Page 10 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, May 29, 2020 Tailor Your Career! By Elizabeth Hart O ne thing this pandemic has shown me and other colleagues in the workforce development field is that everyone needs to take responsibility for making sure their career is sustainable. There are many things outside our control – we went from an unemployment rate of below 3% to a rate of 24% in a matter of months. So, even if you are not in an active job search, circumstances arise when we may be looking for new employment. Here are a few tips to remember and be ready for whatever career-related challenges may occur: Control. You can only control what you can control. You can’t control the economy, pandemics, or whether the company you are working in survives. These things are out of your control so it does no good to dwell on them. Invest. Start investing in yourself. Keep your skills sharp; take free webinars, courses, and training. If there is something you are weak in, strive to get better. Did you know that there are many opportunities for free classes – yes, free – you can take? Check out these websites to get you started: MOOCS (www.mooc.org); Edx Classes (www.edx.org); and for those looking for technical training there are Microsoft training tutorials (www.support.office. com). Not sure what class to take? Start a search at www. classcentral.com. Network. Now’s the time to take networking seriously and be strategic. Don’t just join LinkedIn; use it as the great networking tool that it is. Tailor Everything. Customize your resume, job applications, and cover letter – remember one size doesn’t fit all. Each resume and cover letter should be tailored to the specific position and make sure you use keywords from What is kindness? Resident thanks staff at Forestdale Park Assisted Living the job description in each. Don’t Burn Bridges. Never bad-mouth a previous employer or manager. You never know when you might need a reference or a networking connection. Look for the silver lining. I’m a big believer that you need to look for opportunities in the challenges. My mantra is “What opportunity could this be?” Confidence. Have confidence in yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself, who will? Basic Needs. You may have to take a less than perfect short-term job. Remember Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and take care of your basic needs first. LinkedIn. Update your LinkedIn profile. There are many articles written on how to make your LinkedIn profile stand out to recruiters. A quick Google search will lead you to insight from LinkedIn experts. Clean Up. Clean up your social media. The majority of recruiters report that they check out a person’s social media profile (i.e., LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter) before reaching out to a potential candidate. If there are things in your social media you would rather not have a recruiter see, delete it. Make sure your social media accounts are private and start deleting old potentially embarrassing posts. These are challenging times for us all, but I believe if you start looking at ways to make the best of the situation, you’ll come out ahead in the “new normal.” Remember, success is a journey, not a destination. Elizabeth Hart is the Founder & Executive Director of Tailored for Success, Inc. (www.tailoredforsuccess. org), a nonprofit organization that empowers job seekers to achieve economic self-sufficiency. She has decades of experience as a Career Management Consultant assisting job seekers in transition. Pride Celebration slated for June 4-7 M alden’s first Pride Celebration – sponsored by First Parish in Malden, Unitarian Universalist – will take place virtually from Thursday, June 4 through Sunday, June 7. The LGBTQ+ community and friends of Malden and beyond are most welcome! Participate in this intergenerational event and join one or more of scheduled activities, including art making, dance parties, speakers, great workshops, the film “Moonlight” and a Sunday Pride Service on June 7 at 10:30 a.m. For more information and to register for this free event, see fpmalden.org/Pride. On May 21, Malden Police Officers Patrick Manolian and Sean Hussey seized several pounds of marijuana and more than $7,000. Two males, whose identities have not been released, were taken into custody during the seizure. One of the suspects is a 21-yearold from Malden and the other suspect is a 27-year-old from Lynn. (Photo Courtesy of the Malden Police Department) For Advertising with Results, call The Advocate Newspapers at 617-387-2200 or Info@advocatenews.net On May 23 at approximately 3 a.m., Matthew Whitcomb was stopped and subsequently arrested for theft-related charges. Allegedly, prior to police intervention Whitcomb, 28, was observed entering someone’s property, and he had several stolen items in his possession. (Photo Courtesy of the Malden Police Department) By Irene Reardon B ANG! Down I went falling to the floor, blood oozing from my head. Joanne, our Dining Room Manager, happened to be at the door. With the speed of Bobby Orr zooming down the Garden ice, Joanne was in total command. She pressed my buzzer instantly as I had not pressed it fully, adjusted the towel I placed on the cut, gathered my clothes, and dressed me. Of course, I had to leave in style! Due to COVID-19, I was hesitant at having to go to the ER. As quick as a flash, she responded in her authoritative voice, “If you have to go, you have to go.” Would I dare resist? It reminded me of saying “Yes Sister Superior.” Upon hearing the signal from the buzzer, Fara and Jade quickly appeared. They immediately went into action, calling 911, waiting while the fire department and EMTs arrived and putting my apartment in order. Offers of help came from our associates Alexis and Programming Assistant Karen, followed by calls, newspaper delivery, sweets and general help and get well wishes from my Forestdale Park neighbors, dear and precious friends. Also, Laura and her nursing team cheerfully provided ongoing care. The dictionary defines kindness as the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. I define kindness as: Joanne the passerby acting as the Good Samaritan. Fara and Jade remaining while the emergency team arrived. All associates nursing staff and friends at Forestdale Park offering care, help, concern, and good wishes. The Malden Fire Department and EMTs doing their job with efficiency and compassion. How can one forget random acts of kindness?! City announces phased reopening of parks/open spaces T he City of Malden has begun a phased reopening of parks and other open spaces. The goal is to provide a place for residents to get fresh air and exercise while protecting public health and preventing a resurgence of COVID-19. Effective Monday, May 25, the parks and open spaces listed below are open for passive recreation so that we continue to limit those activities that encourage groups to gather and that make social distancing difficult to observe. The following are open to the public on a limited basis: • Waitt’s Mount • Lincoln Commons • High Rock • Pine Banks Park • Community Gardens (no groups over 10 in each garden section) • Macdonald Stadium (number of people allowed at one time is limited) • The Northern Strand Community Trail and Fellsmere Pond continue to be open to the public. There will be no use of the playgrounds or other equipment and no organized sports or picnicking at this time. WalkMarijuana seizure ing, hiking, biking, running and activities like yoga, tai chi, etc. are allowed. Face coverings and masks: All visitors to parks and open space, over the age of two years, must wear a face covering or mask when they cannot maintain six feet of distance between themselves and others. Restrooms will not be open; visitors will be responsible for taking their trash and recycling with them when they leave. After visiting public spaces, users should always wash their hands or use hand sanitizer. Alleged thief caught
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