KCSpeaks

It is hard to work in a people oriented business and not have to deal with feelings.   In workforce development, we are dealing with all kinds of feelings because of the implications work has on the day to day lives of people. Our society places such a high value on work, so it is not doubt the disruption in work causes emotional turmoil. A job loss can bring sadness or anger. Some people may feel they have lost their purpose. Not to mention the stress of the loss of income. In the land of business, a loss of jobs may mean slowing production, less revenue from selling widgets. The disruption causes stress and the emotions the workers have as a result can be chaos. In workforce development, we have a front row to the emotional roadshow. We see the negative and positive emotions. One day it is sadness of a job loss, another day it the happiness of finding a new career. This means we have to process everyone’s feelings in order to do our jobs. It is important for us to und...

Welcome to summer. The heat, the sun and all the summer fun everyone tries to cram into a short period of time. Summer can also be nostalgic with memories of childhood at camp, the beach, and the summer job. For many adults, the summer job was their first paid work experience. Before the days of scheduling every minute of your child’s life, many teens had their first job over the summer when they did not have to go to school. Thinking back on my own life, my first paid work experience was babysitting. I remember being trusted to care for a couple of children and being paid for the experience. No background check needed. I lived in the same neighborhood as the family I worked for. They trusted me. I had other summer jobs too. I scooped ice cream at a luncheonette and worked at a local clothing store. I have to say that none of those jobs made me rich. I had experience earning my own money and felt proud I had done so. Other people I knew had other summer jobs. Some were lifeguard...