Voice


The other day a pensioner called at work.

I happened to have picked up the phone. 

He was very passionate, and I gathered that he wasn’t happy with the amount that he was receiving in old age pension.

I asked if he called his MP’s constituency office.

No, he hadn’t, because it wouldn’t help.   

I sensed that this person didn’t feel that he had a voice when it came to his pension.

Nowadays you hear headlines where robots are taking over jobs in the workplace.

I think some employers would concur with the notion that employees should be seen rather than be heard.

And like a robot they have no voice.

For most of my working life, I went along with the notion that employees should be seen rather than be heard.

In January 2013 I lost my job.    

I found my job search to be a challenging time. 

Out of resignation, really, I decided to write a LinkedIn post at a friend’s suggestion.  

A light switch turned on when I wrote my very first post in December 2015 called “Call Me Maybe.”

I discovered that I like writing posts!

“Voice” marks my 100th post!  

I enjoy the process of reflecting and thinking creatively. 

I get to express my voice when I write.  

At my current job at the Ontario Society of Senior Citizens Organizations (OSSCO) I was hired to work on a project called “Enhancing Economic Opportunities for Older Workers 50-70.”   

We were offering four different workshops (job search, business start-up, encore careers and retirement planning) in order to help improve the economic situations of older workers.

Yesterday we offered a follow-up session to the business start-up workshop where I arranged for two volunteer speakers to come to our office and speak about their experiences in starting up their own business.

At all of our workshops and follow-up interviews, I hear the challenges that older workers face in finding a job. 

This job opened my eyes and validated my own experience and challenge in finding a job. 

Yesterday one of the workshop participants commented that he feels stuck.

He is currently in a job transition. Does he try to go back to what he was doing before or explore a new career direction?

I think our project has been helpful just so that older workers can gather, learn some new ideas and share their stories.

We gave older workers a voice.


Also Published on LinkedIn on April 21, 2017
Image Credit:  Pixabay

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