Fixing the Future

Bill Fenson and I presented Wellness at Work in the 21st Century: Roadmap to Making Money for Economic Resilience, at the NECA Day of Learning within the ACA Conference in Cincinatti

The bad news is that clearly we are still suffering from the recession. The good news is that career and employment counselors are in a job demand occupation. Many people remain unemployed. We shared graphics from the Heldrich Center  pdf,  Diminished Lives and Futures: A Portrait of America in the Great-Recession Era , depicting the pessimism of the vast majority of the labor force and those who have just stopped looking.   We discussed advancing technology and the impact on the workforce citing publications (NY Times for example) that suggest there are increasingly fewer jobs for humans.  Other major trends included an aging population, the growth of the illness and wellness industries and increased service industry employment, unfortunately at lower overall wages. 

In the search for jobs we distinguished between the Global Economy and Local Economy. Everyone agreed with internet access, the talented group in attendance was fully capable of planning a joint venture, doing the research, setting up a web site, paying all the necessary fees and entering into business within a matter of hours. We also agreed that any similar group anywhere in the world with access to the web, was capable of doing the same thing and of course, they are! To explain the Local Economy we made reference to the construction happening around downtown Cincinnati. They cannot fix our roads and do renovations from India and China. That requires the presence of a labor force. And yes there are many businesses that are in both arenas. The local merchants compete over sales of products with each other and sales over the internet. 

The second half of the presentation became quite lively with discussion of the documentary Fixing the Future highlighting a growing shift in consciousness.  The film is about sustainable employment, focusing on community and business networking. The filmmaker asks.  “ Do we want a system where people serve the economy or a place where the economy serves people?”  Currently we measure our economy using GDP (Gross Domestic Product) which measures the total output of entities within our borders. It has been argued that our system thrives on consumption with most profits going to corporations or their shareholders with little regard for the health of the planet or people (Zeitgeist the Movie  by Peter Joseph one chilling example).  Pedaling your bicycle to the local farm market, drinking water  you took from your tap and buying a fresh local apple or two for lunch, does little for the GDP. Driving your car to the supermarket and purchasing imported fruit and bottled water adds significantly more (think about packaging and transportation) and if you get into an auto accident, you really boost the GDP!

Fixing the Future explores local banks investing in their community, worker cooperatives, time banking and a growing number of US businesses dedicated to sustainability. One of our handouts further expanded the discussion offering links for more information.

It is a gift to be in a helping, healing profession and possess the ability to influence those we serve.

Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events. It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”  ― Robert F. Kennedy

#GCDF #Get Certified #Michael C. Lazarchick 

Resume Thoughts

CURRICULUM VITAE  or THE COMPREHENSIVE RESUME

Job Seekers for teaching positions at colleges create a Curriculum Vitae (CV), pages of information displaying as much as possible of their history. This is great for colleges because the reviewers generally love to ponder over information. They most likely have a selection team that will dissect the information in preparation for a comprehensive interview. College professors, especially at the graduate level, need to publish in professional journals. The Curriculum Vitae gives a clue on how a candidate may deal  with future publications. 

I have often asked customers to produce a four or five page resume of everything, a working life history of sorts. I do not ask for a finished document. I am more concerned with capturing as much information as possible. I think the process is therapeutic and the result is a document that can be quite useful. From this comprehensive document we can draw information for smaller documents. Unlike the CV, our task shifts to delivering much simpler, uncomplicated messages.  For example, targeted resumes are for specific positions. We read the job description, learn about the company, use words they use, and draw information from our larger resume to create a smaller marketing document.

MARKETING

Marketing is about delivering a carefully crafted message. Before we put one out into the universe, we would be wise to have someone we trust tell us what “messages” they are getting.  

Resumes used to get interviews, must be pretty and easy to read. Pretty means,  pleasing to the eye, well organized and as of course, no spelling or grammar mistakes. 

* Easy to read means are we getting our primary message across in 10 to 15 seconds.

* Employers or their representative are going through too many resumes as quickly as possible looking first for reasons to throw away as many as possible.

*  We are showing how we deal with paper and hopefully we are providing easy to access information that will get us in the door for an interview.

Bold is a very effective highlight. The eye is drawn quickly and if you bold the reader is likely to read those words.   CAPITALIZED is also an effective highlight and is very suitable for topic headings. Underlining is also use for emphasis. Personally, I do not like to see two or ALL THREE used in the same place!   I think it is overkill and distracts from the message.  If there is a rule of thumb, have a reason to use highlights, do so sparingly and reflect upon what  messages you are sending.

THE SHORT BIO

 I ask customers  to construct a short description, a paragraph that highlights who they are and what they want to do. The short bio is something we might put up on linked-in or a personal web site or something we would use to develop an elevator speech or twenty second commercial. Getting your message into a paragraph is truly a display of craftsmanship. When we then learn to speak the words, flowing clearly with enthusiasm and confidence, we have taken a giant step towards getting to our destiny. 

THE ELECTRONIC RESUME

If you are sending a resume over the internet, there are a whole new set of rules to consider, font and key words to name two. Fortunately there is guidance available: https://www.livecareer.com/resources/resumes/how-to/write/e-resumes

#GCDF #Get Certified #Michael C. Lazarchick 

Wellness at Work (2) for an Aging Population

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.  ~World Health Organization, 1948

In talking with employers and recruiters, they confirm my conviction that the problem with getting offered a job after age 50 is not necessarily about age discrimination. Indeed, the merits of hiring an older worker are well documented.  The older we get the more wisdom we possess.  The elders have made more mistakes than their younger counterparts and generally we do eventually learn from our mistakes.  While formal education is a plus, most will agree that it is experience that truly teaches us about our chosen fields of endeavor. As a group the old folks are less likely to take off time to raise a family or recovery from late night revelry.  If we look at generational studies we get generalization about work ethic that appears to have some validity.

“The Matures, for instance, grew up in the midst of war-time shortages and economic depression. They have always worked hard and paid their dues simply as a means for survival. Even in better times, they have continued these ways simply because this is the ethic with which they feel most comfortable.

Baby Boomers came of age in the midst of tremendous economic expansion, learning to use all the convenience-oriented products that came on the market during their youth. Because of the size of their generation, they were also the focus of everyone’s attention. Boomers have always put in long hours because of how closely they associate their occupation with their identity. Even as they edge into retirement, we predict that most of them will still live to work.

Having watched their parents, the Baby Boomers, put in these long hours, those in Generation X have developed a different perspective on work. They do not necessarily equate hard work and long hours. Instead, they look for ways to work smarter, resulting in fewer hours but greater output. This is the reason why Boomers and Matures sometimes accuse those in Generation X of “punching the clock.”

The Millennials have come of age in an era of technology and convenience. Many of them honestly wonder why machines don’t do many of the mundane tasks they are asked to perform in entry-level positions. They have been heavily influenced to believe that every job should match the same level of stimulation they receive from a video game. As this generation matures into the workforce, some of these perceptions will change. But this group will also alter society’s interpretation of work ethic as they go.”  Work Ethic-Different Generations

One argument that favors the young is their employment competitiveness when the job asks for physical exertion. We all know that as we age our body’s ability to perform lessons.  So I argue that the discrimination is not about age as much as it is about the perceived health of the individual job seeker.  Those that appear vibrant have little difficulty getting hired while those that appear unhealthy are perceived as too great a risk.

Unfortunately,  too many of us follow a western medical model that some feel is suspect.

“This fully referenced report shows the number of people having in-hospital, adverse reactions to prescribed drugs to be 2.2 million per year. The number of unnecessary antibiotics prescribed annually for viral infections is 20 million per year. The number of unnecessary medical and surgical procedures performed annually is 7.5 million per year. The number of people exposed to unnecessary hospitalization annually is 8.9 million per year. The most stunning statistic, however, is that the total number of deaths caused by conventional medicine is an astounding 783,936 per year, at a cost of $282 billion dollars! It is now evident that the American medical system is the leading cause of death and injury in the US.”  Death by Medicine

I doubt that Hippocrates, father of western medicine, would be an advocate of  the pharmaceutical approach so prevalent in our current western medical thinking. He may have been on target when he said, “ Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease.” I do have a medical doctor in my cadre of health professionals, primarily because they are quite useful when a severe emergency impairs the natural ability of the body to heal itself.  I really was thankful for the pain killers when I broke my ribs last year.  However, I have little faith in their ability to fight disease.  Those that use drugs to suppress symptoms are not using a holistic approach.   

Hippocrates also supposedly said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”  Unfortunately, the food industry in the United States is questionable according to the documentary, Food Inc.  It explores where our food comes from and exposes the “secrets” the giant food corporations do not want revealed to the public.  Among other things the documentary states that because fast food restaurants are the greatest consumers of beef, chicken and even many vegetables, the current food industry caters to their needs.  Supersize Me is a disturbing film about a very healthy man who decides to go on a diet of ONLY food from McDonalds for a month. His primary physician monitors the deterioration of his health and far before the end, advises the young man that if he does not stop he is seriously risking his life. In contrast, Fat Sick and Nearly Dead  is a heart warming documentary about obese men who turn their life around by going on a juice diet.  If you have not seen these films, watch them. 

The way you think, the way you behave, the way you eat, can influence your life by 30 to 50 years.~ Deepak Chopra

#GCDF #Get Certified #Michael C. Lazarchick 

Wellness at Work

Everything on the earth has a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, and every person a mission. This is the Indian theory of existence.    ~ Morning Dove   Salish  1888-1936

Not too far back I counseled a man who was complaining about age discrimination. While it is true that if the person interviewing me is 35 or 40, at 65 I am old.  Most people in positions to make decisions however, especially for higher paying jobs, are a lot closer to my age.  With the baby boom and older such a large percentage of the population I do not believe age is nearly as important as health. The man complaining looked much older than his 50 years and far from healthy. I believe people who are vibrant and exude a healthy demeanor are competitive in the workplace, regardless of actual age. 
As I grow older thoughts about health have entered my consciousness more frequently.  Clearly with the passing of time I am aware that my body does not possess the same resiliency of earlier days.  My research on wellness has increased dramatically. My approach is holistic, believing there is an interplay of body, mind and spirit. 

The concept of total wellness recognizes that our every thought, word, and behavior affects our greater health and well being. And we, in turn, are affected not only emotionally but also physically and spiritually.     ~ Greg Anderson (American Wellness Project)

Spirit is about our belief system, whether or not we believe in a higher power or how we answer questions about the meaning of the universe.  Personally,  I feel most comfortable believing we are in a universe of living interconnected energies. Some of you have experienced my attempts at Qi Gong and guided meditations in wellness workshop presentations.   I have studied many religious traditions over the years. I have  often found  many similarities and slightly different ways of saying the same things.  I have referred to the  "God Consciousness of the Universe”  while saying grace before meals, even though I am not completely certain as to what that means.  I see the yearly cycle of my garden. In spring there is a sprouting of new life, renewal and new growth.  The warm summer days allows plants to grow big and strong.  The shortened days of Fall bring harvest.  Then winter comes and it seems as if everything falls into a deep sleep.   I wonder if this is a pattern that can be applied to a human life. Personally I feel comfortable with the concept of the soul taking a physical vehicle to learn lesson on planet earth. I want to believe the soul continues to evolve in eternity, but just in case I am doing my best to make this life the best it can possibly be.  I truly believe there is power in prayer or positive affirmations, whichever you prefer.
I am an optimist and have no difficulty showering myself with positive affirmations.  Remaining in the present is not difficult for me.   I think Sidney Marshall Jourard said it well:

  Healthy personality is manifested by individuals who have been able to gratify their basic needs through acceptable behavior such that their own personality is no longer a problem to their self. They can take their self more or less for granted and devote energies  and thoughts to socially meaningful interests and problems beyond security or lovability or status.

So often I have expressed that there is just one model of each of us in the universe. When we learn to love that person unconditionally, we are then able to learn to love all other life forms unconditionally. 
The physical realm has called for more of my attention lately.   The ease of getting enough exercise in youth  has been replaced by  challenge.  The American Council on Exercise  says I have to “pump the heart” at  minimum for 20 minutes three times a week and if I do not lift weights I am going to lose muscle mass.    If you know me, you know I have been an organic gardener for decades.   There is no doubt in my mind that the type of fuel we use does determine how well our body functions.  Watching the documentary films “Food Matters ” and "Hungry for Change” strengthened my convictions.  
Employment Counseling is far more than helping someone find a job. I am blessed with a fine education and so are you.  I think our job is to help people get on a path to their true destiny or at least moving in that direction. When we are on a wrong path we know it. When we are on a right path we also know it. The universe and our bodies do not lie. Yes there are many illusions, but an educated mind has the ability to discern the truth. Thank you for being a member of our association. There is strength in numbers and ours is a very noble profession. Helping some find truly worthwhile employment is very, very healthy for everyone. Remember always that you are in a healing occupation and you are a gift to this universe. Be well my dear colleagues.

I am alone in nothing. Everything I think or say or do teaches the universe. ~  W. 87  A Course in Miracles

#GCDF #Get Certified #Michael C. Lazarchick 

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