It is almost September. Schools will be starting everywhere all over the country.  People of all ages will have new experiences, and their lives will change forever.  Some kids are going to college, and some are going to Kindergarten.  No matter the age, something different will happen to them this year that didn’t happen to them last year.  Their classes, teachers, and friends may change.  They may learn how to read or write, or they may study Chemistry for the first time.  This time of year always reminds me of some of the important things I learned while I went to college in Oxford, Mississippi.

The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, taught me some valuable life lessons.  I learned how to tailgate.  I learned that a football game is not just a game, it is an experience.  I learned how to paint a house and save football seats as a fraternity pledge. I learned how to navigate through the strong Southern accents. I became a critic of grits and crawfish.  I learned how to get up for an 8 AM class after partying the night before. 

But seriously, one thing that Ole Miss taught that prepared me for the world today was that “the only constant is change”. If that was all I learned at Ole Miss, then it was well worth the degree on my wall. I have been in recruiting & sales for 17 years and have learned that the people who don’t adapt to change find themselves in trouble and often out of work or unable to find work.

Accepting change is essential because it is going to happen whether you like it or not. The current world economy is in constant flux. Technology is changing daily. Smaller companies are being acquired by the larger organizations. People are getting promoted.  People are retiring. People are being hired, and sadly some are getting laid off. You can’t change it; you can only embrace it and consider it a challenge.  It is important to take on new duties and responsibilities and look at it as an opportunity to broaden your skillset and knowledge base. 

Now, I am not an expert on change or change management, but I think this lesson from Ole Miss is something we could all post in our office, cube, car, laptop, or Ipad and look at every day.  I would never have imagined we could listen to music on our phone, or have a rover land on Mars which sends high definition pictures back to us back on Earth.  I truly don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I do know I will be doing my job differently than I am today.  Recruiting will change again, as will other jobs, and we all need to stay one step ahead by constant education.  After all, the only constant is change.