Kindness and Your Professional Brand

By Megan Fingert

I can’t even believe what I just saw. As I was walking down University Street back to Beering and the LACD office after lunch, I saw the most horrid event I’ve seen in quite a while. A nice young lady prepped for the weather in rain boots and a hoodie was waiting patiently on the sidewalk for someone. Without noticing, she planted herself next to a puddle in the street about 4 inches deep.

While an accidental City Bus drive-by-drenching would be tragic, what I saw was much more infuriating and disgusting.

A man in an SUV who was driving at a slow speed noticed the girl and the puddle. HE SPED UP TO 40 MILES AND HOUR, LAUGHING ALL THE WAY, AND DRENCHED THE POOR GIRL! I saw him raise a triumphant fist as he drove away.

Forgive my slang and conversational tone, but…

Like…what?

WHAT?!

I am absolutely sickened that any peer of mine on this campus could be so malicious and so amused—satisfied even--by another person’s distress. This boy better hope he never sees me ever again because I will be sure to give him a swift kick to the bottom and a piece of my mind! What a childish and selfish thing to do to another human being.

This poor girl probably had to miss class, walk home in soaking jeans, taking a full shower, put on her makeup again, blow dry her hair again, blow dry all her books in her backpack, and probably be late for another class all because this idiot decided it’d be funny to splash someone.

Whehter it’s a crude joke in a hushed tone in the hallway or ruining a person’s clothes, belongings and day by way of rain water, remember that your awareness and common courtesy to others says a lot about who you are as a person and as a professional. If this guy would do that to a perfect stranger, what would he do to someone in the office? Delete files to an important presentation just to laugh about it? Leak private information to the press to get back at someone? Make a sexually charged comment to a female in the office with no second thought?

When a potential employer sees you in or out of a professional setting – and, believe me, potential employers are surrounding you at all times whether you know it or not – be conscious of how you act. Be mature, be a kind person, and if you were the guy who splashed that poor girl, pray you don’t meet anyone who reads this blog.

Be good to one another and have a wonderful weekend!