Early on in my career search, I often heard, “turn over every stone.” The phrase made sense to me. As a kid, I had taken part in many nature scavenger hunts where we literally turned over every stone to find the clues. So I understood this metaphor to mean tell everyone I knew I was searching for something. Share the information with everyone meant exactly that – all family members, friends, the hairdresser, grocery cashiers, people in the line at the bank, and anyone else I could think of.

Over time, I stopped hearing this phrase, and forgot about it. Concepts like “network,” “use social media,” and other technologically oriented terms are prevalent now. Yet, recently, I remembered the phrase, “turn over every stone,” and applied it to my life.

While searching for new living quarters, I mentioned to each manager/landlord/owner that I was looking for employment. I described the types of positions I would consider. One day, a long-time friend called me because she had heard I was back in town. She had an opening in her office and wanted to know if I’d like to work with her. How had she heard? Through the owner of a place I was considering! (No, I didn’t take the apartment, however, yes, we are going to work together!)

Turn over every stone…I like that phrase. It has a natural (pun intended), calm sound.