JUMP IN AND START SWIMMING was written as a result of a request from an Adjunct Professor at the University of Rhode Island to speak to his junior and senior students, who were beginning to find it difficult to secure jobs/careers after graduation. THE 2008 Stock Market Crash. accelerated an economic collapse , followed by the job market. I agreed to write a “talk” to be submitted to the Dean of Business, however, I found myself writing way beyond the plans. When I finally called the professor to schedule a date to come in to the campus and give my “talk”, I was informed of, " how much worse the situation had become for the students since we first spoke". I also learned that a number of the students’ parents had unfortunately been laid off and were about to face the difficulty of paying student loans, especially unnerving, considering that their kids weren’t finding jobs. It was becoming a serious mess, with no end in sight. In fact all three of my grown children had lost their jobs in what was beginning to look like the 2nd Great Depression. At the time I was initially invited to come in, I had already begun writing a memoir describing my unique career along with some family history for my grandchildren.
My parents landed on Ellis Island in a fiercely cold winter during the Great Depression with just the clothes on their back. I knew their story of course, and I was aware of how they survived. With, “No money!”, “No place to Live!”, “No Jobs! “No Nothing!” So I thought that by sharing their story along with my career information, I might inspire the students to “press on” with real life struggles, and overcoming obstacles during what was scarier time in American History, while introducing them to new career opportunities..
The combination of the two caused my "talk" to evolve into my first book, I just needed a title. I decided on a saying that my mother often quoted, “Jump In and Start Swimming”. It was her way of telling us to “take a leap of faith”, when she saw us stuck and unable to make a decision. As you will learn, upon reading my stories her saying had a profound effect on my life.
Once my readers finished the book, I received all types of questions and requests for more elaboration on what I did exactly to be successful. As a result, I wrote: RELATIONSHIPS OPEN DOORS, which describes the number one technique that I learned and employed for over 30 years. The art of relationship building and networking is a A SKILL THAT EVERY COLLEGE STUDENTS NEED TO MASTER TO GET A CAREER !
Finally, I published job guide for them, including my thoughts and advice for finding a job/career. "JOB AND ASSISTANCE FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS AND RECENT GRADUATES" available only as an eBook on Kindle $1.99
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