A Jobsearch Coach with a (motivation) Vision, and a Plan!

Today I have spent my morning voluntarily assisting a visually impaired former colleague complete a handwritten application form and typed up an electronic document. The good side of helping someone else out, is that I not only have a sense of pride in being able to help someone else, but knowing that my assistance is appreciated.

I was treated to a wonderful (normal for them but gourmet for me) home cooked traditional Singaporean lunch - which was absolutely delicious.  I hope I'll get an invitation to have lunch with this lovely family again one day soon.  It is so encouraging and delightful to see a functioning family unit in a environment where dysfunction is the norm.

Now that I'm home again, I'm ready to crack open my office supplies shopping bag following stopping in and purchasing a few items to create some motivational posters and colour for my work job search room - my new mission. My issues with management are still continuing, and my employer would never provide the money for me to do this, and my employer doesn't really deserve to have me doing this especially while they are being so vile, but I care about my long term job seekers.  I want them to shake out of their 'got to attend jobsearch' doldrums and instead become enthused and motivated to achieve their work goals - and I will do my best to help them get there.

So... the plan is.  I've now printed off about 35 A4 sheets of paper in 'landscape' mode, containing various job search related motivational quotes (all properly cited), which I am colouring the edges with highlighters (I'm now halfway done), and will soon be laminating (to keep the posters looking fresh for as long as possible).  And next Friday - which is Admin day, and also the last day of the month - I don't care what management say, I am ripping down all the boring tatty posters in the bland and boring jobsearch centre and sticking up my posters ready for the following Monday in a brand new month; at least one motivation poster in front of every computer and jobseeker phone, and anywhere else in every key visual areas for when clients enter and leave MY jobsearch centre (okay, it is used by all the other consultants, but I'm making it a reflection of me, I'm taking ownership!).

Next to the large whiteboard used for training, I am going to put up colourful cardboard posters, as the basis for implementing a couple of Recognition Boards... A client finds a job? Woohoo; well now instead of just saying congratulations to the person, we will recognise their great achievement for all to see; that clients name will be added to the poster, "Congratulations - Got the Job!". Someone gets an interview, which could lead to a job, they too should be recognised: they will now get their name added to the, "Congratulations - Got an Interview!" poster - once I've created them, that is.

But my most brilliant idea (well, I'm arrogantly proud enough to think the idea is brilliant) is that I am going to introduce a "Networking: I found a job opportunity that I can't follow, but maybe you would like to" poster where any client who finds a vacancy they can't pursue can write up on the poster so that other clients might be get to follow that opportunity...  I mean, last weekend I wrote about how clients don't use their network properly - and that is true - but rather than whinge about it, or criticise them for not doing so (which is my current management's style that I don't like and will not follow no matter how many written warnings they threaten to issue me) I am going to instead TEACH clients and encourage them to use their network more.

And to get the ball rolling, I am using my own money to buy something - I don't know what yet - as an incentive for my clients to change their tired and well tried uninspired jobsearch techniques and try the things that work.  I'm thinking a prize to the person who gains the most interviews in a month from undertaking cold calling during their jobsearch session is how they will earn a spot of having their name on the poster.

I just don't know what to buy as a gift - it is going to come out of my pocket not the companies - and I want it to be something useful and meaningful to the jobseeker (I know gaining a job should be its own reward, but some people are just so caught in their own rut they just can't seem to break free even though they would like to). I am thinking $25 will buy something decent without breaking the budget.

So, if you have any ideas or suggestions for what I could purchase, please use the comments section below, or the contact me page; think, what would I like to receive as a small gift if I was unemployed and looking for work.

And, if you would like to assist me help people to gain confidence and enthusiasm and have a few dollars to spare, then please donate - just make sure when you donate that you write "Jobsearch Prize" so I know that is how you want me to allocate the donation! And if you would like to financially assist then thank you very much, I welcome your assistance.

I'll update after Friday 31 May to let you know how the jobseekers reacted to the new posters, colour and incentives.

Update: 26/5.  Here are a handful of the Quote Posters that I created.  They are printed on A4 paper, with highlighter colour around the edges, and then laminated.  I have 38 in total.

Colourful Quote Posters