Monday, October 20, 2014

Job Search and the Parent


If you know anything about me you know that I give job search training classes.  I have a series of about eight or so that I bring out on the road. Most of them are free to the public and come with a boatload of free worksheets and examples. The classes are usually full of people who have attended such classes before and most likely want to learn one or two different
things that might make their resume(s) stand out or make their interviews more polished and professional.

Another thing that you might know about me is that as a former corporate trainer I grew up designing and implementing learning and development programs.  One thing about teaching adults is that they can’t stand boring speeches and will sit in a class wondering WIIFM (what’s in it for me).  If I just stand there and drone on about the ins and outs of job search, all they’ll hear is the sounds the teacher made in the Charlie Brown television specials.. Because I know that time is of the essence in adult learning, anyone who comes to my classes has to work.  They complete worksheets, participate in role-plays, talk in small groups or start to create their LinkedIn profiles.

I’ve noticed something lately in the classes that is starting to concern me; many times a young adult cannot attend the training and will send his or her mother (usually) or father in his place.  The parent takes copious notes and completes all the exercises on behalf of their child. They then ask for extra materials so that they can bring a fresh set home to their son or daughter. The kids aren’t at work as mom and dad will tell me. So where are they?  Sometimes a parent will tell me that they are attending because they can’t stand that their child can’t find work (and the “child” won’t attend the free training on their own). I can understand if your child is working or still commuting when the session starts at 7:00 pm.  I am a parent and if this were the case I would step in to help too.

What’s going on? If you are a parent and are attending training for your child, why?

Please Visit a Dermatologist

Today I had surgery for a Stage 0 Melanoma. It was discovered about a month ago when I went to my dermatologist for my annual skin screening...