No Time like the Present to Start Taking Chances
by Barbara Rutman

In this country we have been given the abundance of both women in the workforce and a diversified population. We have diamonds in our own backyard and the time has come to seize these opportunities.

Women entered the workforce during WWII in large numbers and have never left. There was an era when women were not considered for management positions and if they were lucky enough to land that type of position the pay would be considerably less. Time has changed that – women now hold impressive positions and titles and are accepted as effective intelligent leaders. We have become an educated and respected body in society.

Our diversified population and female sector has always existed. Now is the time for us to gather speed and run with it. It’s time to show employers our resume – the interview and the job. Everyone comes into the workforce at different levels, but everyone enters at the beginning at some point in their career.

Don’t be afraid to talk to people about their jobs. Ask them how they learned their trade, how long it took, and do they like what they do? Could they recommend a good place to start? Set goals – long & short. Don’t be afraid to fail. Keep starting over until you get where you want to be. Always continue to learn, take classes and educate yourself. Stay on the cutting edge. If you don’t move forward, you are not standing still, you are falling behind.

I have saved the best for last “Hospitality”. What greater gift can you give yourself than to offer your hospitality to someone else? For a guest to turn around and say “thank you” for genuinely caring about me and my family/friends is the bottom line. It’s that look in their eyes when they know you’ve made the extra effort to ensure their comfort. This is what is so often overlooked and what we can all do best.