Author Archives: Shoshanna Grey

Talking to Adoptive Parents – Great Things To Say

My last blog was about things that you should avoid saying to families formed by adoption. Many people say these things and don’t even realize that they could sound unkind. I think that often when people see a family with adopted children, they are curious because these kinds of families are not very common, though they are becoming more accepted in society. Here are some things that you can say that are appropriate and that will be appreciated by the family. “What a beautiful family!” This validates them as a family and celebrates their uniqueness. Especially when it is a … Continue reading →

Ten Ways to Impress Your Boss

We all want recognition on the job. Here are some ways to gain that notice from your boss. Be on time – If you are on time every single day, you are a rare breed and your boss will begin to notice. This is the type of person who gets promotions and more responsibility. Be a self starter – If you know something needs to be done, go ahead and do it. Don’t someone who has to be told to get started. Act happy – Everyone has issues going on at home and everyone has a bad day. However, it … Continue reading →

Talking to Adoptive Parents – What Not To Say

One of the biggest frustrations in the adoption community is the fact that those who are not touched by adoption usually do not understand it. Families that are created by adoption are considered an oddity and often those who are not familiar will say things that can be hurtful, even when that is not their intention. In this blog, I want to highlight some of the comments that many adoptive parents and their children hear on a regular basis. In the next blog, I will show you some positive things that you can say to an adoptive family. Please keep … Continue reading →

Seven Ways to Make Your Office More Comfortable

Offices come in different shapes and sizes. Some are big and beautiful, some are little more than a closet or a cubicle with three-quarter walls. Even though all offices are not created equal, there are some universal techniques to making yours more comfortable. Why bother? If you are comfortable and at ease in your office, you will be more productive, less stressed and generally a better and happier worker. Here are some tips for organizing your workspace. Arrange the furniture – Take the time to move your desk or the chairs. If you bump into the wall every time you … Continue reading →

My Adoption Journey – An Introduction

My name is Rachel Whitmire and I am now one of the regular bloggers for Families.com on the subject of Adoption. I have been working for Families.com for a few months now and you can see my past blogs under Employment, Marriage and Adoption. I wanted to tell you a little about myself. My “day job” is as a social worker for Goodwill Industries and I also do a lot of freelance writing. Someday maybe I can do that full time. I have been married for almost 5 years to my wonderful husband, Scott. In my spare time I love … Continue reading →

Working From Home – Looking Before You Leap

It seems like everyone’s dream these days is to work from home. We envision ourselves sleeping late, working in our pajamas and watching effortlessly as the profits roll in. However, when most people begin working at home, they are in for quite a shock. As it turns out, working from home is often MORE difficult than punching the clock at your nine to five. Especially when starting out, you often end up working longer hours than you did previously. In addition, it usually takes several months (and often a lot longer) for your work-at-home efforts to generate any sort of … Continue reading →

Review of Jobster.com

Job Site Name/Link: Jobster.com Basics: I just found this job seeking site and I was really impressed with it. It has some features that I haven’t seen before and I also thought that the information is presented in a user-friendly manner. Pros: The search engine on this site draws from a number of different job sites, so it consolidates your search and can save you time. I liked how you could choose to search according to how recently the jobs were posted, which keeps you from applying for a job that has been sitting there for several months. The job … Continue reading →

Thank You Notes Get Jobs

A big step that most people miss in the interview process is the thank you note. Yes, I’m sorry to say that I am going to make you write a thank you note. It is important that an interviewer know that you appreciate the time that it took for them to interview you. Let me take a moment to show you an interview from the perspective of the interviewer. My job requires that I interview, among other things, and so I have the ability to see it from an employer’s perspective. I have interviews scheduled for the class I teach, … Continue reading →

Whatever Do I Wear – For Men

Now, on to the men. What should a man keep in mind when dressing for an interview? Just like with women, staying traditional and low-key is your best bet. You can’t go wrong with a dress shirt, tie and nice slacks. You don’t have to wear a suit jacket, but adding one definitely won’t hurt anything. Keep the following things in mind when you are dressing for an interview. Also, listen to your wife, girlfriend, mother or sister. Women will often be able to pinpoint a problem with your outfit that you might not notice. What can I say? It’s … Continue reading →

Steps To Avoid Calling In To Work

When it comes to attendance, a lot of people don’t understand what events really are unavoidable and what events they could have planned for in order to avoid missing work. The basic rule of thumb is that if it can be expected, then it shouldn’t keep you from going to work. There are a lot of reasons that people skip work and most of them can be planned for. Here are some of the main events that can be planned for in advance: You Need To Run Errands – I have graduates from my class who have been absent because … Continue reading →