I recently completed a project that was extremely demanding and labor intensive. It required a considerable amount of driving on my part and the stress on my car and family was tremendous. Maybe that is why the result, the payoff, was so wonderful and, in the end, worth it. I worked closely with several people I knew and others I had never met. The rewards of new friendships, lasting memories, and a job well done were many, even though it was difficult, required me to stretch, and, at times, I wasn't sure I could see it through to the end.

The dynamic of these old and new relationships changed as time went on. When the project ended, there was fulfillment wrapped in sadness as we all parted our separate ways and hoped we would work together again. Many of the people with whom I worked, I doubt I will see again, let alone have an additional work experience. Not that I wouldn't want to work with them again, just that, realistically, it probably won't happen.

The day after the project ended, I was fueling up my car to make my trek home. After putting my gas cap back on, I turned to go and almost bumped right into one of the ladies from the project that had just ended. She looked me square in the eye and I was a bit startled because she seemed to appear out of nowhere. I said, quite surprised, "Why, hello. How are you?" She didn't quite seem herself and was having trouble stringing a few words together. "My car won't start..." she said faintly, as she turned away. "Do you need a jump?" She perked up a bit and nodded. I went on, "I have cables, let me pull around."

She seemed instantly relieved and very happy that I knew what I was doing. She explained that she had gotten lost and noticed that she was running low on gas, so she pulled into the station to try and get her bearings and then her car wouldn't start back up. She turned to look for help and saw me. Just the night before, I thought I would never see this lady again. And here we were connecting on life's highway once more.

We never know where we end up or who we will connect with that might mean something to us in our future. How many candidates have the possibility of becoming a client or hiring manager in your future? All of them. And that is how they should be viewed and treated. All of them. Does it serve you in any way to not believe that? Place and dump, happens all the time. It's not a practice you can afford.

by rayannethorn