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Showing posts from June, 2017

The Importance of Dads in Workforce Development

This Father’s Day, I wanted to take time to reflect on the importance of fathers from the perspective of workforce development.   Like mothers, our fathers are so important to our identity as career professionals. My father is a member of the baby boomer generation. He is also a Veteran, having served in the Air Force. After leaving the military, he married my mother and worked a career in sales until he retired. My father had multiple jobs, but worked in the same industry for his entire career. My father knew many people and had an excellent reputation as a worker. When the time came for a new job, he was able to rely upon his network to assist him. My father taught me the value of a professional network and a good reputation.   My two grandfathers were hard workers. My mother’s father worked two jobs to support his family. He was hard working, but knew the value of rest and relaxation. Each summer, he would take two weeks and take his family on vacation to the beach i...

Selling When Helping

Many people are afraid of sales. When people hear sales, negative images of less than honest fellows offering amazing deals on old cars comes to mind.   Many people get involved with helping professions because they do not feel selling is a strength for them. Unfortunately there are aspects of sales in in many professions, including workforce development and industry professionals should develop their skills in this area.   In workforce development, sales is embedded into many layers of the system. At the top of the level, sales techniques are used in the politics of the workforce system. When Congress is authorizing money for programs, there is “wheeling and dealing” going on in creating bills and passing laws.   Going down the workforce food chain, sales exists in selling products and services to workforce boards, service providers, and ultimately by those providing direct service to job seekers and business. This post speaks to those on the front line of workfor...