All the World’s a Stage!

“All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.” ~ William Shakespeare

When you are the parent of a teenager, you are constantly worried about your children. Not the same kind of worry you have with a young child, but the kind of worry you have as you watch a child become an adult.  As a workforce development professional and parent, you also worry that your child is learning the right skills for the world of work.

I often wonder how we learn to work. Watching my son navigate the world and about to enter the world of work, I wonder if he has learned the right skills up until now. Sure when we get a job, an employer will teach us all the technical stuff necessary to do the job, but really it is all the experiences we have had in life, growing up that teach us how to work.

This summer, my teenager participated in a musical theater program. He has been participating in this program for many years, but this was his last year. He was fortunate and talented enough to play Dr. Fredrick Frankstein in the show, Young Frankstein.   I was not there every day for practice, but when I got to watch him perform it was beyond my wildest imagination. I was so proud of how talented he was. I was thrilled because he was amazing, but on the other hand it was bitter sweet. As a workforce development professional, I know that having a successful career in theater is highly unlikely, but was this experience useful or just fun.

There are so many skills that my son learned from theater that he can apply to work. One of those things the program teaches is that there are no small roles. The same is true to the world of work. Each part, job, or role, plays a part in a bigger picture. It doesn’t matter if you are in an office, a factory, or on a boat, there is a reason for each job. When I think of the American Job Center, the people that greet the job seekers that walk in the door are just as important as the people that provide the career counseling. If one person is not performing their role, then the whole process can fall apart.
 
Another thing he learned is how to work as a team. Part of participating in a group activity involves learning to work as a group. There were many things that he did besides act that required team work. For example, set building or performing the dance numbers.  Unless a person works as a sole proprietor, then it is more than likely, that the person will work in a group setting. If there was one thing I could do to teach team work to any group, it would be to produce a theatrical production.
Although the show was eventually over, it was fantastic to see him on the stage and confident in his ability. His confidence in his role and the talent he brought to it was evident. He learned to have confidence in himself and his abilities. He practiced and worked hard to bring the best show he could give. Ultimately, that is what every worker needs to be successful. If nothing else, he learned to have confidence in his skills and the show he provides.

In the next year, my son will be deciding on college and embarking on the start to his life. The lessons that he has learned, he will have to take with him to the real world where he will be a worker. It doesn’t matter a child is interested in theater or sports, the same lessons are there. Work hard, love what you do, and be confident in your ability to do it.   So for the workforce development professionals that work with youth, keep them engaged in what they love. Support the parents and the community in strong programs to keep young people engaged in life, so that they can take the lessons from fun and apply them in the world of work.

Need to dialogue your monologue with me? I can be reached at kcirincione@gmail.com or feel free to comment below. ~ Karen Cirincione