One of the greatest blessings for anyone early in their career is to have a selfless mentor willing to take them under his or her wing and guide them through the path to success. Even better is a mentor who can fling a door open with his or her influence.

That is just what the Moxxie Mentoring Foundation does! They have mentored over 500 college-age and young professional women since 2010. The 500 mentees have seen firsthand how a mentor can change someone’s life.

Being a mentor is very rewarding. It’s a way of expressing gratitude and giving back. How noble and wonderful to help someone see light for a change in their career quests and grueling job searches, especially if you have the ability, tools and connections! Being a mentor means you say yes to life, to solving problems and alleviating pain. You're a coach to someone and their greatest fan. You encourage and give helpful advice on writing cover letters and resumes and provide resources to that person. That sometimes includes referrals and introductions.

While not everyone can be a mentor, everyone can be kind. Kindness goes a long way in lifting someone from the uncertainty, the unknown. Just as when we find ourselves out in the cold of winter, when we long to go inside where it is light and warm and drink a cup of hot cocoa, kindness to another looking for a job hits the spot in the same way!

We are approaching holiday season when we take stock in our own blessings and reach out to everyone we know to wish them well and express thanks for being in our lives. Why not take a few minutes to reach out and see how we might help someone who is struggling, a young college graduate lost in the Big World of Adulthood, a single mother who must support her family, an executive with a mortgage and kids in college who was downsized from a lucrative job courtesy of covid. Do a mitzvah. If you can, why not?

There are so many small, thoughtful ways to help someone that do not require inordinate amounts of time or commitment. Let that person know you would be willing to introduce him or her to a key person in your network who might know of an opportunity. Email them a helpful article about a problem similar to the one they are encountering and how the author dealt with it. If you hear of an opening that may seem right for someone, let them know. It costs nothing to share, and it’s what makes us human and makes life a little more bearable. Make someone’s day. Make them feel glad they are alive! YOU can make all the difference in the world.

Gloria is a retired career counselor now in private practice. She is also a playwright and equine volunteer at HorseAbility, a therapy center for disabled children and adults. She can be found on LinkedIn at: http://linkedin.com/in/gloriaschramm