Perspective

I recently had the opportunity to interview several people for some contract positions we have open. It gave me a bit of perspective, a lesson I did not expect to learn. There were four candidates for the job: an Indian woman, an Indian man, and two American men. The difference in the attitudes was amazing. I don't know if I can truly attribute it to nationality alone, but there was clearly a difference in the way the interviews went. Both Indian interviewees were very good. I came away from the interview with a sense of the drive they had to get a job, and the effort they were willing to put in. Each had worked several contracts before, and in the meantime between jobs, had secured a variety of certifications. The Americans, on the other hand, were more relaxed. I didn't get a sense that they took the interviews as seriously. There was no sense of immediacy. To be fair, one of the American interviewees was currently employed, and was only "testing the waters".

The perspective I gained is that, perhaps we need to take a moment to reflect on how fortunate we are. The USA is an amazing place to live, and these interviews reminded me that this truly is the land of opportunity. I may sometimes feel envy that I can't drive a luxury car, or that I don't have some of the latest gadgets. When I sit here now and think about it though, how blessed am I to have all that I do? Jenn and I own two cars and a home, which we can easily afford. We didn't worry about Jenn leaving her job to take on the full-time work of caring for Corbin. We have so much that others in the world would consider luxuries, but we take them for granted.

I am glad I had the opportunity to do these interviews. It gave me the chance to reflect on my situation, and be grateful that I am an American.