I’m not necessarily sure if the myth regarding rain on one’s wedding day reigns true outside the confines of a chapel, however, if events that occurred last week during a torrential downpour in DC are any indication of its transcendence – I’m a believer.

After attending the first government-sponsored TED event at the State Department last Wednesday afternoon, I emerged from the auditorium optimistic about the impending job interview to which I was en route. That optimism was instantly smothered by the pouring rain, which greeted me upon exit. Down in DC for the day from Manhattan, I planned the contents of my bag strategically, leaving no detail unchecked or without consideration…needless to say, I was disheartened by my failure to execute a relatively routine exercise — verify the forecast. Hailing a cab sans umbrella in my newly pressed suit proved to be a sufficient challenge. And just as I was about to call my interview and apologize for my imminent tardiness, it happened. A kind, umbrella-toting stranger motioned for me to join her in the cab she had hailed.

Sharing a cab is a truly generous act…that soon paled in comparison to additional gestures of my cab companion. Sherry Mueller welcomed me into her cab during a tenuous moment of urgency, offered me valuable and constructive interview advice, and proceeded to gift me her umbrella, all before departing at her stop within ten minutes of our chance introduction.

Perhaps I’m just a jaded New Yorker, but Sherry’s random act of kindness and generosity was truly overwhelming, sincere, and deeply appreciated. The impact of my chance meeting only served to solidify my faith in ‘paying it forward.’ Furthermore, after reading up on Sherry’s professional endeavors, the irony of our introduction and its ripple effect emerged. Sherry’s recently published book, Working World, encourages professionals to take an active role in shaping their career paths through extra-curricular initiatives/activities and relationships – a mantra to which I’m a committed disciple. What’s more is that Sherry acknowledges the critical nature of developing relationships that transcend discipline, comfort zone, and age.

I look forward to encouraging my peers and colleagues to seek out the ‘Sherry’s’ in their own world and not only as an exercise in cognizance enrichment – it’s important to be aware of, engage, and learn from those available resources. You never know when you’ll get caught in a storm without an umbrella.

Sometimes — due to geography — I find myself doing an event solo. Despite missing Mark, I always enjoy the give and take with my audience — and their varied reactions to some of the ideas Mark and I share in the book and that I review in opening remarks that launch spirited discussions.

Last Friday was a particularly interesting occasion. Initially, my trip to San Diego was planned so I could speak at the 30th anniversary celebration of NCIV’s member organization there — the Citizen Diplomacy Council of San Diego (CDCSD). That festive event was held May 28 at the San Diego Yacht Club. CDCSD is a dynamic collection of dedicated citizen diplomats, and it was a privilege to be present in person to recognize their three decades of service to their community, our country, and to the foreign leaders whose lives they have touched and entwined with their own.

Last Friday evening, as part of CDCSD’s effort to draw more young people into their work as citizen diplomats, The Internationalists (a group designed to bring young professionals with global interests together) hosted a book event that turned into a lively discussion and a classic networking opportunity. The audience ranged from newly minted University of California, San Diego and University of San Diego grads to a Latina woman who works for Univision Radio to a Navy SEAL with experience in both Iraq and Afghanistan. I learned so much from each of them as I visited with them before and after the formal program.

I’m always quick to point out that we wrote Working World for idealists. Our target audience from the outset was readers who want to make a positive difference in our turbulent world. Now I am discovering how uplifting it is to interact with our readers who indeed are idealists. In this time of grim headlines and somber sound bites, it is truly heartening to interact with such impressive young people (and those seeking a mid-career change or an “encore career”) who are determined to be forces for good in this chaotic world of ours.

My thanks to Enrique, Mel, Christiana, and Eric — and all of your CDCSD colleagues for making the event such a success. The welcoming audience, the buzz in the room, the excellent questions and comments — all combined to provide inspiration and new connections.

Knowing I had a number of recent grads in my audience, I opened my remarks with a reference to Secretary of State Clinton’s commencement address at NYU (described in an earlier post—with a video— by Mark), where she said she hoped we could “harness the energy of a rising generation of citizen diplomats…My message to you today is this: Be the special envoy of your ideals…be citizen ambassadors using your personal and professional lives to forge global partnerships…”

It is a source of great satisfaction to know directly from our readers that Working World is helping them do just this.

Now, without further ado, my post from today on Susan Boyle and the lessons those of us practicing or studying public diplomacy can learn from her:

AT a recent Washington, DC symposium on public diplomacy entitled “Public Affairs in a Global Information Environment,” I joked to a Swedish colleague: “Success in public diplomacy will be getting Susan Boyle to sing your national anthem.” That is not as far-fetched as one might think. What are the lessons all of us involved in practicing or studying public diplomacy can learn from the Susan Boyle phenomenon?

1. Lack of artifice and spin has tremendous appeal — genuineness can trump glitz. Edward R. Murrow’s comment decades ago about truth being at the heart of our efforts to communicate with foreign audiences is still the most important principle we can embrace. Truth begets credibility. Truth builds trust. As Murrow phrased it, “To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; to be credible we must be truthful.”

2. To make good things happen — to change perceptions— we have to risk face to face communication. It must have taken tremendous courage to take the stage knowing the judges of Britain’s Got Talent would not be sympathetic. Sometimes the only way to fundamentally alter someone’s perception is through firsthand encounters — which is why exchange programs must be at the heart of public diplomacy.

3. One person can make an enormous difference. This is why citizen diplomacy is crucial to a government’s efforts to reach out to foreign audiences. Citizen diplomacy is the idea that an individual citizen has the right — even the responsibility — to help shape foreign relations “one handshake at a time.”

In our media-saturated world where we are constantly buffeted by messages of all types, our government needs its citizens to be conscious of the messages they send and the role they can play as they interact with foreign nationals. Certainly we view exchange program guests and hosts as citizen diplomats as they participate in programs such as the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program or Experiment in International Living or Friendship Force International. But just as important, we must all be aware of our responsibility to put our country’s best foot forward in random daily encounters with foreign nationals in classrooms, offices, and other venues.

In the United States, pundits have been waiting to see who President Obama would tap to be his Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. Now that Judith McHale has been nominated, all kinds of advice and admonishments are directed her way. Perhaps the most important reminder she can receive is that she has a unique opportunity, with the President’s stress on national service, to help us all understand that citizen diplomacy and public diplomacy go hand in hand. Each of us has a role to play — and the potential to make an extraordinary difference.

Sherry Mueller, Ph.D., is the President of the National Council for International Visitors, in Washington, DC.  She is also the coauthor of the book, Working World: Careers in International Education, Exchange, and Development (and related blog).

Guests posts are the opinions of the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of MountainRunner.us. They are published here to further the discourse on America’s global engagement.

So it was a delight to see Mr. Bolles’ article “The Informational Interview: How It Can Help You Get a Job In Tough Times” that appeared in the January 1, 2009 issue of Bottom Line Personal. 

One point he underscored was to send thank-you notes the same day as the interview.  Here is his advice:

Ask the person you interviewed for his/her business card.  Then send an e-mail so that the person you talked to has a prompt response from you.  Also send a hand-written note to arrive a day or two later.  Do this for any interview you have.  Many job seekers ignore this very simple advice.  Following it will help you stand out from the crowd.

His advice is well-taken.  A carefully crafted thank-you note is another opportunity to showcase your communications skills.  It shows you paid attention.  I received the following handwritten card after an information interview with several people.  You can be sure I will remember the young woman who wrote it.

Dear Sherry,

Thank you for setting aside time to meet with me — and others — this afternoon.  It was so very useful to know where to look for some of that data.  I’ve had great fun with this thesis topic, and am still clarifying.  My hope is that I can produce something that is truly useful for promoting understanding of public diplomacy — we shall see!  After I contact Michelle and Sherri, I will probably drop you a line via email.  This time I wanted to send a real card — something a bit more concrete to show my appreciation for the work that you do so well: encouraging individuals to make a difference through direct interaction.

Best Regards

You may be familiar with my book Search: Winning Strategies to Get Your Next Job in the Nonprofit World, which I wrote to help people find a great job at a nonprofit organization. It draws on my experience as a search consultant who helps nonprofits recruit talented people for key leadership positions.

Given the current economic climate, where the competition for good jobs will be more intense, I am lowering the price of the book by about 50 percent. From now to January 31, the book can be purchased at my website for $9.95, which includes shipping. That’s about 50% below the regular price plus normal shipping fees.

So if you – or somebody you know – needs tips to:

• Put together a quick, step-by-step action plan to guide an effective search
• Create a network of people who will help you find openings that don’t get widely advertised
• Produce a resume that’s not the standard, dull list of job duties
• Write a cover letter that makes the reader say “I want to interview you — pronto!”
• Make a great impression at the interview.

I hope you’ll consider buying Search at this special price.

Reviewers have said the book is “marvelously practical and informative,” “mercifully short – a small gem that will tell you quickly what you need to know,” and “a pleasure to read.” I hope you will agree.

This special $9.95 price is available only until January 31, so please purchase a copy now for yourself or for a friend who’s ready for a new opportunity.

The only way to get Search: Winning Strategies to Get Your Next Job in the Nonprofit World at this special price is to purchase it at my website.

To order now and save 50%, please click here.

Best wishes for a great 2009.

Larry Slesinger, Founder and CEO

In the piece, I reflect on, and try to dispel, five myths about American public diplomacy. One of those myths is that “Public diplomacy is the government’s job.” It is certainly the government’s job; but it is not only government’s job. Rather it is every American’s job as well. I use a favorite example to illustrate this point: a film on the life of Elvis Presley showing him in his Army uniform, having just arrived in Germany. In the clip, Elvis says: “What we do here will reflect on America and our way of life.” Elvis wasn’t just the King; he was also a citizen diplomat.

[I tried to find-- or rather had some younger, more Youtube-savvy colleagues try to find-- the clip I reference above, but to no avail. Instead, here is a short clip about Elvis' little known days serving in the Army in Germany:]

This year it seems that I am receiving a great number of invitations to Holiday parties of varying types and in contrasting venues.  Most notable about these invitations is how many are billed as “networking” events.  The two that were in my email this morning were from vastly different but equally interesting nonprofits.   

            The first:
                        IPOA Stability Operations
                        Winter Networking Reception
                        The Tabard Inn

FYI: IPOA is the International Peace Operations Association.

Its members are the for profit security firms the U.S. government (and others) hire to do everything from protect diplomats to secure neighborhoods and deliver supplies in war zones.  IPOA was founded by Doug Brooks, a talented young man I hired when I worked at IIE many years ago.  We still get together for the occasional dinner to compare notes on our work.

Also this morning there is an invitation from the DC Young Professionals Chapter of Americans for Informed Democracy, “For a Holiday Networking and Social Event – A chance to enjoy a drink and holiday cheer with other young professionals in Foreign Affairs.”

Seth Green, the founder of Americans for Informed Democracy (AID) is one of 12 remarkable people Mark and I profiled in Working World.  Seth is one of several younger colleagues whose accomplishments and career advice we showcase in the book.  Learn more about AID at www.aidemocracy.org. 

This is a roundabout  way of reminding us all – particularly job seekers – that we are in the midst of one of the best possible times to network – to expand our circle of contacts and personal acquaintances.  So accept those invitations and keep business cards at the ready.  Then proceed to do what is done infrequently – follow-up.  Contact one or two new people you met and suggest coffee.  Even if they are also job seekers, you can be on the look out for opportunities for each other.

I thought a lot about Bill and other mentors who have contributed so much to my own career as I read this article from the November 2008 issue of “Associations Now,” published by the American Society of Association Executives and the Center for Association Leadership.

Seeing Bill on Saturday reminded me of all of the ways he helped me these past 25 years – inviting me to write a chapter for a book he was editing, offering to be my primary sponsor nominating me for membership in the Cosmos Club, counseling me when I considered a job change…

There is no way I can ever repay him, but I can help others the way he helped me.  When I invited Mark to coauthor Working World, I was doing what one of our profilees termed “paying it forward.”  One of the marks of a true professional is that she or he is conscious of the debt owed to others for the teaching, training, and encouragement received.  Take a moment as Thanksgiving approaches to thank a mentor.  I’m so glad I can still tell Bill how much I have benefitted from his wisdom and counsel.  Last Saturday I got to tell him again how, though I cannot properly pay him back, I’m doing my best to “pay it forward.”

I am posting an engaging article that appeared last week in The Washington Post.  Entitled “For This Generation, Vocations of Service,” it speaks to the basic assumption of Working World – that our readers want to make a difference in this turbulent world of ours.  Mark and I wrote a book for idealists – people who want to change the world – make it better.  So much of the emphasis in our culture in recent decades has been on short term gratification and material success.  Yet those who are most happy are, as Albert Schweitzer phrased it, those “who have learned to serve.”   

His is one of the three quotations we highlight in the beginning of the book.  Enjoy reading about the social entrepreneurs highlighted in the Post article.