tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21714699624424125182024-02-20T09:18:03.261-08:00Jane's Lessons from the UnemployedJane's Lessons from the Unemployedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16987917811431226517noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2171469962442412518.post-40183049044322428042011-01-04T11:30:00.000-08:002011-01-04T11:30:23.770-08:00Lessons from EdLast week, a quiet man came to my resume workshop. I'll call him Ed.<br />
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It was a small workshop with only a handful of participants. Most of the people were very outgoing and interacted without my having to call on them. Ed paid keen attention to the group and always responded positively - if called upon. But, he never volunteered an answer.<br />
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At the end of every workshop, participants fill out "survey forms" which are really an assessment of what works and what could be improved. One of the questions is what did you like most about the workshop. Ed's response was, "She loves what she is doing". I was blown away. He was so right - I do love what I'm doing.<br />
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What I learned from Ed is that quiet and observant go hand in hand. When we stop talking and just observe, we can see beyond the words to what lies beneath the surface.Jane's Lessons from the Unemployedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16987917811431226517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2171469962442412518.post-92145232509382717892011-01-01T06:03:00.000-08:002011-01-01T06:03:11.101-08:00Lessons from Joe<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In December, I met a young man I’ll call Joe in one of my workshops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My job is teaching job search skills to people who unemployed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often, their body language is very negative – reflecting the pressures of trying to find work in the worst economy since the Great Depression.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But, Joe was different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His face radiated a smile every time he entered the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He always asks how I am and remembers things I’ve mentioned in previous workshops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a simplicity and innocence about Joe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He somehow cuts through the clutter and goes straight to the heart of any discussion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, I sense he’s had to deal with some major life issues in his young life.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In our interviewing workshop, I asked him a practice question about making a difficult decision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first, he said that he has never had to make a difficult decision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew that Joe had come to our career center to get his GED.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I said that deciding to pursue this goal must have been a difficult decision.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">With a smile on his face, he told the class that this was actually a very easy decision to make.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He dropped out of school for personal reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He promised his dad (whom I suspect was in his last days) that he would one day get his diploma.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, he moved to Cape Cod to live with a relative and fulfill his commitment to his dad.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What I learned from Joe is that keeping your word is your best compass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It makes it easy to choose which fork in the road to take.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also learned that smiling is contagious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the end of the workshop, his smile and good humor had transformed the day for everyone in the room.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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