere, all our staff will be wearing masks, and there will be a lot more staff who will be here to clean and to serve our guests. There will be many changes and improvements to all our dining facilities. Everything we are doing is meant to keep everyone safe and happy.”

Langlois’ work ethic comes straight from the heart. He says, “I love food, I love people, and everyday life itself drives me. I was raised on a small farm in Maine where work, family, and food were very important. Growing up that way gave me a sense of self drive and I am always looking to improve and do my best at everything I do. The College setting is the best place for me as I’ve found that the food, people, and staff are very diverse. I learn from others and try to teach what I know to our staff.” 

Langlois is coming up one his one-year anniversary as the College’s Executive Chef. He started last September during the week of President Steven R. DiSalvo, Ph.D.’s Inauguration. It seems he thrives during major events! Congratulations on your work anniversary Timothy! We are certainly overjoyed to have you as a part of our community.

Originally published July 23, 2020 on Endicott.edu

Article: Endicott College’s Extended Campus: The City of Beverly

For those who have come to tour our campus, you know that it offers a lot of amenities. The on-site Diane M. Halle Library, the Callahan Center for dining, socializing, and school work, the Post Sport & Science Center and world-class athletic fields, multiple academic buildings bursting with technology, and of course, three beautiful beaches. With all those things available within steps, it can be hard to believe that our campus does not stop there. As an active member of the community, Endicott College is a part of Beverly, Mass. on a very personal level.

For instance, our students help us package and donate food to River House, our educators, many of whom are writers end up holding events in the local bookstores like Copper Dog Books, and our alumni own businesses in downtown and beyond. The City of Beverly is absolutely an extension of our campus, and here we are going to highlight some of the spots that students, faculty, and staff consider staples of the Endicott experience. 

The Beverly Public Library

Beyond campus, and beyond our own Halle Library, there is another institution of note. This local gem is beautiful inside and out. The old-fashioned architecture includes a buttery yellow and white dome above the front entrance, which is actually the lesser used one, but no less lovely. The side entrance includes a patio space and an array of flowers that the community can enjoy, especially during the summer months. The real magic of the library though is inside!

It includes several galleries with rotating exhibits, it is one of the main locations for people to vote, and of course, the resources are phenomenal. Our local library has a 3D printer, an ever-growing selection of books and other media, and they offer programs for teens, adults, and seniors. Check out all of their current offerings here.

The Beverly Common

Right across the street from the Beverly Public Library is the Beverly Common. This is a lovely spot to read a book, toss around a frisbee, or have a picnic lunch. During the spring, the trees come alive with pink and white petals, adding to the natural green. It’s very peaceful. 

Hale Farm

Beverly is a historian’s paradise. If you take a walk through the city, many names will become familiar to you as you will see them on street signs or on notable buildings. One such historically named landmark is Hale Farm, a site managed by Historic Beverly.

John Hale was Beverly’s first pastor at the First Parish Church, but for those outside the region you may know him as a figure who was deeply entrenched in the Salem Witch Trials. The historic house is a time capsule worthy of multiple visits.

The Porter Mill Studios

The Porter Mill Studios are fun for everyone. They have a variety of artists that create many different kinds of work including ceramics, jewelry, music, paintings, prints, photographs, and more. The best part is that they hold biennial Open Studio Tours to update the community on what they’ve been working on and in between, they host shows.

The lobby is also home to Channel Marker Brewing, an alumni-owned business!

The Castle

One especially unique small business in Beverly is The Castle, which is located on Rantoul Street. The Castle is a board game café that has hundreds of games, live entertainment, and themed trivia that will test even a long-time fan’s brain power. It’s a fun place for families, but it also has nightlife options for adults, and during the day for the $5 cost of entry and maybe lunch, it’s a relaxing place to spend the full day. 

The Beverly Depot

The Endicott community is lucky to have two MBTA stations in close proximity. The first one is in Beverly Farms and the second is right downtown. At the latter is a restaurant that many are familiar with. It’s a staple of the landscape, but it is well-known beyond our area for their steak. We encourage you to stop by The Beverly Depot for dinner when you are in town and are seeking a great meal.

Outside of the restaurant is the train which allows people to ride the rails right into Boston, Mass. Not many towns outside of the main cities can take you there quite so directly. Take a ride in and spend the day shopping, museum hopping, or just strolling down the streets and you can be back in time to catch dinner.

Dane Street Beach & Lynch Park

We have three private beaches of our own, but believe it or not, there are even more beach options available to Beverly residents and visitors. In particular, Dane Street Beach and Lynch Park are right down the road from Endicott’s main campus. Both offer grassy areas for picnics and kite flying as well as beach access.

Lynch Park also has a historic Rose Garden where weddings are held and photographers shoot regularly and their own Captain Dusty’s ice cream shop (seasonal). The park frequently holds community concerts and they also offer outdoor grills for small group use. It’s the perfect spot for spring and summer fun. 

There are so many incredible ways to spend time in Beverly. Our community frequently sips coffee from Atomic Coffee Roasters, which we also have a limited selection of at Gully’s, they order pizza from Pride’s Deli, and they buy “stupidly good consignment” from Worthy Girl. We encourage you to come explore both our immediate and extended campus soon.

Originally published June 9, 2020 on Endicott.edu

Article: What it Means to be an Endicott College Ally

Thanks in large part to the pioneering efforts of our on-campus counselors and student affairs team members, Endicott College has a strong Alliance backed by the power of initiatives like Safe Zone. To date, over 200 people in our Endicott community have been Safe Zone trained, and we expect that number to climb each year going forward. 

But for those who have not been to Safe Zone training or for those who are unclear what the Alliance does or stands for, we wanted to
provide you with some helpful pieces of information so that you can educate yourself and your friends. 

You do not have to be LGBTQ+ to join the Alliance 

Even in 2020, there is an unfortunate, highly-prevalent misconception and stigma that being a member of the Alliance at Endicott or any other college group of the like automatically means that you are a part of the population it seeks to defend. That could not be further from the truth. Powerful alliances are made up of all kinds of people. Some similar groups used to call themselves “Gay Straight Alliances,” but today’s groups recognize a wide spectrum of identities and have therefore opened up the names for maximal inclusivity.

At Endicott our group is about everyone, because everyone deserves support. Support to be who they want to be, academically, physically, and emotionally.

Currently, the Alliance has two advisors, both of whom are well-known figures across campus; Resident Director Brianna Bono [she, her, hers] and Counselor Amanda Snow [she, her, hers]. 

“We want everyone to know that the Alliance is a safe space for all students, where they can come as they are and feel accepted. We welcome students who identify within the LGBTQ+ community and their allies. As advisors, we value our role in supporting the students in using the club for whatever they need most. Sometimes it's a space to process and vent, sometimes it's for educating ourselves and others,” Bono and Snow explain.

Bono had a deeply personal reason for joining Endicott and the Alliance. She says, “Something that was imperative to me during my job search was the ability to work with a club or organization that supported and amplified the voices of the LGBTQ+ community. In my past experiences as a queer college student, I saw firsthand how difficult it could be to navigate a community if there is no representation. Visibility is so important to me and I wanted to ensure that the students I worked with knew they had a ‘place’ on their campus.”

What you can do to be an Endicott ally?

1. Stand up to bullying

You may not personally be a bully or have any specific issue with a marginalized population such as the LGBTQ+ community, but that doesn’t mean you can’t help further their cause. It’s said so much that it has practically become a cliché, but if you see something, say something. Do something. Stand up and show the world that you are a powerful, empathic leader who is proud of the entire community that you are a part of. Go Gulls!

2. Become educated

As with any ongoing civil or human rights-based movement, LGBTQ+ itself is an ever-evolving concept. It was not long ago that pronouns were a new idea, but these days major steps are being taken by such educational companies such as Merriam-Webster to be more inclusive. As an active member of the global community, it is now the expectation that you try to learn and understand others and their place in your collective world. Do your research, it will be greatly appreciated.

3. Listen

If you still don’t understand certain concepts that you researched, the best way to become educated on issues surrounding marginalized populations is by asking (respectfully) for more information and listening. Just this act alone can be the bridge that helps others feel more comfortable in their world.

4. Get involved

Many will say that they are equal rights advocates, but when it comes to proving it with real actions, few will show up. The fact is, even though you may not realize it, there is an above-average chance that someone in your life who you care about deeply is actively being marginalized. That person could be your parent, your sibling, your friend, your educator, or even your mentor. It could be anyone. Your participation can move mountains; act.

5. Get Safe Zone trained

Safe Zone trainings are opportunities to learn about LGBTQ+ identities, gender, and sexuality, and to examine prejudice, assumptions, and privilege. They are regularly provided to faculty, staff, and students and are a perfect way to educate yourself.

Committed to an inclusive future, together 

We hope that many of you are inspired to join the ranks of the Alliance and get Safe Zone trained after reading this article.

For more information on the Alliance, contact either allies@endicott.edu or find them on Instagram. To learn about how to sign up for a Safe Zone training date, contact safezone@endicott.edu. 

Originally published June 16, 2020 on Endicott.edu

Article: Building a Mental Health Toolbox: Kara Hersey’s Journey

To those suffering from anxiety disorders, structure is often critical. Knowing what is ahead is key. Planning makes them feel in control. But, how do you know what is ahead when the only constant is change? A college experience is definitely filled with change, and in the time of COVID-19, it has been even more so.

Anxiety is a mental health issue that Kara Hersey ’20, a new alumna knows all too well. She has dealt with it throughout her entire life, and it was actually one of the reasons she chose Endicott College as it offered her a close to home academic experience. It is also one of the more unique reasons that she has been so successful in her schoolwork.

Though anxiety and mental health issues in general are different for every person who deals with them, this is how Hersey describes her anxiety: “It feels like someone is gripping and squeezing not only my body, but my life. Everything starts to move really fast and the pressure is unmatched. I feel tight and confined and my breathing gets choppy.”

During Mental Health Awareness Month, we would like to share some of the ways Hersey has managed to thrive during her time at Endicott, and what she has in store for the future.

The Endicott Counseling Center 

At Endicott, we have a Counseling Center with professionals specializing in all kinds of student concerns, including mental health. Hersey took advantage of their services during the first two years of her Endicott experience.

She says, “Everyone says this, but college is a huge adjustment whether you’re 50 miles down the road or five. I was so unsure of myself and my surroundings when I came to college that it made it really hard for me to reach out or talk to anybody. During my first two months I stayed pretty much to myself, I just did my classes, nothing else. I was lucky enough to live in Hamilton Hall, which is a Healthy Living dorm where everyone was kind of there all the time anyway, so it sort of forced me to make friends. But I also utilized the Counseling Center on campus.”

She continues, “I went to a therapist around age 8 or 9, so that was my first time back, but I knew that I had to talk to somebody or I was going to go crazy. I got an appointment there and that was one of things that really helped me because it was more of a third party instead of talking to someone in my dorm who was going through pretty much the same thing. In my freshman year there was a span where I went to my counselor every day for three days, then it went to a week, then every two weeks.”

Hersey is not alone in taking advantage of the Counseling Center. Many of her friends use or have used it as well, and this past year in her role as a manager for the women’s basketball team, she has recommended it to new freshmen from the point of view of someone who has seen its value. She says, “First of all, I make it clear that they can come to me, but then I also make sure that they know there’s also a Counseling Center. I’m not afraid to say I went and did what I needed to do to get better.”

Friends to lean on 

Beyond the Counseling Center, Hersey knows that she can always go to the friends she made at Endicott. Though they aren’t together on-campus at the moment, they still connect every day.

When she first arrived on campus, a family friend who was a junior at the time helped ease the transition. She explains, “My family friend at Endicott was actually abroad when I started my freshman year, but she reached out to her friends and told them that I was having a hard time, and they picked me right up! They were older than me and they were a bit intimidating at first, but they would just talk to me in their room in Kennedy Hall, and I could really relate to them and tell them how I felt.”

She continues, “After the first two years in counseling, I felt more comfortable at school. I had a good group of friends, and I was doing stuff with the basketball team, so I had more people to talk to, and I didn’t go back.

“However, I did have one friend who went through a really hard time during her senior year of college and she said that even if times are good, you should still go talk to someone to sort of normalize. It is always good to reach out, even if you don’t need help. I did that mostly with friends and family, but that is an option to consider.”

Speaking up

The friends Hersey has made have helped her exponentially, but she still needs to self-advocate from time to time in her daily life. This is mainly due to the fact that she deals with high-functioning anxiety.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, per HuffPost it’s a “catch-all term to describe the experience of someone living with a sizable amount of anxiety, but without the ‘functioning’ limitations required to meet the criteria for an anxiety disorder, according to Washington-based licensed clinical psychologist Alicia Clark, author of ‘Hack Your Anxiety.’”

People who function well with anxiety can be very hardworking and attentive to detail outwardly, but inside they may be feeling something completely different such as a desperate need to please others or fear of failure.

Hersey says, “I do consider myself a solid student, but it does come with a little bit of a downside. For instance, the amount of emails I send to professors or when I freak out about the smallest things. If I have a long-term assignment, I get that stuff done right away so that it doesn’t hang over my head and then there is an internal feeling of pressure to keep it up because I am the only one seeing the anxious side. They are just seeing the achievements and I’m alone with it in my head. That’s why it is so important for me to write it down or talk it out.”

A personal toolbox

When Hersey experiences anxiety, she works through it with some strategies and tools that she has developed over time. She recommends:

• Focusing on school—“I tend to just get through it with my school work as I’m academically-driven.”

• Writing it down—“I always write it down and look at it to see if it is worth getting worked up over or if it is life or death. It allows me to figure out if it is logical, because I can see it from outside of head.”

• Playing to your strengths—“I have friends on the basketball team who go shoot hoops at the Post Sport Science & Fitness Center when they are stressed. You have to play to your strengths and get it out. I’ve always loved to write, so I do that whether it’s in a document on my computer, or in my notes on my phone, or in a notebook—I have so many notebooks—some of the things I don’t send out or use, but they help me when I am worked up.”

• Having a routine—“Routine is a big, big thing because I thrive on structure and consistency. Right now, every morning I get up, I take a shower, I get back in my room, and I put a new set of clothes even when I’d rather stay in my pajamas. I also have a bunch of calendars where you rip off the day and that is refreshing for me to start a new one. I also have a whiteboard where I write out all the things I need to do schoolwork-wise. Each day I refresh my countdown, my lists—I love my lists, and the day. I also track my mental health—that is probably the biggest part of my routine. Then, after I’m done with my desk stuff, I check to see if I have any Zoom calls, or if I should start doing my homework right away as I am more productive in the mornings.”

• Making your own tools—“I have a mental health chart that I started last year because in the spring I was struggling a little more due to things going on with friends. I thought that it would be a good way to keep track of how I was feeling and if I could find things that would make me feel better. Coloring in the chart is probably my favorite part of my day. It has really helped me. Purple is my amazing day and I can look back at the chart and remember those days, like when we won the Commonwealth Coast Conference championship, and then I can look at the red days, which are the awful, end-all, be-all days and can think about what I can do better.”

A bright future helping others

While previously Hersey may not have seen herself as thriving in a graduate school environment, that is exactly where she is headed, and what we expect she will do. Soon, she will begin graduate classes with an ultimate career goal of becoming a school adjustment counselor, which is something she has already experienced directly through an internship at Endicott.
We are happy for Hersey. Her experiences including conquering driving-based fears, getting fingerprinted for a substitute position, getting real-world experience through internships, and making new friends have all helped her become more independent. As a result, she now feels that less things seem impossible or uncertain.

Hersey wants others to know that there is no need to be afraid of asking for help. She says, “Ask for help when you need it. The student I’ve become is partially because of my anxiety. I think of it as a different ability, sometimes it’s disabling, but other times it’s motivating. Just talk about it. Be open and honest.”

Originally published May 26, 2020 on Endicott.edu

Article: Building a Mental Health Toolbox: Kara Hersey’s Journey

To those suffering from anxiety disorders, structure is often critical. Knowing what is ahead is key. Planning makes them feel in control. But, how do you know what is ahead when the only constant is change? A college experience is definitely filled with change, and in the time of COVID-19, it has been even more so.

Anxiety is a mental health issue that Kara Hersey ’20, a new alumna knows all too well. She has dealt with it throughout her entire life, and it was actually one of the reasons she chose Endicott College as it offered her a close to home academic experience. It is also one of the more unique reasons that she has been so successful in her schoolwork.

Though anxiety and mental health issues in general are different for every person who deals with them, this is how Hersey describes her anxiety: “It feels like someone is gripping and squeezing not only my body, but my life. Everything starts to move really fast and the pressure is unmatched. I feel tight and confined and my breathing gets choppy.”

During Mental Health Awareness Month, we would like to share some of the ways Hersey has managed to thrive during her time at Endicott, and what she has in store for the future.

The Endicott Counseling Center 

At Endicott, we have a Counseling Center with professionals specializing in all kinds of student concerns, including mental health. Hersey took advantage of their services during the first two years of her Endicott experience.

She says, “Everyone says this, but college is a huge adjustment whether you’re 50 miles down the road or five. I was so unsure of myself and my surroundings when I came to college that it made it really hard for me to reach out or talk to anybody. During my first two months I stayed pretty much to myself, I just did my classes, nothing else. I was lucky enough to live in Hamilton Hall, which is a Healthy Living dorm where everyone was kind of there all the time anyway, so it sort of forced me to make friends. But I also utilized the Counseling Center on campus.”

She continues, “I went to a therapist around age 8 or 9, so that was my first time back, but I knew that I had to talk to somebody or I was going to go crazy. I got an appointment there and that was one of things that really helped me because it was more of a third party instead of talking to someone in my dorm who was going through pretty much the same thing. In my freshman year there was a span where I went to my counselor every day for three days, then it went to a week, then every two weeks.”

Hersey is not alone in taking advantage of the Counseling Center. Many of her friends use or have used it as well, and this past year in her role as a manager for the women’s basketball team, she has recommended it to new freshmen from the point of view of someone who has seen its value. She says, “First of all, I make it clear that they can come to me, but then I also make sure that they know there’s also a Counseling Center. I’m not afraid to say I went and did what I needed to do to get better.”

Friends to lean on 

Beyond the Counseling Center, Hersey knows that she can always go to the friends she made at Endicott. Though they aren’t together on-campus at the moment, they still connect every day.

When she first arrived on campus, a family friend who was a junior at the time helped ease the transition. She explains, “My family friend at Endicott was actually abroad when I started my freshman year, but she reached out to her friends and told them that I was having a hard time, and they picked me right up! They were older than me and they were a bit intimidating at first, but they would just talk to me in their room in Kennedy Hall, and I could really relate to them and tell them how I felt.”

She continues, “After the first two years in counseling, I felt more comfortable at school. I had a good group of friends, and I was doing stuff with the basketball team, so I had more people to talk to, and I didn’t go back.

“However, I did have one friend who went through a really hard time during her senior year of college and she said that even if times are good, you should still go talk to someone to sort of normalize. It is always good to reach out, even if you don’t need help. I did that mostly with friends and family, but that is an option to consider.”

Speaking up

The friends Hersey has made have helped her exponentially, but she still needs to self-advocate from time to time in her daily life. This is mainly due to the fact that she deals with high-functioning anxiety.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, per HuffPost it’s a “catch-all term to describe the experience of someone living with a sizable amount of anxiety, but without the ‘functioning’ limitations required to meet the criteria for an anxiety disorder, according to Washington-based licensed clinical psychologist Alicia Clark, author of ‘Hack Your Anxiety.’”

People who function well with anxiety can be very hardworking and attentive to detail outwardly, but inside they may be feeling something completely different such as a desperate need to please others or fear of failure.

Hersey says, “I do consider myself a solid student, but it does come with a little bit of a downside. For instance, the amount of emails I send to professors or when I freak out about the smallest things. If I have a long-term assignment, I get that stuff done right away so that it doesn’t hang over my head and then there is an internal feeling of pressure to keep it up because I am the only one seeing the anxious side. They are just seeing the achievements and I’m alone with it in my head. That’s why it is so important for me to write it down or talk it out.”

A personal toolbox

When Hersey experiences anxiety, she works through it with some strategies and tools that she has developed over time. She recommends:

• Focusing on school—“I tend to just get through it with my school work as I’m academically-driven.”

• Writing it down—“I always write it down and look at it to see if it is worth getting worked up over or if it is life or death. It allows me to figure out if it is logical, because I can see it from outside of head.”

• Playing to your strengths—“I have friends on the basketball team who go shoot hoops at the Post Sport Science & Fitness Center when they are stressed. You have to play to your strengths and get it out. I’ve always loved to write, so I do that whether it’s in a document on my computer, or in my notes on my phone, or in a notebook—I have so many notebooks—some of the things I don’t send out or use, but they help me when I am worked up.”

• Having a routine—“Routine is a big, big thing because I thrive on structure and consistency. Right now, every morning I get up, I take a shower, I get back in my room, and I put a new set of clothes even when I’d rather stay in my pajamas. I also have a bunch of calendars where you rip off the day and that is refreshing for me to start a new one. I also have a whiteboard where I write out all the things I need to do schoolwork-wise. Each day I refresh my countdown, my lists—I love my lists, and the day. I also track my mental health—that is probably the biggest part of my routine. Then, after I’m done with my desk stuff, I check to see if I have any Zoom calls, or if I should start doing my homework right away as I am more productive in the mornings.”

• Making your own tools—“I have a mental health chart that I started last year because in the spring I was struggling a little more due to things going on with friends. I thought that it would be a good way to keep track of how I was feeling and if I could find things that would make me feel better. Coloring in the chart is probably my favorite part of my day. It has really helped me. Purple is my amazing day and I can look back at the chart and remember those days, like when we won the Commonwealth Coast Conference championship, and then I can look at the red days, which are the awful, end-all, be-all days and can think about what I can do better.”

A bright future helping others

While previously Hersey may not have seen herself as thriving in a graduate school environment, that is exactly where she is headed, and what we expect she will do. Soon, she will begin graduate classes with an ultimate career goal of becoming a school adjustment counselor, which is something she has already experienced directly through an internship at Endicott.
We are happy for Hersey. Her experiences including conquering driving-based fears, getting fingerprinted for a substitute position, getting real-world experience through internships, and making new friends have all helped her become more independent. As a result, she now feels that less things seem impossible or uncertain.

Hersey wants others to know that there is no need to be afraid of asking for help. She says, “Ask for help when you need it. The student I’ve become is partially because of my anxiety. I think of it as a different ability, sometimes it’s disabling, but other times it’s motivating. Just talk about it. Be open and honest.”

Originally published May 26, 2020 on Endicott.edu

Article: Making Time for Dad at the 2020 Misselwood Concours d'Elegance

My father and I are not exactly alike. Oh sure–sometimes our brains work the same way (we are both highly-analytical individuals), but our passions are like the North and South poles. Some of the things he enjoys include athletics of all kinds, in particular, golf (which I understand little about, and only enjoy in-person), vintage cars (which I love photographing, but have a limited knowledge of), and television shows about drug cartels or insider networks (of which, I’ve kind of vibed away from historically). This man, who I deeply respect, got me as a daughter. 

Converse to his interests, I get excited about visual art and live theater performances (to his credit, he goes to my shows, but in a supportive manner) and storytelling through strategy games and writing (he sticks to reading the newspaper and an occasional game of Monopoly). However, despite our differences, we’ve always had some cinematic commonalities.

You see, when I was a little girl there were a few particularly precious daddy-daughter movies and series in my life. Part of that was because during the late ‘90s and early aughts, certain movies were on loop on all of the major networks (way before streaming…). The first was the Indiana Jones trilogy (who doesn’t love Harrison Ford and death-defying stunts?) The second was–well, anything from the Batman continuum (cheesy, dark, doesn’t matter–it was our go-to for sick days and snow closings). But the final, and arguably most memorable movie series was Back to the Future.

Back to the Future represents multiple themes that still intrigue us both. Though I have never been as interested in cars as my father, we found common ground in the film’s silly antics, action scenes, and the science fiction of it all. And even an admitted car knowledge novice cannot deny the allure of the DeLorean. This year, at the 2020 Misselwood Concours d'Elegance, I will be taking my father to see the DeLorean (and many other incredible automobiles) in person.

Now I will be the first to admit that I didn’t think my father would enjoy a Concours event. It sounds silly in retrospect considering the interests I outlined above, but I had never been to one, and I didn’t think to suggest it. However, with this year’s lineup including not one, but two special cars from Back to the Future, I thought it would be a fun topic of conversation, so I casually mentioned it when I was home in New Hampshire one weekend. To my surprise, his eyes lit up with excitement. He was overjoyed to learn that our area hosted a Concours!

2020 Misselwood Concours d'Elegance

My father’s reaction makes perfect sense. A Concours event is not something that happens everywhere. In fact, some would say that it is not widely understood due to its rarity. So, what is a Concours?

Well, if you Google it, you’ll be quickly greeted by a Wikipedia entry that explains that “A Concours d’Elegance (from French meaning a competition of elegance) dates back to 17th Century French aristocracy, who paraded horse-drawn carriages in the parks of Paris during summer weekends and holidays. Over time, carriages became horseless and the gatherings became a competition among automobile owners to be judged on the appearance of their automobiles.” But really, a Concours is more than that.

Misselwood’s Senior Operations Manager, Darren Stewart says, “A Concours d’Elegance is a competition of elegant automobiles, or simply a beauty contest for cars, most of which are pre-1980 and have been fully restored to look better than the day they left the showroom floor. There are a handful of original and preserved cars that have been well maintained over the years, which are becoming more and more popular at Concours shows. They may not be as shiny, but they are beautiful in their own right. All Concours cars are judged by a group of judges in specific classes so that a sports/race car is not judged against a classic Packard or Cadillac. Classes are also broken up so cars of the same era compete against each other.

“So how do they choose a Best in Class or Best in Show? The elegant nature of the car is important, but the history, rarity, and overall pedigree are just as important when deciding a winner. All cars that participate in a Concours show are unique, beautiful, and special in their own way. They are keeping the history and fine craftsmanship alive for future generations to see. A Concours show is basically a rolling museum.”

He continues, “A Concours d’Elegance is truly a gathering of people with a love for cars from every walk of life. We are all connected by cars—everyone remembers their first one and we all have a car we dreamed about owning one day. The people are the caretakers of these special cars and they love sharing its history—maybe it was found in a barn or it was a project that took 20 years to restore, or sometimes it’s a car that has been in the same family for 70 years or more. A Concours d’Elegance is technically a contest of beautiful cars, but the people are the heart and soul of the show—anyone who has attended one will surely know this to be true. Historic cars, great people, and to cap it off, all Concours shows raise funds for a charity or a cause such as student scholarships.”

The Misselwood Concours d'Elegance is all that, and more. Aside from the option to get up close and personal with some truly beautiful vehicles, it is also an opportunity to spend the day by the ocean while enjoying food from area food trucks. Finally, with our event, proceeds benefit Endicott College student scholarships, so you know that your love of the event will directly impact students at our school.

Father’s Day 2020

If your father is anything like mine, he will likely tell you that he doesn’t need anything or to just get him a pair of socks for Father’s Day. Don’t do that. For just $40, you can spend an entire day with your dad, and isn’t shared time the greatest gift of all?

Originally published April 29, 2020 on Endicott.edu

Article: 5 Lesser-Used, Super Effective Ways to Find the Right Healthcare Candidates Right Now

If you saw the recent report by AMN Healthcare or if you are working in healthcare recruitment, chances are that you already know “healthcare employment surpassed the 16 million mark in 2018, making it the largest and fastest-growing industry in the US economy.” While this news is very positive for the economy, it means that competition for qualified talent in that sector is even more fierce. 

Now, more than ever is the time to employ every method at your disposal to win over the best of the best. Here are five ways you may not be using yet that can provide top healthcare candidates!

1. Keeping Your Pipeline FULL

Applicant Tracking Systems like to talk a good game about “holding onto a candidate’s resume and finding the right role for them later,” but let’s be REAL…in most companies, those resumes end up in a blackhole. Taking time to actually review those submissions when a new search launches is always a good idea. Also – it can be worth the time to meet people who align with a type of req that tends to open within your company even if a role isn’t open yet. Some day they may be a perfect hire! Don’t forget about yourTalent Community! Nurture it and draw from it when your well goes dry.

2. CU at the CEU 

While some hospitals and healthcare systems host events where CEU credits can be earned, not as many host webinar CEUs! Did you know that you can reach and remarket to nurses who attend your webinar? Host a CEU that qualified nurses can attend in their pajamas and then follow up with them the day after. If you provide them with a valuable career tool, they will absolutely remember you and consider you a top tier choice during their career search.

Not seeking nurses? That’s okay! There are many other options for healthcare professionals. Just let us know if you want to talk about them…

3. Adding Chat

Have you ever wanted to talk to a real person before interviewing? Healthcare candidates feel the same way! One way to provide this service is by setting up a chat function on your recruitment website. We know that recruiters can’t be available 24/7, but choosing a dedicated window of time each week to take questions through chat will provide you with a more engaged candidate audience. Plus! It’s a great way to forge connections at all stages of The Job Seeker's Journey.

4. Hello Video!

Many B2B companies are using video within their emails to close deals. Recruiters can do the same thing! Imagine how much warmer a candidate lead will be if they receive an automated email from you with a video introducing their hand-picked point of contact! But that’s not the only way you can use video in your recruitment strategy…here are some more GREAT ideas!

• Embed recruiter videos in landing pages where candidates view job descriptions.

• Send thank you emails with recruiter videos.

• Add recruiter videos to your online website profiles.

• Create shareable videos that you can send out socially to make yourself more approachable.

There are SO many possibilities…let us know if you need help! 

5. Bring Back Referrals

The truth is, your people are absolutely your best recruitment tool…if you are treat them right. If you are having trouble sourcing for a certain specialty, consider instituting a referral bonus. It can be scary recommending a friend or confidant, make it worth their time by providing them with a little incentive.

Originally published January 16, 2019 on HargerHowe.com

Article: Stop Rebranding Your Job Titles!

Recently, The Wall Street Journal published a piece called Who Wants to Be a Ninja? Job Titles Get a Rebranding. If you haven’t read it yet, the basic assertion of the article is that people (in particular Millennials and younger generations) prefer to apply for jobs with fun words like ninja, hacker or wrangler. We intend to argue the opposite…here’s why…

Rebranding a Title is Different from a Culture Change

People are not easily fooled. Just because you slap a term at the end of a title does not mean your company is actually fun to work for, or that it will provide you with a career ladder. Choosing to call a Marketing Manager a Marketing Rockstar will not make that happen for you. If you are receiving feedback that Millennials and other younger generations don’t want to work at your company, you may want to look at why. Attraction means nothing if you can’t keep them interested or you can’t retain them once you hire them.

Some reasons why you may be missing the mark with your recruitment marketing include: 

• Benefits that need a refresh – are your vacation policies awful? How’s your maternity leave looking? Are you offering a 401k? People want those things. Make sure what you are offering is competitive within the market.

• Pay that isn’t consistent with what the market will bear – this one is self-explanatory. While money isn’t everything, if you are paying minimum wage for the same job a candidate can get across the street for $5 higher per hour…well…you are probably going to lose.

• A toxic culture – Are you encouraging your team? Saying thank you? Providing them with opportunities? If not, you may not be giving them what they need to succeed. Micromanagement and constant criticism is a recipe for limited creativity, resentment and few applications. People talk; make sure they are saying something positive.

• Visible turnover – in the digital age there is nowhere to hide! If you are posting the same job every other month, people are smart enough to realize you are experiencing a lot of turnover and they are also intelligent enough to realize there must be a reason.

Applying Takes Time

It has been said time and time again that finding a job is a job in and of itself. It takes candidates hours to become informed about a job and adding Ninja to a title and filling the job description with nebulous duties will just increase the research time needed.

Making the choice to brand your job titles in a cool way will result in all of the following: 

• Uninformed candidates applying for roles they are not qualified for.

• Candidates who really value learning about your company and want to apply in an informed manner taking too long to apply (while you hire a person who is not ideal that just hits the button).

• Candidates refusing to apply as they can see that you are pandering to them.

Another Way to Fail

We would be remiss if we didn’t mention another, very common way to fail at job titles. While we are against adding Guru to your next job title, we are equally passionate about you not naming your jobs things like SPD Tech II V 7. This is especially common in industries like healthcare and manufacturing. 

Here’s why it’s a problem…

• No one is searching for that! If your keywords are not included in the title, no one will be able to find the job.

• No one understands the significance of the II, the V or the 7.

• It is the least interesting way to promote a job.

--

In conclusion, if you want people to find your job and be interested in applying for it, apply all the best practices listed here:

• KISS – Keep it Simple Stupid! Okay, you’re not stupid, so don’t act it! Say what the job is and be very clear. Spice up the copy with reasons why they should apply…leave the title alone.

• Use Keywords in the Job Title – Make sure you are using the industry standard keywords. Let the amazing work your company does support the job, not a catchy add-on.

• Improve your offerings – Give the people what they want (including the ones who already work for you) and you will benefit.

--

Want to read more pieces like this? Subscribe!

Originally published December 10, 2018 on HargerHowe.com

Article: Can Boomerang Candidates be a Bangarang for Your Recruitment Strategy?

Boomerang candidates are the basic definition of a double-edged sword in the recruitment sector. On one hand, it is natural to feel a bit jilted by a former employee. After all, they left! But in today’s ever-shrinking pool of eligible candidates, can you really refuse to bring someone back who performs? 

 Let’s talk about the advantages and risks when it comes to re-hiring a boomerang candidate.

Advantages

The Grass is No Longer Greener

This may be a personal feeling, but it seems that boomerang talent knows how good they had it if they choose to come back to a previous employer. The appreciation level that comes from being re-hired is actually quite high and at least in my case, I’ve noticed that job satisfaction increases.

Sometimes people just feel they need to “see what’s out there” to know that they were already in a great place. This kind of feeling tends to lead to a great retention percentage. According to ERE, “once they decide to return, unless the business has changed dramatically they are unlikely to leave again. And they may even help to retain other employees because as ‘brown grassers’ they tell negative stories of what it’s like to work at your firm’s competitors.” 

No Training

Training is a huge hurdle. When you find a strong hire, the training can be worth it, but when you are in a tight spot sometimes it’s best to hire a proven winner.

In fact, “According to the 2014 Training Industry Report from Training magazine, the annual training budgets of U.S. small businesses totaled an average of $308,000 in 2014, with retail and wholesale spending more than half a million dollars. Approximately $1,200 was spent per employee.” 

Of course that doesn’t include associated costs like the time a person spends training the newbie. That time is often something you cannot afford.

Realistic Expectations

Depending on your job description and the level of experience of a new hire, miscalculations or misconceptions arise. Even if you thought your job description was crystal clear, interpretation is not an objective thing. When this problem arises, it may lead to friction, quitting or even dismissal.

Hiring a previous employee ensures that you are bringing someone on board who knows the requirements of the role inside and out thus alleviates many problems. 

New Skills

Even if the re-hire didn’t particularly love the job they are leaving to come back to you, chances are they learned some new skills that will benefit your organization. Basically, it’s like getting an upgrade absolutely free!

It’s Easy and Effective

The fact is, re-hiring works. It just does. According to ERE, “A boomerang program is a ‘low-hanging fruit’ solution because it works quickly, costs little, and produces extraordinary results. Fortunately, data supports the value of boomerang rehiring because boomerangs ‘have been rated No. 1 in new hire quality' (Source: Randall Birkwood). Even without much effort, they can also produce a high volume of hires (at DaVita they reached up to 16 percent of all hires). And most former employees are more than willing to return; research by ExitCheck found that ‘72 percent of past employees would return to the company if the opportunity arose.’ Focus at least 20 percent of your sourcing effort on candidates that are not strangers.”

Risks

Behind the Times

If it’s been a while, changes may have been made within the organization and that can be hard for some re-hires. If your re-hire isn't flexible, this may cause friction. 

Square Peg, Round Hole

Now, this isn’t always the case, but sometimes looking backward isn’t the most advantageous choice as employer. If the re-hire wasn’t excellent before then chances are they will never be “right” for your role. Sometimes fresh faces are better!

According to Forbes, “although a former colleague may be less expensive to hire, and they may have already been proven to be a cultural fit, that rock star might still be out their waiting—with a hunger you’ve never experienced before. So, keep your options open. Look for the best. And, don’t settle for easy.” 

Speed Up

While the concept of re-hiring boomerangs is relatively new in the recruitment world (it used to be an absolute no), the trend is gathering speed. The Business Journals even went as far as heralding it as an executive hiring trend for 2018! 

So while it is clear that many companies are finding it effective, acting slowly is not an option. This is not going to be something you can institute without heavy competition from other former employers.

—

Boomerang recruitment is not a fit for everyone, but if you think it might work for you, contact us to get started.

Originally published September 14, 2018 on HargerHowe.com

Article: Steal These Hiring Event Ideas

Every day candidates and passive job seekers are bombarded with opportunities for employment. From the lawn signs and door ads to the push notifications in our social media apps, recruitment advertising is everywhere. So how do you stand out among all the ads? Well, one idea is to hold a really engaging hiring event.

Recently, due to the increasingly competitive hiring market, some companies have completely re-invented the hiring event. Today we are going to showcase three such employers and break down why we think they’re really rocking their recruitment.

The Rise of Sali by Liberty Mutual

Wow; what an incredible idea. In fact, it was this concept that initially made us want to write this blog. Sorry for the fan service, but Liberty Mutual really knocked it out of the park with this hiring event series.

Escape room style experiences are wildly popular across the world right now and Liberty Mutual clearly took notice. Such rooms have already been touted for team building, so the next logical step was clearly creating a custom recruitment experience. 

The Rise of Sali is actually very intentional. If you look at the registration page you can glean all of the following information:

1. They are looking to hire data analysts, coders and other IT experts. 
   How do we know this? They put this information right in the description! Check it out (bolded for ease). “…regain control of SALI before she succeeds in rewriting her code, destroying the terabytes upon terabytes of company data she was created to analyze, and escaping her firewall in an attempt to become human."

1. They are watching to see how you work in a team environment. 
   How do we know this? They reference the words team and teams three distinct times.

1. They have their sights set on up-and-comers. 
   How do we know this? All of their events are hosted at or within close proximity to college campuses.

1. They want to see how you interact with customers.
   How do we know this? They end the web page by stating that they want to improve the lives of others (but they do give a nod to work life balance) and they ask point blank if you are, “Eager to place human beings at the center of everything you do?”

We imagine that the upfront cost of this type of hiring event would be somewhat expensive as you would need to hire an escape room design team to do a specifically built mobile unit, but we would also wager that the benefits are significant. Some benefits we can see are highly targeted sourcing in an easy, fun manner as well as on-site testing with gradeable results. 

We can’t help but think of the healthcare recruiters out there…imagine looking for nurses by having them solve a trauma case. Go ahead, steal this idea!

If you would like to learn more about Liberty Mutual’s incredible recruitment experience, check out their landing page here. 

The High Achiever Weekend

While due to confidentiality we cannot reveal the name of the hospital we are highlighting, the idea is one of our favorites. Several years back one New England healthcare system was having issues finding the elite of new graduate nurses. The solution we pitched to them (and they accepted) was called the High Achiever Weekend.

This event was promoted to high achieving nursing students only - so it gave it a sense of exclusivity. Invitations were sent and invitees were given the opportunity to attend a structured weekend of on-site activities with transportation and accommodations included. Interviews and personal guidance were offered and at the end of the weekend, many hires were made. 

The keys to the success of this program were:

1. Isolating the best of the best early on by finding nursing programs and contacting the right people.

2. Providing them with an experience they couldn’t have elsewhere (meetings with staff, location spotting, relocation talks etc).

3. Differentiating themselves in the market as those who value nurses enough to nurture the recruitment lead to the hire phase.

Hubspot

Alright, this one isn’t a hiring event, but we do want to highlight the way Hubspot recruits as it is highly systematic. Here’s why they have a constant pipeline of eager candidates: 

1. They lead with social proof

Right at the top of their careers page they have the statement, “Did you hear? Hubspot employees voted us one of the Best Places to Work in 2018 on Glassdoor!” 

2. Their message is clear 

Their slider doesn’t mince words. It says quite clearly what their company does and why they are recruiting (so you can help them). Most importantly, it isn’t wordy.

3. They have a code

One of Hubspot’s most shared pieces of content is their culture code. It is an organic code that is added to and is actually part of the application process. When you apply, they ask you what slide you would add to the deck, which shows them your creativity and proves to them that you watched the video! Persuasive, but not forced engagement makes this an incredibly effective recruiting tool.

4. Their silos have real people

Nothing says “job that you don’t want” like a lack of real pictures. Hubspot shows people all over their site including on the buttons for departments like customer service. This choice makes the company instantly relatable.

5. Blogs, blogs and more blogs

It can be frustrating looking for a job, so Hubspot writes blogs explaining exactly how to impress them and they are situated right on the page (also - if you convert by applying, they can see links you click in the follow-up emails so they know if you are engaged).

6. Internal job board

And, of course, at the end of their site after the candidate has been nurtured, they end their travels at a job board. In theory, by the time they reach the end of the page they should be well-versed in how to apply, what the company is looking for, who you might be working with and what types of roles they recruit for. Overall, it’s a crash course in funnel marketing toward conversion.

So why are we talking about Hubspot’s job page? Simply put, if you are going to host a recruitment event we recommend having it link back to a highly engaging, content-rich page like this one. 

Promoting your event through pay per click and other advertising means is not enough. You must provide an educational path to maximize applies. 

—

Would you like to host a hiring event that surprises and delights candidates? Let us help!

Originally published July 6, 2018 on HargerHowe.com

Descriptions: Country Club Website

During my time doing marketing at Atkinson Resort & Country Club I pitched the idea and was given the opportunity to theme, design/decorate and photograph boutique hotel rooms. The writing below is my response:

A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE

As your host, we strive to provide rooms that are as special as the guests that stay in them. Each of our 16 guest rooms has a unique theme with specially chosen items that will make your stay more pleasurable.

THE BIRCH ROOM

Beautiful birch trees are a New England staple, but that abundance doesn't diminish their appeal in the least. With grays, blacks, and whites in stunning patterns, this chic room is sure to inspire relaxation and a feeling of peace. 

THE LILAC ROOM

The Lilac Room features tasteful touches of purple, gray, and green. From small accent plants and a cozy purple throw to buttoned up bed pillows and ceramic coasters, this room urges you to enjoy the little things in life. Luxuriate in lilac!

THE CATCH ROOM

Lucky you! You caught one of the best resort rooms! Themed with fish, mermaids and sea stars, it's a place of dreamy calm. Colors include blues of all shades, grays, and teals.

THE STONE ROOM

As New Hampshire is the Granite State, this room was inspired by slate grays, the local favorite, America’s Stonehenge, and the Old Man in the Mountain.

THE AUTUMN ROOM

Is there a more magical time in New England than Autumn? Beautiful colors and unique, yet rich flavors are everywhere and that is exactly what we were thinking about when we decorated this room. If you stay in this room, we think you'll be able to feel the clove and apple cider in your soul...

THE HARBOR ROOM

Tugboats, buoys and incredible sunsets...yes, the Harbor Room was brought into this world with all the above in mind. Reds, blues and nautical touches are par for the course in this classic space.

THE LIGHTHOUSE ROOM

From Nubble to Portsmouth Harbor, lighthouses are a standard of the American and the New England brand. From fun lamps and seascapes to colors that make you reminisce about the surf and sand, this room has it all.

THE WINE ROOM

Ah vino! Who doesn't enjoy a glass? We certainly do! Featuring rich purples, reds and greens, this room will have you feeling like a royal with a penchant for sommelier school.

THE BLUEBERRY ROOM

Any New England Resort would be remiss to discount the natural wonder of blueberries. With blueberries having such a deep and luscious tone and taste, it's easy to see why this room captures hearts.

THE GREEN ROOM

No - don't worry - you aren't about to be on TV in this room (though there is one for your use!) The Green Room is our way of saying a tasteful thank you to our golf course and the incredible clientele who use it each year. Greens of all shades give this room the feel of a restful canopy or soft golf green with trees surrounding.

THE MAPLE ROOM

Consider this room a low-calorie substitute for your favorite sugary sweet. This sip of syrup style room is graced by carefully chosen browns and warm reds.

THE MOUNTAIN ROOM

Climbing a mountain is arguably all about the view from the top. In this room you will find whites, blues and purples along with sunset-inspired touches. Relax - you're already at the summit.

THE ALL AMERICAN ROOM

If your theme song is “Born in the USA” and your favorite colors are red, white and blue, you will be in for a treat with this room. Featuring Americana elements of all kinds, this space will have you feeling patriotic even while you sleep!

THE FOREST ROOM

Imagine yourself in a canopy of leaves. In the Forest Room you will already be there. Natural green shades evoke a sense of peace and harmony. Sleep easy within this space.

THE ATKINSON SUITE

The Atkinson Suite is the largest of our resort accommodations, and with good reason. As the only suite, we thought it fitting to dedicate it to the Town of Atkinson! This historical spot is perfect for those who seek to find things to enrich their mind.

Originally published in 2018 on atkinsonresort.com/resort-rooms

Book Review: Doctors of Deception: What They Don’t Want You To Know about Shock Treatment

Linda Andre’s Doctors of Deception: What They Don’t Want You To Know about Shock Treatment is a book that is impossible to ignore. The book was written by a shock treatment victim who lost a profound amount of valuable memories and skills because of treatment that she was given essentially without her consent. She once was an award-winning writer and photographer and now she has become a force to be reckoned with. This book struck a chord in my heart because her descriptions are so well written and so absolutely heart-wrenching that it is impossible for anyone to erase once they have read it.

The first chapter of this book is all about Andre’s life before and after shock treatment. Her first-person account of forgetting herself (not her name, all the things that made her unique) and what it is like to know you’ve forgotten something very important and having no clue what that might be is touching and threatening at the same moment. But surprisingly, that isn’t the worst part — the worst part is that no one will believe you. Andre describes the loss of memory that results from shock treatment:

Your memory is not a component of your self, like your hair color or temperament. You don’t lose it like you lose a suitcase. Your memory — the sum total of all you have ever thought, seen, smelled, heard learned and done in your life—is your self. When it is gone, you are a diminished person, and if enough of it is gone, you are a different person. (1)

After the first chapter readers will already find themselves horrified by what it must feel like to lose everything important to them, but sadly, more horrors are in store. The book goes on to mention The Final Solution (the Jewish genocide during the Nazi years in World War II-era Germany) and the terrible public relations strategies that were — and in some cases still are — employed to make sure people don’t rise up and outlaw shock therapy. The Final Solution had a precursor and that idea was experimentation, sterilization, and elimination of the mentally ill. That idea did not begin with the Germans. The idea came from one of America’s finest, a Nobel Prize winner, Alexis Carrel, who thought that the mentally ill should be gassed to death.

Germany took the concept to the labs and began experimenting on the mentally ill as if they were lab rats. Such things as drugging them to sleep, injecting them with viruses, forcing them to breathe in carbon monoxide and even lobotomies were used because scientists felt that mentally ill people were subhuman. Mental institutions of the time are said to have killed nearly 300,000 people through these experiments.

One of the most troubling aspects of this book is the history behind ECT: The first shock treatment was a complete mistake. A scientist injected his patient with too much insulin and then decided her mind was more stable after the coma (probably due to brain damage). This mistake made Manfred Sakel devote the rest of his life to intentionally overdosing patients to try to replicate the result. Later on, Ugo Cerletti noted that pigs who were zapped on the sides of their heads with electrodes seemed to be OK after the experience. It did not appear to kill the pigs because after the shock they would eventually get up and move about in a more docile manner. The complete history is even more horrifying.

After Andre covered the historical elements she moved on to a woman named Marilyn Rice who was also a shock victim. Rice spent her life after the treatment researching and lobbying for informed consent for potential shock patients. Andre became associated with Rice later in her life and has reproduced a large quantity of her findings in this book. Rice’s stories about government coverups, corruption and lies are quite extensive and have been researched very thoroughly. Rice’s findings directly address the Federal Drug Administration, the National Institute of Mental Health and many other “trusted” institutions’ roles in the battle to keep shock treatment alive.

Two advocacy groups have resulted from shock treatment victimization: Leaving shock as a legal choice or banning it entirely. Andre comes down clearly on the side of the ban.

I recommend this book because the writing style and the research are superb and because people need to know about this “treatment” option from a victim’s point of view.

Originally published October 8, 2010 on PsychCentral.com

Book Review: The Skinny on The Art of Persuasion: How to Move Minds

Jim Randel’s The Skinny on Persuasion: How to Move Minds was, in my opinion, the best of the Skinny series thus far. Unlike the previous books that read a bit like handbooks (entertaining nonetheless, but handbooks), this one seemed like an examination of human nature. All the Skinny books use peoples’ reactions and opinions to form the bulk of the information, but this one did it very differently.

Of course the book still has its troubled stick figure couple, Beth and Billy and its host Jim Randel (who is as into magic and wisecracks as ever), but you see a little less of them and a little more information in this book. In this edition Billy is a real estate agent who is jealous of another, much more successful stick agent. Billy clearly has a bit of an attitude problem and is very jaded, therefore, Jim has his work cut out for him. Billy’s wife Beth is as pleasant as ever and provides the little nudges that eventually make Billy seek Jim’s help on how to grow his business by using persuasion. The irony of the situation is that Billy could very easily be a manipulator (which I think was an intentional choice by the author) so Jim uses him as a way to show readers how to persuade in a convincing manner without manipulating or lying.

Persuasion is a very tough topic to talk about because (Randel even admits this) it borders on manipulation:

At times there is a fine line between manipulation and persuasion. Some commentators feel that the difference is one of the persuader’s intent. (30)

Randel goes on to talk about how to become more persuasive without being a manipulator. It’s difficult, though, because the audience that may read this book may in fact use the same strategies to manipulate and cajole. But that is not Randel’s intention. Randel believes the way to be more persuasive is to try to be genuinely interested in what the other person has to say. Throughout the book Randel is careful to emphasize the fact that this cannot be faked; people will see through it. If you aren’t actually interested in the other person, they will know you are faking it and therefore they won’t trust you.

After establishing a base of morals and ethics, Randel moves on to the rules of persuasion. The first seems like common knowledge, but is probably the most difficult. It states that people are persuaded by people they actually enjoy being around (or to whom they relate in some way). Basically, it means that if you try to find common ground with the person you are trying to persuade, you will have much better luck. Sometimes that common ground can be as simple as changing your speech pattern. For instance, if a person is very quiet and reserved, you would not want to go into a conversation with them carrying your bullhorn. This does not mean that you should change yourself and lie, but instead you should try to find aspects of yourself that are similar so that the person you are talking to will feel more comfortable.

Randel then moves on to talk about the dire importance of rehearsals. He says that one of the most common mistakes is saying something that is unplanned and then not being able to take it back. It is important to practice every element in your head before you say it out loud. Too many people say exactly what they are thinking and that can be extremely detrimental to any deal or life situation.

The need to listen also is important. Most things that we can use to our advantage come to us because we are listening. Little clues about how the person might react under certain conditions could save lots of time later on.

Rules four through 10 focus on how people makes decisions. Rule four talks about the idea of supply and demand. Many people want things that they think they can’t have. That is why marketers are always saying things like “only this weekend” or “exclusively sold at this store.” Rule five talks about consistency of decisions and six talks about not wanting to be in another person’s debt. Rule seven is about shortcuts and relying on previously known ideas (rather than reanalyzing the situation) Rule eight brings up our herd mentality, the need to do what others do. Rule nine states that we usually make decisions based on our emotions rather than on logic and 10 says we need to try to be honest and maintain a sense of integrity.

As you can see the book talks more about human nature and how that nature can be used to understand and persuade others. I think this was a very interesting read and I intend on using some of the principles in my future endeavors with my clients. In one section of the book under the “people don’t like to feel indebted” section, Randel mentioned that he sent out holiday cards to random people to see if people would send them back (they did). I think it would be a nice idea to send out cards to share the warmth of a new season. Maybe I’ll meet someone new and fascinating or maybe I’ll just send out good will — either way, I think it’s win-win.

Originally published October 8, 2010 on PsychCentral.com

Book Review: The Skinny on Success: Why Not You?

Jim Randel’s The Skinny on Success: Why Not You? is another tiny book in Jim Randel’s series of skinny volumes. I read this book after the one about networking and am happy to say that it takes an entirely different approach to success than it does to networking. Of course the book still contains the stick figures with stunted lives looking to make changes, but this book gives more examples of actual successful people than the other book. The overall message seems to be that people who work hard are more likely to be successful than those who rely on innate talents.

Our main characters are still Billy and Beth, Randel’s stick figure people who represent the everyday person looking to achieve whatever the book’s topic is. This time they have very different goals. This Skinny seems to have been written before the networking book because Billy is trying to become a comedian and Beth wants to run for public office. (In the other book, Billy is a struggling teacher who wants to move into music education and Beth is trying to further her career within her chosen field.)

Billy’s problem, according to Randel, is the fact that he thinks he will just get discovered by chance because he has a natural talent for comedy. Randel goes on to explain to Billy that in reality, that is not going to happen, but Billy is skeptical. Billy begins to talk about all sorts of comedians he enjoys who have wonderful delivery and are great at on the spot jokes. It turns out he is dead wrong. Billy tried to get one past Randel by talking about Steve Martin, Martin Short and Chevy Chase, which made Randel counter by telling him the truth about their struggles. Steve Martin took 10 years to get discovered and he started by working at a Disney store where he would try out bits on customers. Martin Short began by hosting a fictitious variety show in his own attic at the tender age of 8. And last of all, Chevy Chase went through a series of odd jobs, including cab driver and camp counselor, to pay the bills until his career took off.

Still, Billy is not convinced. Somehow he thinks that maybe those (extremely successful) comedians didn’t get discovered right away purely because they didn’t have enough natural talent. He decides to move on to Chris Rock. Again, Randel trumps his point by telling him Chris rehearsed his so-called flawless delivery and what seems to be off-the-cuff skits over the course of many shows. (In the case of this example, he changed and modified the same jokes throughout 18 different performances before he got it “right.”)

It is right around this time that the reader is realizing — along with Billy — that there is no easy shortcut to success. However, if that message already didn’t come through, there are a lot of quotes both from Randel himself and from famous athletes, musicians, and scientists that all reiterate that point.

Randel then goes on to explain that successful people (or people who are destined to be successful) tend to think the following: “Nothing good comes easy…no sense of entitlement or expectation that good things will just happen to them…and [a] focus on the value that they can bring to their endeavor” (91).

After Randel establishes the mindset that a successful person must have, he moves on to talk about practice and perfection. In this section he references stars such as Tiger Woods. No one ever noticed that Tiger had an innate talent for golf, it was his drive and his intense practicing that got him into the big leagues. Even Tiger himself attributes his success to the fact that all he wanted to do was be like his dad (because he admired him). By the age of 2 Tiger was playing regularly with his father and gradually became even more skilled, which led him to become one of the best golfers in the world.

I won’t bore you by giving away all of the examples, but basically Randel utilizes these people as examples to show how talent is well and great, but it cannot be outdone by sheer willpower, strength of mind and practice. There are always exceptions to the “rules” and generally these exceptions are the people who work the hardest to reach their passions. Short basketball players, high jumpers with little feet, and unemployed people can all reach their dreams as long as they put 100 percent into their everyday efforts.

This book is very uplifting and is (as was the last Skinny book I read) an easy read. It even contains mantras that have helped Randel get through his life. I think it is a good book because it puts life in perspective and makes us feel like if we keep working hard we can reach our goals. I would recommend this book to anyone, but in particular, I would pick it up if you are a struggling actor, artist or well…a struggling professional. Life is hard, but Jim Randel has a way (a very convincing way) of telling us that we can get through it!

Originally published October 8, 2010 on PsychCentral.com

Book Review: The Skinny on Networking: Maximizing the Power of Numbers

Jim Randel’s The Skinny on Networking: Maximizing the Power of Numbers, is just what it promises, a very concise and entertaining little book that can be read in under an hour. It utilizes a simplified comic strip style with stick figures to illustrate the really important sections of other books and concepts. It is chock full of quotes, new terminology and a delightful sense of humor runs throughout the whole book. The book is only 267 pages, the words are very large — I would say point size 14 — and most of the space is filled with cartoons. Literally anyone can read this book.

Within the first few pages we are introduced to a lovely stick person couple, Beth and Billy. Billy has had some trouble breaking into his chosen field while Beth, who already has the job that she wants, is having trouble connecting to the right people so that she can advance. Enter Jim Randel, savior of the non-networking savvy! Randel breaks the concepts down into simple categories and crafts them into a lovely little story for readers to enjoy.

First, Randel discusses how little we know about our immediate network and how often we take them for granted. He suggests that we nurture that network first to see if anyone we know can help us find a path to our passions.

After that group has been covered, Randel moves on to people he calls the “connectors” in our lives. Connectors befriend many different types of people and therefore bounce around in a lot of social circles. These people are naturally charismatic and have friends everywhere. Randel says it is vitally important to develop lasting friendships with these people, because later, when we ask for favors, it won’t seem like such a random request.

One of the book’s main themes is that you need to network first, before you ask for favors. Good networking requires spending genuine time with others and not necessarily expecting a return. Randel also points out that there is no way to tell who is going to be of value to you, so you should try to treat everyone very well. Of course the book also states that you shouldn’t just network to eventually gain favors because that is unfair. Overall, Randel says that people should be kind to each other because essentially, it’s great karma. It’s just an added bonus if you gain a step up in life because you are a nice person.

One of the other interesting terms mentioned in this book is “social capital.” Randel makes sure to emphasize exactly how important this form of capital can be:

Social capital is the strength of the relationship you have with another person. Like any other type of capital, you only have so much of it. You must always be thinking about earning more and, when spending it, doing so prudently” (123).

Randel says that the levels of favors we ask for are directly dependent on our relationships — we need to consider the position of the person we are asking the favor of. For instance, if we are asking for a recommendation, or for an introduction to someone that a friend knows, we should consider the reasons that they may not be in a position to make this connection for us.

Of course, Randel then offers us a low-risk plan of attack. One of the main ideas is that we should consider any request to be a large favor. When approaching the person, we are to state that it is a huge favor (and that we would appreciate it a lot), offer them an out and then say we will try to reciprocate in the future. This makes the person feel less trapped and helps them see that there might be something in it for them.

The concepts in this book were extremely easy to understand and I liked that. It is designed for individuals who don’t have the time to read a long book and therefore, I assume it will have a wide appeal. The only criticism I have is that there are a few too many quotes. Though all the quotations are interesting, some are a bit redundant and make you want to skip over them.

Overall I found the book to be very helpful and extremely easy to breeze through. If you have less than 30 minutes, you could just read the last few pages of the book, which summarize the main points quite effectively. So why should you read the book at all, you ask? Well, that’s simple: How else would you meet Beth and Billy? Just kidding, but really, the characters help punctuate the information and it is much easier to understand when it is in a real-life context. I look forward to reading other books in the Skinny series by Jim Randel.

Originally published October 8, 2010 on PsychCentral.com

Book Review: Girl in Need of a Tourniquet: Memoir of a Borderline Personality

Not to use a cliché, but you can judge Merri Lisa Johnson’s Girl in Need of a Tourniquet: Memoir of a Borderline Personality by the cover quite accurately. The image of a heart that has been punctured by an arrow and the title truly set the tone for the reader. Most memoirs focusing on something health-related, whether mental or physical, are thrown into one of two categories: overly poetic with no information (typically drug memoirs) or so informative that diving into the book is nearly impossible. This book has chosen to be neither, and for that, I like it.

Girl in Need of a Tourniquet is one of the most intimate and complex portrayals of a woman living with borderline personality disorder that a reader could choose. The book is not for the person who is simply seeking bulleted information, rather it is for a person looking for an inside perspective and a new outlook. I read this book as a person who is not afflicted with the disorder, but Johnson’s writing seduced me into feeling exactly what she felt during the worst periods of her life.

Before I even reached the first chapter I encountered a quote by singer/songwriter Aimee Mann that clearly explains the title: “You look like a perfect fit, for a girl in need of a tourniquet. But can you save me….” Throughout the book Johnson shows us her world by bleeding — in the most poetic way possible — all over the book, crying out for help to both the reader and her current lover.

Johnson begins her story with someone else’s, that of Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes. Lopes was a rapper and member of the girl group TLC who died in a car accident in 2002. In a symbolic reference, Johnson says when Lopes lit her boyfriend’s (NFL star Andre Rison) shoes on fire in the bathtub and consequently burned their home down, she could feel the flames of Lopes’s mansion burning and see it from her house.

This theme of burning and being out of control continues throughout Johnson’s entire book and life. She refers to many other people in her memoir including her parents, sisters and even the infamous Alex Forrest from the movie “Fatal Attraction.” The book has the pacing of a Hollywood movie and that helps it stay fresh and exciting for the reader.

The first time Johnson talks about herself we learn that she has been married and divorced by age 20 and that her current boyfriend is physically abusing her. She therefore chooses to run away and seek a new life without him. Subsequently she meets an emotionally abusive woman with whom she realizes that she is a lesbian. This experience ultimately pushes her over the proverbial edge of her sanity and forces her to try and find out what is “wrong” with her.

Along the way we learn that Johnson is a cutter, she has a fondness for stealing lovers from other people and that she flees when situations get difficult. However, we also learn that she is very intelligent, has two sisters who she basically mothered (yet she still feels guilty for leaving them with her real mother) and that all she really wants is to love someone and be loved in return. It is impossible not to feel compassion for her.

Do not pick up this book if you are searching for light reading. It contains strong emotions, complex symbolism and a large number of words that might be in the vocabulary of a poetry aficionado. It takes Johnson about two thirds of the book to start divulging any real information on borderline personality disorder. Instead, she lets the reader try to discover on his or her own what he or she thinks borderline personality disorder is. If the title did not reveal the name of the disorder, then the average reader would not know this book was about a specific issue until the end. Instead, they would think it was a typical memoir about a troubled or “difficult” person.

This choice is overwhelmingly intentional. Johnson’s memoir is something more than an essay on a personal cathartic experience; it is an open invitation to readers to change how they think about people with borderline personality. She does not use the word “disorder.” According to Johnson, most therapists and most people in general are afraid of people diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Even she admits to having a very negative first reaction to her diagnosis. “BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER. Shit. Those people are crazy.” (p. 137).

However, in the next paragraph she goes on to venture a guess as to why the term had such a negative connotation.

I had heard of borderline personality disorder when I worked in the university counseling office as an undergraduate English tutor. A woman walked in one day, a streak of dark hair and an open black raincoat. She asked to see one of the graduate-student counselors. No one would tell her anything. Everyone just wanted her to leave. When she left the office, the student worker staffing the front desk turned to me and said, ‘She’s a borderline. They’ll stalk you,’ That’s the start and finish of what most people know about borderline personality. (p. 138)

Near the end of the book we are offered information about the current debate in the psychology world over the name, borderline personality disorder and its destructive nature. The new name that has been proposed is “emotion regulation disorder.” In Johnson’s mind this name is a lot less threatening and would encourage therapists and people who think that they might have the disorder to be less afraid of the diagnosis.

After reading this book I have to agree with its concept. Although borderline personality disorder is serious, it seems to be a collection of unhealthy behaviors that many people exhibit at some point in their lives (such as cutting, using sex as an outlet for anger or frustration and throwing tantrums). The only difference is that people diagnosed with borderline personality disorder exhibit these behaviors more frequently and it begins to drastically affect the quality of their lives. Treatment is necessary, but most people need help from time to time. Johnson is just proposing that we help remove the stigma from the disorder’s name.

The end of the book is uplifting and suggests that there will always be bad times, but that the best thing we can do for ourselves is simply to “wait for a better season” (p. 222).

Originally published October 8, 2010 on PsychCentral.com

Feel free to reach out!