Posts Tagged ‘grandparenting’

 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.

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!

First off, what is a career cluster? In the world of career exploration, they are good to know. So find out what they are by visiting the U.S. Departments of Education or the U.S.  Department of  Labor web sites to find out.

Next, read through the 16 clusters carefully.  Did you ever think about jobs being categorized like that?  It’s interesting, isn’t it?

Do any career clusters interest you more than others?

Are you curious about what jobs are possible in each cluster?

Are you feeling like a detective on the trail of some very interesting information that could affect your educational and career choices?

Yes?  Then congratulations!  You are becoming careerwise!

To find out about our creative, highly relevant and award-winning workbook filled with career exploration activities, information and exercises, visit www.GetCareerWise.com. It comes with a free teaching guide. And stay tuned: we have a fabulous new product launching this month that you are going to love!

There was an interesting segment on National Public Radio this week. It was about what things, people, places, or events influenced various professionals to make the career choices they did.

The interview I heard was with a woman who combined her love of the sciences and her hobby – photography – to choose Tissue Engineering as a career. A big influence was the day she saw beautiful, very colorful photos of magnified cells from the human body in an art book. It prompted her to investigate merging her two interests. She sounded very glad she did.

I had to look up Tissue Engineering when I got home; I was motivated by the woman’s obvious passion for her job. The National Institute of Health provides this general description of the field on their website.

Tissue engineering / regenerative medicine is an emerging multidisciplinary field involving biology, medicine, and engineering that is likely to revolutionize the ways we improve the health and quality of life for millions of people worldwide by restoring, maintaining, or enhancing tissue and organ function.

The field is much more interesting, expansive and highly relevant than this short description implies. And it sounds like one that could offer very rewarding and exciting opportunities in the future.

Kudos to the Tissue Engineer for successfully merging her two passions in life.  And for sharing how she did it.

Go ask an adult you know what influenced his or her career choices.  Search for career-related interviews with professionals from all walks of life to discover what got them on a successful career path.

These real-life stories are fascinating and will open your eyes to some amazing choices you have in front of you. It’s all  part of getting careerwise!

Visit www.GetCareerWise.com or www.GetCareerWise.com/blog4 for more eye-opening ideas.

Career Exploration Workbook

 

Stacey Snider is a partner of DreamWorks Studio, alongside Steven Spielberg, as well as its Co-Chairman and CEO. She oversees the creative and financial aspects of all film development and production as well as the studio’s business strategy. 

Snider has an impressive resume that encompasses top positions at major studios and huge box office hits as well as smaller, critically acclaimed films. Steven Spielberg hand-picked her to be his partner at DreamWorks, and their collaboration over the years has produced many of the decades most successful films and a very close professional bond.

They were interviewed a few months back in the Wall Street Journal magazine. I kept the article in my file because I love re-visiting inspiring articles about creative people from all walks of life and how they can take the germ of an idea and turn it into something real.

 It’s a very interesting read in its entirety, but one comment in particular struck me as the essence of what makes uncovering your personal passion and discovering talent in others so exciting.

This comment came from Spielberg when he was asked what he has in common with Snider that makes them such great creative partners.

“The two of us share a real giddiness for movies. When we see a promising actor or new director, even a commercial, we just have these creative giggles, not about the impulse to discover new talent, but just the appreciation and recognition of what new talent is. And if the new talent comes to our company, that’s a blessing. But just the discovery of something that excites us—a style of filmmaking, a style of wordsmithing that we haven’t seen before—that’s what has bonded us for many years.”

Hmm…discovering passions, recognizing and appreciating new talent, the discovery of something that excites us…

Isn’t this basic and wonderful motivation — the discovery of a passion in life — exactly what kids need to get excited about their futures and what it will take to make their own dreams work?

Visit www.GetCareerWise.com for fun, creative resources for passion exploration.