How I Can Support Your Efforts

In my thirty years in workforce development, I’ve learned a lot! Probably of most importance: All of us – no matter what our education level, skills or life experience – have strengths and talents and challenges/limitations and OUR STRENGTHS, TALENTS AND LIMITATIONS MATCH CERTAIN JOBS BETTER THAN OTHERS.

It’s not rocket science! But whether we’re a job seeker, an employed individual or a front-line supervisor, our beliefs can keep us from seeing our own (as well as an employee’s) ability to contribute.

Recognizing the strengths and talents that we bring to the workplace – along with learning about the different jobs and careers in which people are engaged – is at the core to finding that right fit for our career and jobs!

And recognizing and using our strengths and talents is what builds our confidence…and makes it easier to learn from constructive feedback in the workplace…both essential ingredients for achieving on-the-job success and becoming an empowered, contributing team member!

This belief is at the core of my services:

To JOB SEEKERS

I am invigorated by understanding each person’s uniqueness…
the interests, goals, strengths and challenges that you bring to
the job seeking/career exploration process…

And committed to helping you find that right job fit…

whether you are clear or not about your “next step” job/career goals,
whether you bring extensive or limited work experience and
whatever the strengths and specific challenges that you bring
to finding a more satisfying position or getting into/returning to the workplace.

My goal – as your career coach – will be to strive to understand what motivates you in the workplace, the talents that you bring and would like to use in the workplace and ultimately, the kind of job that BUILDS ON YOUR STRENGTHS!

Through an interview process (that encourages your participation and input along with a self-assessment rating tool), you will begin to more fully recognize your strengths, what motivates you, strategies to accommodate your challenges, the skills and abilities that you would like to contribute to an organization (or as an entrepreneur) and the career/jobs that match these interests/abilities.

Through referrals drawn from my extensive network and continued outreach efforts, you will have the opportunity to contact people who have knowledge/first-hand experience of different job opportunities. I will support your efforts to schedule and prepare for informational interviews to further clarify job goal(s), the organizations in which these positions can be found and action steps for reaching your goal(s) as well as open up networking and ultimately, job opportunities.

A resume can be completed which highlights your strengths and capacity to contribute, that reflect the stated job objective. Resume will be revised as you clarify and modify your career direction.

Through bi-weekly or monthly follow-up sessions, I can provide additional support and feedback during career exploration/the job search and ensure follow-through until a good job fit is found! Continued referrals for job/internship opportunities are provided free of charge during the job search.

To EMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS

BEYOND BEING HIRED!

Getting hired is an important first step. Finding job satisfaction and achieving on-the-job success is just as important!

It is common to experience challenges on-the-job at some point. As your workplace coach, it is my job to assist you in recognizing the value that you bring to an organization as well as strategies to accommodate on-the-job challenges…and ultimately, ways to make your workplace experience a positive one:

Together we will assess:

The job fit
Your on-the-job support network
Possible reasonable accommodations that could make a difference
Job coaching options
Whether you are taking care of yourself/respecting your limits
How well do you know your “work self”? What helps you to feel comfortable and confident in a work setting?

And answer your questions, for example: To whom can you turn with your questions? How do you build a support network on-the-job? Can any employee request a reasonable accommodation? What can you do to make your on-the-job experience a positive one?

To SUPERVISORS and EMPLOYERS

Do you have a team member that is not pulling his weight? Perhaps, this person behaves in a disgruntled manner, which is affecting team morale.

You are aware that one team member is not blending well with the rest of the team. You are not sure why or how to address this.

You wonder if this person has a disability that is not visible…or another issue. How can you address this to positively impact her ability to do well on-the-job? Are there ways that you can help to make this a more positive workplace experience for this staff person and other staff members?

One-on-one consultation:

I am happy to meet with you or a frontline supervisor to better understand the issue and to identify strategies for addressing it. Together, we would assess the following components for this team member:

Job fit
Relationships with other team members
Reasonable accommodations
Job coaching/other support

Group coaching/training for your staff:

To build team members’ on-the-job confidence and motivation to do what it takes to stay employed in this position and/or with the organization:

To clarify/reinforce what motivates each person in the workplace and the value that they bring to the team;

To clarify what we have control over in the workplace/understanding our own (and others’) expectations at work;

To try-out skills and behaviors and build confidence in using these to make the workplace experience a positive one.

Group coaching/training for your frontline supervisors:

To build the confidence of less experienced supervisors in engaging/motivating employees (including newer, less experienced employees – with and without a disability) by learning the skills/tools needed:

To recognize and fully tap your staff’s ability to contribute to your organization;

To nurture working relationships and recognize the impact on both staff morale and quality of job performance/services delivered;

To deliver constructive feedback effectively so that it supports both the staff person’s efforts and yours;

To initiate conversations with employees about performance issues and problem-solving/brainstorming reasonable accommodation options together with employee.

To EMPLOYMENT / VOCATIONAL SERVICE PROVIDERS and ADVOCATES

Do you believe that your employment services program/or other vocational rehabilitation programs can achieve stronger job placement and retention outcomes?

Are you seeing the revolving employment door with some program participants? Perhaps these individuals find employment, but do not retain it.

Are you looking for ways to build job seekers’ self-confidence and motivation to fully engage in the job-seeking and networking process?

Are you looking for outside support/hands-on job placement services for particular consumers? Have some individuals worked with several different staff members, but not been successful at finding employment?

One-on-one services:

I am happy to work one-on-one with a particular staff person (and/or consumer). My goal would be to support/enhance the staff person’s efforts to engage a consumer(s) (or the consumer) in the job-seeking (or job-exploring) process and ultimately, to connect them to a job that fits well. I also enjoy supporting employed individuals’ efforts to do well on-the-job and stay employed!

Group coaching/training for job seekers/career explorers:

To build motivation to actively pursue that right job/career fit;
To build confidence/skills needed to reach out to “outside” networks to expand workplace connections and opportunities.

Group coaching/training for employment service providers/advocates:

Participants will leave with tools

To strengthen effectiveness of their employment services for individuals impacted by trauma/adverse childhood experiences; strategies for building individuals’ capacity to see themselves as full human beings will be discussed.
To enhance capacity of employment service providers/advocates to empower individuals to become actively engaged in the job-seeking process and to ultimately, achieve success in the workplace.

The question usually asked: “Is this individual ready to pursue employment?” or “Has an assessment on the individual been conducted?”

In this training, advocates and/or service providers ask: “Am I ready to effectively support efforts of consumers to achieve their goals?” “Do I genuinely recognize consumer’s unique strengths and capacity to contribute to an organization?”