I Got You

On a Sunday afternoon, my tablet chimed with a message from one of my friends asking for a letter of reference.?She had asked someone who supervised her as a volunteer and was “ghosted.”?My friend is trying to get in a university program that prepares people to work in medical lab science.?

When “Jane” started her college education, she had plans to be a veterinarian.?Her life goals changed when she married an Army guy who took her and their family from duty station to duty station including a stint in South Korea.?Now that the family has settled down in one location, she has decided to work towards a career in science.

I read the Admissions description and paperwork.?After firing up my laptop, I started typing the letter.?Jane and I met years ago, at a knitting group that used to meet on Thursday nights at the Leavenworth Public Library.?I wrote about her hobby in the recommendation letter.?Some of you may think that to be an odd choice.?It is not and here is why.?

Jane is a sock knitter which means she creates projects on tiny knitting needles.?This requires mental and manual dexterity.?It requires being able to read knitting patterns and interpret them to make a project.?Sometimes a pattern would have an error and Jane would have to troubleshoot and fix the error so she could complete the project.?Problem solving, troubleshooting, accuracy, attention to detail, manual dexterity.?All qualities that would make a person well-suited to a laboratory environment.?

Jane is an avid reader and can articulate concepts orally and in writing for others to comprehend.?She is wicked smart and highly logical.?She would be able to use her logic to follow lab protocols “by the book.”?She had to be organized to move her family from one duty station to the next.?She had to run things when her husband was stationed away from the family.?This “street cred” came from years of experience that younger applicants do not possess.?

Jane is caring and compassionate.?She wants to make the world a better place.?She’s passionate about science.?Passion, compassion, caring-all qualities that would make a good co-worker.?The bar is set high in the science field.?The field requires dedication.?Knitters are dedicated.?Some put in countless hours into a single project.?Sometimes they have to rip out hours of work to fix the project.?

I read what I had typed a few times and used my mental thesaurus to change up a few things to keep it from being repetitive and emailed the letter to my friend.?“That is a wonderful letter.?You are a great writer,” she replied.?Jane needed a boost.?It is hard to start something new and sometimes scary.?Applying to schools/jobs is stressful.?

I wanted the school to see what an amazing person Jane is and I wanted to give Jane some encouragement.?Sometimes that is all that a person needs to shine.?It does not matter if you are a supervisor, co-worker, or friend.?Let people know you appreciate their efforts.?Help build up your team.?Let them know you are invested in them.?People who feel appreciated will go the extra mile.?

To those recruiters/employers who think a candidate has to check all of the job description words: People are not rubrics. Example: ?We want an English major.?What do you think a History major is??They both read a lot of books, write lots of papers, and do research.?An advantage of the History degree is that learning history helps us understand people and why the world is the way it is. ?Look at the college transcripts. One might be surprised to find out this History major also took German Literature and Australian Outback Literature and Film in undergraduate school.?In graduate school, I took a grant writing proposal class.?I can read, I can write, and I have published two books.? I have English "street cred."

Not everyone can have a linear career path.?Sometimes they have to take a detour because of family.?Sometimes they have to take a job outside of their field because there are no jobs in their field.?That does not mean they should be penalized when they are trying to get back in their field.?What skills did they learn in the non-related field that could be utilized for the hiring institution??Put the buzz words aside and look for the skills.?Please do not ghost people.?You would not want to be ghosted so please do not do it to others.?Remember to be kind.?One act of kindness may not change the world.?However, it can change the world for one person.??Jane, I hope you get into that school and achieve your dreams. We need more people like you in this world.