October is National Disabilities Awareness Month

My mother was run over by a truck and had her leg crushed at age 16. In the hospital bed she overheard the doctors saying that she would never walk again. My mother was from a southern family where “women did not work.” She was also strong willed. With a battered leg she learned to walk and left home to become a nurse. If she had anything to say about it, another child would not hear what was not possible.

My father was in medical school when he met my mother. He was one of eight boys in a family from a coal mine region in Pennsylvania. His family was not rich, but he was academically gifted and he was the one that was chosen to move up and become a physician. He had a gentle soul and I remember carrying in groceries on medical house calls he made to the poorer families to ensure that the children would be fed. My father also had Diabetes. He lost his vision five years before his short life ended at the tender age of 62.

My wife’s knee was consumed by a giant cell tumor a few years after our son was born. She elected leg salvage surgery and became the first person ever to have a total knee transplant from a cadaver. For twenty odds years, several surgeries and through many trials and tribulations, her leg was finally amputated in 2006.

If this were not enough to instill a sensitivity to national disabilities month, early in my counseling career I found myself backed into a corner and joined the ranks of those not mentally well. I experienced a total mental breakdown, vacillated between paranoia and omnipotence, gaining a true understanding of the meaning bi-polar! Now looking back and having survived, I am actually thankful for my debilitating experience. I am far more effective with people experiencing mental health issues having been there and it prompted a quest for spiritual discovery which I did not even know was lacking. I had been excessively self-centered, not very honest with myself and operated under the influence of many illusions. I needed a kick in the pants to first understand vulnerability and then the interconnectedness we share with a living web of energies on this planet.

My parents both died before I left my twenties. They were a powerful team and provided well for our family. My father was a very quiet man and in retroflection I have his listening skills which are necessary in counseling. My mother never stopped talking, so from her I claim a gift for public speaking. From both of them I understand the concept of unconditional love being their only son with five older sisters and one younger sister. I had no concept of people with disabilities when they were alive.

My wife on the other hand has provided the opportunity to learn many lessons. She is an artist and sees far more than I on first glance into the universe. Her strength is amazing and inspiring. She is a researcher par excellence and continually expands my consciousness. We have held each other tightly during our darkest hours. Today she walks strongly with a prosthetic leg. Today I am writing this message as the President of the National Employment Counseling Association and my research has evolved into exploring the concept of Wellness.

During National Disabilities Month, I will be presenting “ Wellness in the Workplace, Talent Has No Boundaries” for the Atlantic Cape May Workforce Investment Board Disabilities Committee. We have invited Employers, the staff of agencies that provide services to people with disabilities and people who consume these services. I plan to use all my skill at facilitating group interactions to engage my audience. I’ll entertain them, give them the opportunity to learn through interactive processes and hopefully deliver thought provoking messages.

All humans encounter challenges in this existence called life on earth. We are all unique and have different sets of strengths and weaknesses. We each have our own personal set of talents and “disabilities.” Every person we encounter has a message for us. Counselors are taught to listen and understand from our client’s perspective. If we can help other humans to really listen, speak the truth with a caring heart and open their mind to possibilities, more doors will open.

Wellness in the workplace begins with truly valuing ourselves. When we love ourselves unconditionally, we then have the capacity to value every other human we encounter. Everyone has made mistakes. We have engaged in activities and said words that have hurt, both us and others. We have all known fear and doubt and felt really alone. I find truth in the concept that when we face our challenges and persevere, we come out stronger on the other side. But I also know, when we feel alone it helps when another extends a hand.

It is through our compassion that we care for the dignity, well-being and integrity of every person around us. Our capacity to embody this quality, simple as it may seem, is the strength that can change the world around us.

Thich Nhat Hanh (Vietnamese Buddhist Monk)

If you have chosen to be a Workforce Development Professional, you are in a healing occupation. I salute you. Be well.

#GCDF #Get Certified #Michael C. Lazarchick 

Holistic Solutions-Harnessing Resilience During Crises

I presented at the National Employment Counseling Association Day of Learning within the 2011 ACA Conference in New Orleans.

Resilience is the ability to absorb ecological, social and economic changes ~ Andres Edwards

From a planetary perspective I have great faith in the resiliency of mother earth. The life forms on earth however, need their own resiliency to keep in tune with the inevitable changes. Human beings have been blessed with a consciousness that allows exceptional problems solving ability. As a counselor I help people take the actions necessary to cope successfully. They have become part of my destiny and I part of theirs. Anytime two humans communicate they learn from one another. Whether a natural disaster has stripped away everything they own or they have lost a long held job, I need to help them find acceptance.

Listening is part of the healing process. They need to move beyond the shock, the denial, the bargaining, the depression and surrender to their current situation. I listen with unconditional positive regard, searching for understanding and delivering compassion. They will feel the kindness in my heart and gain strength from my support. When I establish trust the information I need to enable solutions will flow. We certainly have to rekindle hope. Perhaps a past hardship they overcame has the clues necessary for positive movement. Maybe we’ll need calming techniques, meditation or music and a plan for physical activity. I’ll want to reconnect them with community, establish some goals and anticipate what the future might hold under their current circumstances. If I can get them to laugh, healing drugs will be released from within their body. If I can get them to write down thoughts, emotions may be appropriately released, patterns may emerge and further clarity may follow. Holistic counseling considers the interplay of body, mind and emotions. I believe we are spiritual beings in a physical body learning lessons on planet earth.

In a document, Living from the Heart I read , “The energies of our emotional field are real and interconnected in a vast assemblage of intention and information that is near boundless in its embrace.” This resonates with me. I learned in graduate school that perhaps only about 10% of communication is in the words. Certainly body language counts and who knows how many other subtle form of communication exist. I believe we live in an energy universe and vision our existence as a giant interconnected flowing organic jigsaw puzzle. Change is inevitable and at some point in their life, everyone will encounter a crises that seems overwhelming. I am their counselor and have spent countless hours learning my trade. When they take my hand the burden will lesson.

The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

#GCDF #Get Certified #Michael C. Lazarchick 

I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free ~ Michelangelo

Counseling can be viewed as a battle of wills. I have a great deal of education and almost forty years experience in the field. I believe it is my responsibility to dispel misconceptions and help my customers view a positive interpretation of the universe. My customers are job seekers and fellow counselors.

There is a famous quote, “All forces, powers, and energies are neither good nor evil in themselves. They are completely neutral, but only become good or evil when they are intelligently directed.” Indeed, good and bad are value judgments and there are many different views of everything we experience.

The universe will place obstacles in our path. Few things unfold exactly as we expect. The future is a guessing game and even the most carefully constructed goals require fine tuning as we move forward. These are realities of walking the path called life.

Employment counseling customers have the experience of being unsuccessful and a myriad of reasons why they have not attained their wants, desires, goals. I understand that when challenges appear too formidable or something does not work in our favor, it is easier on our ego to cast blame or dispersion. I cannot help but think that avoidance and retreats (quitting, getting sick, substance abuse) are responses to the fear of facing our vulnerability. I see them as protection mechanisms designed to comfort fragile human façades. The past is filled with wounds and distortions. We all have memories of being chastised or laughed at when we’ve made “mistakes.”

Clearly the “myriad of reasons” or excuses may be quite valid. Certainly failures and rejection attack our self worth and it can become more difficult when others in our environment support negative views.

I may empathize, sympathize and understand, but I really do not care why they have failed. My job is to foster resilience because in the long run greatness belongs to those who challenge their fears and take the risks necessary for success. It is just not true that because something happened before that it will reoccur exactly as it has in the past. It is not true that the individual I am counseling is a “loser.” Each is unique with special gifts, an angle waiting to be set free. If they become consciously aware of the true obstacles, I believe we can move in a positive direction. And, when I really do well, we can embrace Marianne Williamson’s concept, “ Our biggest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? “

#GCDF #Get Certified #Michael C. Lazarchick 

PSG TV, part of a 21st Century Job Search

I have always argued that change becomes stressful and overwhelming only when you've lost any sense of the constancy of your life. You need firm ground to stand on. From there, you can deal with that change. ~ Richard Nelson Bolles


There are many illusions in the world of work. When job loss enters the picture, humans can be fairly fragile creatures. More than just a decrease in available money, our schedule is suddenly disrupted. We no longer are going to our place of business to associates with the people who may have been our co-workers for many years. It is too easy for the unemployed person to become isolated and some become quite depressed.

Self help support groups or job clubs are one of the most effective processes available to help dislocated workers return to gainful employment. In New Jersey many of the One Stop Career Centers have Professional Service Groups (PSG). In Pleasantville our group is facilitated by the very talented, Christine Berberich, who possesses the right mix of positive attitude and organizational skills. We provide a meeting place and create a new structure, with telephones, computers, fax machines and copiers to simulate a working environment. Our participants gather, discuss viable alternatives to help one another find suitable opportunities, form committees to accomplish agreed upon tasks and provide each other with the support necessary to cope with the challenges. One of the core ingredients is for participants to learn to deliver an “elevator speech,” a short, positive pitch that sells their personality and offers their special talents. We practice these presentations week after week until they flow with perfection.

Almost a year ago, our PSG members decided to create a television show designed around these elevator speeches. We created two demo tapes and got approval from the Department of Labor & Workforce Development to send them to our local NBC television affiliate. Channel 40 was receptive to our ideas and offered up to a minute and 15 seconds on the nightly news. Wow, we were thrilled. Next we pitched the idea to our Workforce Investment Board and got the grant needed to go into full production. Pictured is the taping of one of our first segments. The first employment minute aired on April 7, 2010.


All shows are available on You Tube searching for Michael C. Lazarchick videos or theWebsite as the  PSG Enployment Minute.  An example:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1YxHLI0Aus

#GCDF #Get Certified #Michael C. Lazarchick 

Education, Marketing & Closing the Deal

Employers hire people they know first, pretty much all the time, everywhere. It is difficult to invest in an unknown entity. Professional employment counselors have been teaching “Networking” for decades as the primary mechanism for securing decent paying good jobs. 50 Cent How the Get a Job Lecture That has not changed, but today the availability of information has changed the job search process dramatically. Today we have the Electronic Highway!

The traditional job search process is chaotic, filled with illusions and has been described as designed to screen people out of consideration in an attempt to reach a manageable number to actually interview. People tell me that responding to newspaper ads and job bank postings or sending unsolicited resumes is frustrating and generally do not provide a decent return for time and money expended.

At our Career Center I advocate a three step approach to job seeking: Education, Marketing & Closing the Deal.



Education

Education includes the upgrading of skills, understanding what we have to “sell” and how we effectively search the labor market.

We must at minimum ensure that every job seeker is computer literate. We teach a basic how to use the computer class. We focus on how to complete an on-line application and construct short bios and resumes. O*NET is a great tool, in the public domain (no cost) and is continually being updated. I suggest searching every occupation or job one has performed. O*NET fully describes the positions, tasks performed, tools used, knowledge and skills displayed, abilities needed, work activities, work content, work styles, work values and related occupations. O*NET provides words to develop quality personal descriptions. To upgrade skills, Goodwill Community Foundation International offers an impressive group of free tutorials. We educate and build confidence in our job seekers and help them sell themselves as evolving and capable of moving in many directions. Of course we always encourage seeking out grants to finish degrees or attain certifications for those who have the will, the time and income to pursue more formal education.





While some employers are not successfully competing, others are coming into existence seeking talent. Debbie Flanagan’s tutorial or the Riley Guide provide more than enough information to research businesses. Personally I suggest “Google” searching employers by name or searching with various combinations of keywords. The more we know about potential employers, the closer we are to being hired. I advocate shopping for an employer.

Marketing

The 21st century has brought the concept of “Web Presence” to consider. Especially for better paying positions, employers increasingly “Google” the name of people they are considering. They look on “Linked-in” and similar networking sites. There is a strong trend emerging of employers searching the internet to learn as much as possible about an individual before making an offer. This is actually good news because technology today really allows us to demonstrate who we are and what we are capable of achieving. We can have our own professional looking website, with a personal domain name, for less than $10 a month (i.e., mlazarchick.com. We can Blog our thoughts and establish a level of expertise in an area where we feel comfortable (i.e., Employment Counseling for the 21st Century. Sites like Lulu will help us create and publish a book. Your own radio show can be broadcast on line using My Blog Radio or even your own television program using U Stream TV . Methods of communication are evolving at an incredible speed. Sites like Mashable show us how to most effectively use “social networking” tools on line. We are limited only by the extent of our personal creativity.



Closing the Deal

We are being judged all the time and everyone we encounter, potentially, can lead us to a source of income. I suggest business cards with name, e-mail address, telephone number and a quote or slogan expressing something about who we are. The task is to enter the consciousness of potential employers, while creating a favorable impression. In job clubs we practice and videotape, so job seekers can see their delivery and refine their presentations. Eventually the answers to who we are and what we do are succinct, flowing smoothly and effortlessly. We have discussed values and helped people come to terms with the direction they really want to take their life. When they get to a truly appropriate opportunity, it is easy to project confidence and enthusiasm. And, in the final interview they must remember one basic concept. Employers hire people that they like. A genuine, honest, positive, person to person discussion from the heart, will usually close the deal.

# GCDF #Get Certified # Michael C. Lazarchick

ON THE FRONT LINES

I will be working the week between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Traditionally, it is the slowest week for employment in the public employment office. The majority of my staff will be on holiday leave. Most employers are closing out the year and all the anticipated extra help for the holidays is in place. Most people will be going to parties, spending time with family and friends, experiencing the holiday spirit. The people who come into the employment office are in a much different place. I will be there to hear their words. Anytime a counselor can help ease the pain of another human it is a gift to both.

When we come into contact with the other person, our thoughts and actions should express our mind of compassion, even if that person says and does things that are not easy to accept. We practice in this way until we see clearly that our love is not contingent upon the other person being lovable. Thich Nhat Hanh

These are indeed extraordinary times for employment counseling. We have record numbers of people coming into the One Stop Career Center. People are struggling and fear is all too pervasive. Often displaced emotions are directed at the front line staff. We have no control over hiring and firing. We did not make the unemployment system nor do we determine whether or not someone is eligible to collect benefits. We are however, one of the few places of direct public contact. I discuss customer service at every staff meeting. I ask the staff not to take verbal attacks personally, but I also do not want them to take abuse. When they cannot handle a customer, they know my door will open.
Every day I encounter expressions of frustration and anger. I am experienced enough to shift most customers into a better state of consciousness. Some are not in a place to receive my guidance or acknowledge possible blame and consequences. Whether I like them or their decisions, I accept it is their counseling session. Sometimes I can do no more than listen and I have to trust that the experience will be therapeutic for both of us. Other times people open up and tell me their story and we are able to transcend the despair. And sometimes it seems like magic when we find a solution that really feels right. I do my best to offer an honest, caring and encouraging environment.

It is through our compassion that we care for the dignity, well-being and integrity of every person around us. Our capacity to embody this quality, simple as it may seem, is the strength that can change the world around us. Thich Nhat Hanh


On a global scale we are clearly in a time of great transition. Communications and the availability of knowledge have made our world “smaller.” When we think about renewable energy in the “green” revolution, let us not forget about the human resources. Counseling is about helping, healing and at its best, renewal of energy. I invite you to visit the Charter for Compassion website and perhaps add your signature.

http://charterforcompassion.org

#GCDF #Get Certified #Michael C. Lazarchick 

Why Blog Executive Job Searcher?

“… as blogging evolves as a literary form, it is generating a new and quintessentially postmodern idiom that’s enabling writers to express themselves in ways that have never been seen or understood before. Its truths are provisional, and its ethos collective and messy. Yet the interaction it enables between writer and reader is unprecedented, visceral, and sometimes brutal. And make no mistake: it heralds a golden era for journalism.” ~ Andrew Sullivan

We are in the 21st Century in a period referred to as the “Age of Information.” Communication is instantaneous, worldwide and flowing through a myriad of forms. The potential customer who used to look in the yellow pages to confirm business legitimacy is now “Googling” a name. There is a library of information at our fingertips and people are “talking.”
Scarcely a decade ago, getting your words printed and read, depended upon a publisher’s blessing. Today we have tools that have opened fairly sophisticated self publishing venues to virtually everyone. One of those, the Blog (from Web Log) is gaining in popularity. You are reading mine which I started on June 25, 2009 at 14:40 pm. I like the idea that I am able to store my “thoughts” so easily, by date and time, on-line, with the ability to access from any computer. I chose “Employment Counseling for the 21st Century” because that is what I do and I know I need to continually research to keep in tune with my profession. Creating a piece helps me organize my thoughts. And web presence is becoming the standard. If I am going to help people find worthwhile jobs, I need to learn as much as possible about the electronic world. This is especially true when helping dislocated professionals who are pursuing a well paying opportunity.
The percentage of employers researching an individual’s web presence before making a job offer appears to be moving upward. If nothing is found on the internet the aspiring employee might be viewed as out of touch with modern communications. Careless remarks made on lets say “Facebook” might be viewed as inappropriate, suggesting caution before posting anything in a public forum. On the other hand, written communications are highly prized in the upper echelons of supervision and management. Publishing words on a subject we know helps build an image of expertise. So why Blog? It just might be the ticket into an executive suite.

#GCDF #Get Certified #Michael C. Lazarchick