Homework Assignment

We are preparing a free workshop for older job seekers next month.

A social media expert will come and speak about LinkedIn.

We will show a video that we hope will resonate with our workshop participants. 

A couple of weeks ago my manager mentioned that she had some documentaries on DVD’s that we could show at a workshop.   

I gave myself a homework assignment and asked to see those DVD’s.

The video that I really like is called “Employment Matters.”

“Employment Matters” is a 2015 documentary by Brandy Yanchyk, who is a Canadian filmmaker. You can watch this 45-minute documentary for free on the CBC web site.

This documentary tells the stories of 6 young adults with intellectual disabilities who find their niche in the working world.  

In the first few minutes, I was entirely hooked on this documentary.

I was inspired by the young adults’ joie de vivre. They enjoyed their work and it gave them a sense of purpose. One of the subjects said that when he was looking for a job, he got depressed and had thoughts of suicide. When he found work in a bakery, he had something to focus on and those thoughts disappeared. His boss was impressed with this man’s work and he was entrusted with greater responsibility.     

I took away a couple of points that would be of interest to a job seeker:

-Know your strengths.  In the documentary, an employment facilitator was a go-between between clients and employers. She would assess her clients’ strengths, find out employers’ needs and matched the two together.  I think job seekers could be their own employment facilitator. Job seekers can reflect about their own strengths. They can talk to their personal circle of advisors and find out which employers would value their strengths. Job seekers could contact these employers and ask for an informational interview or they could craft a letter to send to an employer and propose a solution.

-The “right” job is the job that is right for you and not what someone thinks is the right job for you. One of the subjects liked making popcorn as a kid. (Sometimes what you you dream about doing as a kid can provide a direction for you to explore as an adult. What were you hoping to be when you grew up?) This gentleman makes popcorn now as an adult and sells it at local crafts markets with the help of his mother. He hopes that making popcorn is the start of a great business for himself. 

  

-All of the subjects in the film had tremendous support from their parents or relatives. As a job seeker it is important to surround yourself with positive people. It’s difficult to conduct a job search, let alone dong it alone, and so find people in your network who will support you.  

I found a lot of hope in watching this film.

Sometime ago my manager said that there is a job waiting out there that is just right for each and every job seeker, and that job seekers don’t necessarily have to try to fit themselves in a round peg when they may represent a square peg.  

After watching this film, you will think the same thing, that there is a job that is just right for you.  

As an HR professional, I think this film should be seen by all HR professionals. 

It will remind you that everyone has possibilities.

And that workplace diversity and inclusion is a good thing.   

Also Published on LinkedIn on April 14, 2017

Image Credit:  Pixabay