On Asking for Help and Recovering from Falls

It was a cold rainy day today--I'd say it was rather miserable.

This morning, I watched a woman in my neighborhood trip and have a full-on fall in the middle of the sidewalk. She chipped her front tooth, cut her lip, bruised her hands and knees, and couldn't get up for over ten minutes.

Five passerby (myself included) stopped, helped her call for help and waited with her until it arrived. Shortly after the accident, we went into triage mode: My friend called an ambulance, three others worked to assess the situation and reassure her, and I tried to get help from the drugstore next door, but as it wasn't "on the property"--no help.

The immediate reaction of the woman was to cry. Then, she took a deep breath, and shared with us her current needs, medical history, and feeling of unsteadiness from the fall. We talked and got to know each other as we waited until help arrived.

As a transplant to New York, I walked away feeling both annoyed (at the drugstore) and with a sense of appreciation (for fellow neighbors and passerby). Not surprisingly, given my line of work--it reminded me of the job search:

Like the drugstore, sometimes the places you expect to find help aren't particularly useful. (Ever applied for a job at a place you felt great about only to never hear again?)

Like a sudden fall, a turbulent change in job security can result in the most primal of reactions: aaccckkk!

And sometimes, help arrives in the most unexpected form when you figure out how to ask for it clearly...and can be specific about what you need.

Think you have no network? Explore LinkedIn and attend events in your community that align with your interests. Find anyone with common interests, follow-up, and make a new friend...

To your success,
Chandlee