Give a little bit
The title is, of course, inspired by the 1977 song by Supertramp.
The song appeals to me because I am now at a stage in life where I want to give back by sharing my experience and supporting younger people in their careers. Of course, I have done this with my sons, but I also do this with students from IE University and others who cross my path.
Let me share a short story. I published an assignment on freelance.nl for a graphic designer. I received around 20 applications and selected three designers based on their portfolios. I had Zoom calls with all three. One of them was a woman from Syria who had been living in the Netherlands for two years. I was impressed by her work and by her Dutch language skills, which she had developed in a relatively short period of time. Of course, she made some grammatical mistakes and had some minor pronunciation challenges, but who does not make mistakes in Dutch? What impressed me most was her perseverance and work ethic.
I decided to give her another assignment. I wanted to help her build confidence in doing business with Dutch clients and support her in developing her own business. I asked her to create a business video for me and a brochure for client proposals. I have included the video and a picture of the brochure in this post. I was very pleased with the result, which she delivered quickly.
Society is changing. Due to Covid-19, many people have become more isolated, and conflict sometimes seems to arise more quickly. Still, it is important to keep seeing the glass as half full.
So keep an open and optimistic view of life. Be empathetic and support people who could benefit from your help. Sometimes a small opportunity can make a meaningful difference.
“Now’s the time that we need to share. So find yourself; we’re on our way back home”.
https://jignite.com/wp-content/uploads/Jignite-jan22.mp4
