How to Use National Holidays for Career Exploration
It’s almost Labor Day!
Career exploration – which is all about helping kids connect-the-dots between their school work, their talents and interests and getting a job someday – can be a creative, easy activity all year long.
(And it shouldn’t just take place in the classroom. Everyone can be a career mentor. We’ve got the tools to prove it.)
But I digress. Back to the calendar.
Consider this: there are many people in the world who love holidays and observances of every kind.
I searched online and readily found lots of them. They range from the seemingly silly -June is Iced Tea Month- to the serious, Martin Luther King Day, for example.
I wondered who the heck would celebrate Iced Tea so I noodled around.
Low and behold, investigating Iced Tea Month turned out to be pretty interesting. It became a springboard for learning about the different kinds of teas and tea leaf growers around the world as well as the people who come up with new recipes for hot, bottled, iced and spiked teas.
I read that there is a lot of research that goes into uncovering the health and nutritional benefits of different types of tea as well as how it can be used in cooking—as a rub, a marinade or for steaming. (I didn’t know that.) It can also be used as a beauty aid.
There are even schools that prepare professionals for relocation to Great Britain and Asian countries where tea services are a large part of the culture — so no one commits embarrassing faux pas on the job.
Who knew? I found all this out by looking at observances and picking one to investigate.
You could keep connecting-the-dots: What other types of jobs or businesses are connected to the tea and beverage industry? Who hires these people? I have Lipton, Nestle and Wild Organics as brand names on the packages of teas in my cupboard.
What are these companies all about? Are they good employers? Who do they hire? What training or degrees are commonly required to work for them?
Dot. Dot. Dot. Wasn’t that easy?
Labor Day is coming up. You know there is a ton of interesting information related to it.
So go do a little labor.
It will help you get career wise!
CareerWise™ products are based on the premise that opening kids’ eyes to all the fascinating jobs there are in the world is the first step to motivating them to stay in school so they can grow up and get a job someday. Visit www.GetCareerWise.com for our award-winning workbook –with Free Teaching Guide- and www.GetCareerWise.com/blog4 for more articles. (Reprints are ok, but please acknowledge us.) We will be launching a wonderful new product on Sept 1, so stay tuned.
Career Quiz for Kids: What have you done today that relates to a job?
My goodness, you are a talented little kid!
Do you realize that many of the things you do so well every day are related to skills that you can use when you grow up and get a job?
Building up your career and life skills whenever you can is very smart.
Think about how to connect your talents, skills and interests to a possible job. Find out what training or education you need to be the best you can be at it. Learn how to connect dots!
This is a fun and valuable exercise for opening your eyes to all the wonderful jobs there are in the world and preparing to enter it.
I’ll get you started. Add to my list. Have fun!
- Making your bed: Innkeeper, Housekeeper, Home Decor Photography Stylist
- Getting dressed: Clothing Designer, Textile Manufacturer, Fashion Show Coordinator
- Making Breakfast: Nutritionist, Chemist, Organic Farmer, Chef, Foodserver, Veterinarian (to make sure we get milk from happy cows!)
- Babysitting: Pediatrician, Children’s Playground Equipment Manufacturer, Children’s Book Author, Nanny
- Soccer Practice: Coach, Stadium Designer, Sportswear Distributor, Field Maintenance Supervisor, Physical Therapist
Are you connecting the dots now? Good for you. You’re getting careerwise!
CareerWise™ products are based on the premise that opening kids’ eyes to all the fascinating jobs there are in the world is the first step to motivating them to stay in school so they can grow up and get a job someday. Visit www.GetCareerWise.com for our award-winning workbook –with Free Teaching Guide- and www.GetCareerWise.com/blog4 for more articles. (Reprints are ok, but please acknowledge us.) We will be launching a wonderful new product on Sept 1, so stay tuned.
Teaching kids how to connect-the-dots between their interests & employment is sew wise!
Have you heard about sewing’s revival as a popular hobby? And how the marriage of a time-honored craft and high-technology is attracting a new generation of seamstresses?
It’s pretty cool.
Thanks to fashion-showcasing television shows like “Project Runway,” and the growing number of clothing designer sites and blogs, a new generation is discovering the fun, creativity and savings that can be enjoyed by making their own clothes.
Big retailers like Wal-Mart have reported that they are going to start carrying more cut fabrics, buttons, zippers and other notions again, in response to customer demand.
Sewing machine manufacturers have not only kept up with the times, they’ve lead the way by introducing new features that make sewing easier and more creative.
Some of the latest machines come equipped with USB ports, high resolution touch screens, and automatic threading and decorative stitching capabilities. New software digitizes embroidery designs, transferring images from laptops to sewing machines.
Smartphone app developers are getting in on the trend too. One new app helps seamstresses find the thread they need. You upload a photo of your fabric to search through 15,000 commercially available threads for the perfect match.
This revival in sewing and crafting is creating big, lively communities of seamstresses and crafters who enjoy sharing what they’ve learned, discovered or made. The website WeAllSew.com, offering links to blogs and Twitter, reports 95,000 visits since its launch two years ago.
And group sewing events have become very popular-combining the recession-prompted trend towards home and hearth activities, intergenerational bonding and cost-savings resourcefulness. The Singer Sewing Machine Company hosted 800 sewing parties across the country on Mothers’ Day this year. They had experienced seamstresses host and teach guests how to use their machines.
Sewing isn’t just for girls either. If boys are skeptical, have them look up the careers of iconic males in the fashion industry like Ralph Lauren, Tom Ford, Michael Kors, Ozwald, Boateng, Michael Bastian and others.
What kinds of jobs and/or careers can a love of sewing lead to? Here’s a start:
Sewing Consultant/Instructor (computer skills a plus!)
Blogger (Build a community or help market someone else’s products)
Youth Group Sewing Instructor (After-School Programs & Camps are starting!)
Tailor/Seamstress/Clothing Repair Expert
Quilter (specialize in personalized graduation, new home, baby & wedding gifts)
Fashion Directors
Clothing Designer
Salesperson/Demonstrator (tell a local store you’ll bring in younger customers)
Pattern Makers
Software Engineers
Sewing Party Coordinator
Fabric Designer
Quilt Instructor
Computer Consultant (Help older sewers learn new computerized functions)
Phone App Developer
Sewing Accessories Designer
Sew, it makes one think in a whole new way, doesn’t it?
The ability to connect-the-dots between interesting news reports, popular trends and their own interests is a wonderful skill that will serve kids well throughout their lives.
It can lead to fascinating career exploration and rewarding employment. And, help them get career wise!
CareerWise™ products are based on the premise that opening kids’ eyes to all the fascinating jobs there are in the world is the first step to motivating them to stay in school so they can grow up and get a job someday. Visit www.GetCareerWise.com for our award-winning workbook –with Free Teaching Guide- and www.GetCareerWise.com/blog4 for more articles. (Reprints are ok, but please acknowledge us.) We will be launching a wonderful new product later this month, so stay tuned!
Wonderful Career Advice from Tina Fey (aka “Bossypants”)
7 Career Lessons from Tina Fey’s ‘Bossypants’
By Anthony Balderrama –July 28, 2011 Copyright 2011 CareerBuilder, LLC – Reprinted with permission. http://www.careerbuilder.com
Celebrities don’t always make the best role models. For every Bono and Oprah Winfrey there is a real housewife of [choose your city] screaming at her supposed friend in a busy restaurant. Celebrities don’t always make the best authors either. Just because someone can sing or act doesn’t mean they’re capable of writing a stellar autobiography either. It doesn’t even mean they have an interesting story to tell.
Fortunately that’s not the case with Tina Fey’s half-autobiography/half-musings “Bossypants.” In one chapter she explains how the fundamentals of improvisational comedy are great guidelines for everyday life. Later, when she recounts some of the hurdles she has faced as a woman in comedy and as the head writer on a historic TV show, her struggles sound remarkably like those of many non-famous workers. After I was done being upset that this fun, leisure reading had been interrupted by unintentional learning, I realized that Fey’s lessons reached beyond the confines of improv.
In case you don’t get the chance to read “Bossypants” or you’re currently too busy rereading the “Harry Potter” series in preparation of the final film, here are seven lessons every worker can learn from Tina Fey:
1. Agree and say yes
Fey explains that the first rule of improv is to always agree with your scene partner. Whatever scenario your acting partner has set up is the one you have to follow because otherwise you end up with two people onstage bickering, and then nobody laughs. Being agreeable is, of course, not the easiest thing to do and not the appropriate reaction in every scenario. However, it is a good jumping off point.
“[The] Rule of Agreement reminds you to ‘respect what your partner has created’ and to at least start from an open-minded place,” Fey explains. “Start with a yes and see where that takes you.”
You’re going to strongly dislike many people you work with or for. You’re probably also going to think your ideas are always better than everyone else’s. Even if you’re right, give other people a chance before automatically dismissing them or their ideas.
2. Yes, and…
In scene with your improv partner, you aren’t just agreeing with them, you’re also helping them move the story along. Therefore the best response to give is actually, “Yes, and…” The reason is that a simple “yes” is neither helpful nor entertaining. Journalists avoid simple yes or no questions if they want their interviews to be exciting and conversational.
“To me, ‘Yes, and’ means don’t be afraid to contribute,” she writes. “It’s your responsibility to contribute. Almost make sure you’re adding something to the discussion.”
Good bosses don’t just promote nice workers; they promote employees who are ready for the next level. Clocking in and clocking out every day and doing the bare minimum means you’re doing your job, but no one is going to take notice. If you offer your own ideas and contribute to the conversation in some way, you help move the organization along and leave your mark.
3. Think of solutions, not questions
In improv, you don’t want to riddle your scene partner with questions. If your partner presents you with a scenario, then say, “Yes, and…” followed by an assertion. In “Bossypants,” Fey explains that asking question after question makes your scene partner has to think of all these responses alone. No one likes that much pressure.
The adage “Don’t bring me problems; bring me solutions” holds true here. You’re in a situation at work and you know there’s an issue that needs attention, don’t run to the boss saying, “This project is going to fail and we’re going to lose millions of dollars.” Think about how you can fix the problem first and then bring up the problem. Telling your boss, “This project has some serious setbacks, but here’s what we can do to fix it,” is a much better way to do business (and keep your job).
4. Make statements
Fey notes that woman, in particular, should speak assertively and not with self-doubt. Women in the workplace still face men ready to disregard their contribution, unfortunately, but her advice is good for anyone who is hesitant to speak up.
“Speak in statements instead of apologetic questions,” she writes. “Make statements, with your actions and your voice.” As she explains, no one wants to hear their doctor say, “I’m going to be your surgeon? I’m here to talk to you about your procedure?”
5. There are no mistakes, only opportunities
This lesson sounds like one of those atrocious affirmations people tell themselves every morning while looking in the mirror, but it has merit. If you’re improvising and think you’re acting out one thing but everyone perceives it differently, you can’t stop and tell them they’re wrong. Their perception is now the scene you’re acting in and it’s your responsibility to go with it.
“In improv there are no mistakes, only beautiful happy accidents,” Fey writes.
In the workplace there are accidents. Horrible, terrible, someone-make-it-stop accidents. We’ve all been there. However, there is no Ctrl+Z button to undo these mistakes. Once a mistake happens, it happens, and whining about wanting a do-over doesn’t change anything. It’s now your responsibility to make whatever mess you’re in work.
6. You’re going to fail sometimes
Fey says that Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels often told her, “The show doesn’t go on because it’s ready; it goes on because it’s 11:30.” His point was that the show is live and will be on the air at 11:30, whether or not you think everything is perfect. That’s why sometimes some terrible sketches make it on the air. The writers and actors didn’t have time to perfect each line.
“You can’t be that kid standing at the top of the waterslide, over thinking it. You have to go down the chute. (And I’m from a generation where a lot of people died on waterslides, so this was an important lesson for me to learn),” writes Fey. “[What you write] will never be perfect, but perfect is overrated. Perfect is boring on live TV.”
If you’re too afraid to make a mistake, you’ll never get anything done, which means you’ll never have any successes either. Sometimes the misfires happen and, although you’re upset, your life isn’t ruined. Make sure the successes outnumber the failures and you’ll be fine.
7. Be smarter than your critics
Fey points out the many critics who have declared that women aren’t funny. Surprisingly, her attitude is that she doesn’t care what they or any critics think. Unless the critic is your boss, their negativity isn’t worth your time. If they are your boss, obviously you need to deal with their criticisms of you, whether that means discussing it with them or with someone who can help. But if they’re not, think twice before focusing on their negativity.
“So my unsolicited advice to women in the workplace is this. When faced with sexism or ageism or lookism … ask yourself the following question: ‘Is this person in between me and what I want to do?’ If the answer is no, ignore it and move on. Your energy is better used doing your work and outpacing people that way. Then, when you’re in charge, don’t hire the people who were jerky to you.”
Ultimately that’s good advice for all workers: Know the difference between someone who can hold you back and someone who is just distracting you from reaching your goals.
Copyright 2011 CareerBuilder.com. All rights reserved. The information contained in this article may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without prior written authority.
CareerWise™products are based on the premise that opening kids’ eyes to all the fascinating jobs there are in the world is the first step to motivating them to stay in school so they can grow up and get a job someday. Visit www.GetCareerWise.com for our award-winning workbook –with Free Teaching Guide- and www.GetCareerWise.com/blog4 for more articles. (Reprints are ok, but please acknowledge us.) We will be launching a wonderful new product later this month, so stay tuned!
Career Quiz for Kids: What is stereoscopy?
I’ll give you a hint.
Did you like ‘Avatar’ or ‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’? Weren’t they cool in 3-D?
Then look into stereoscopy as a career option. What a hot technology to master!
Where and how it is used is pretty interesting. And the best part is, there are zillions of ways it can evolve to enhance how we view things in all sorts of industries and mediums. It’s a field waiting to explode with opportunity!
If the future of stereoscopy excites the likes of Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and James Cameron, I think other creative spirits should take a multi-dimensional look at it too!
It would be very careerwise.
CareerWise™ products are based on the premise that opening kids’ eyes to all the fascinating jobs there are in the world is the first step to motivating them to stay in school so they can grow up and get a job someday. Visit www.GetCareerWise.com for our award-winning workbook –with Free Teaching Guide- and www.GetCareerWise.com/blog4 for more articles. (Reprints are ok, but please acknowledge us.) We will be launching a wonderful new product later this month, so stay tuned!
