My lesson for my
Life Skills class concerned academic planning and career exploration. What degree should I seek? How do I find a job? I was very surprised to see that part of my
lesson was about the same things I spend several hours each week doing at the LDS
Employment Resource Center. This lesson
was to help us “count the cost” of going to school. “For which of you, intending to build a
tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have
sufficient to finish it?” (Luke 14:28)
I am having sort of a difficult
time deciding what degree I should seek simply because I do not plan to use it
for a career. I am seeking a degree for
knowledge that I can use in this life as well as take with me into the next
life to help me continue to grow and progress.
I am seeking the knowledge that Heavenly Father knows that I will need
to have in order to do what He would have me do. Whatever degree I seek will be in answer to
promptings from Heavenly Father.
That being said, I found the
process for choosing a career to be very interesting. We were first asked to watch a short video
about a couple that went through the Pathway program and continued their
education online until they each earned a degree from BYU-Idaho. Their stories were very much like my
own. Chad did not think he needed
education because he was going to be a farmer – not knowing that education
would make him a better farmer. Kameron
always wanted a degree and started school but got side tracked by life. Through the Pathway program they were able to
earn their degrees.
The next part of the lesson was
to explore the Degree Options section of the Pathway website. I looked at numerous degree options that I
could obtain completely online and think I know which one I should work
towards. The next part was an article in
the Ensign about finding a job that I
will discuss later. The last part of the assignment was to
complete the O*Net OnLine Interest Profiler to determine where my interests are
and what careers are available for those interests.
I wanted to do the Ensign article last in order to spend
more time on it. It is titled “Job Hunting According to Nephi” and was written by Edgar Tooley about his quest for a new job. When he was laid off at his job, he
remembered a story in the Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ
that was similar to his situation. The
story is in 1 Nephi 16:18-32. Nephi
broke his steel bow, and the bows of his brothers were no longer good. They had no tools to hunt for food. Nephi made a bow and at least one arrow and
then went to his father Lehi to ask counsel about where he should go. He followed the counsel and obtained food for
the family.
Brother Tooley also remembered a
quote by Bishop Richard C. Edgely, then First Counselor to the Presiding
Bishop: “The responsibility for finding
employment or improving your employment rests with you. Continued guidance comes from the Lord,
through regular fasting and prayer. Your
quorum leaders, bishops, specialists, and employment resource center staff will
help in your efforts. We fear, however,
that often priesthood leaders are unaware of your situation.
“Speak up! Let them know you are looking for work” (“This Is Your Phone Call,” Ensign, May
2009, 55).
Brother Tooley decided to
prepare his tools; he attended the Career Workshop, updated his resume, and
attended networking meetings. He signed
up with LDSjob.org as well as with a professional networking website. After he had done everything that he could do
for himself, he went to his father for a priesthood blessing. He then worked full time at finding a job.
As taught in the Career
Workshop, Brother Tooley developed and rehearsed his “Me in 30 seconds” or
summary of his education, career, and work goals. Some people call this an “elevator speech” – something
you can say before the person with you gets off at the next floor. He also wrote several “power statements” or
positive but brief descriptions of his work assignments. The best power statements contain some
numbers about those accomplishments. He
also made a list of people to call, and he called them. He set up some informational interviews and
sent thank you notes.
Brother Tooley fasted, prayed,
and went to the temple. He counseled
with his bishop and quorum members. He
got permission to put a message on the Relief Society email network. His message was very simple and
non-threatening: “Who do you know that I
should be talking to?”
While returning some equipment
to his former employer, Brother Tooley happened to ask a former co-worker – who
knew he was looking for work – if he knew of someone Brother Tooley should
contact. The former co-worker said “Oh,
yeah. A member of his ward was opening a
business and needed twenty new employees.
Brother Tooley obtained the contact information and called; he was
rewarded with an interview. Brother
Tooley said that he was “surprised to realize [he] had to ask someone who
already knew [he] was looking for work.”
Brother
Tooley continued to look for work full time and was rewarded with a new job six
weeks after being laid off. He was later
called to help other people find jobs.
There are several reasons why Brother
Tooley was successful in finding a new job.
First, he had the training and
experience employers were looking for.
Second, he followed the instructions given to him at the LDS Employment
Resource Center. In fact, his article
sounds like he followed the instructions perfectly. Do you have any idea how many people come
into our ERC looking for work who refuse to follow our instructions? Most of our patrons want to do things their
way, even though their way is wrong.
I am grateful to know that
BYU-Idaho includes this employment information in their Life Skills class. I hope the younger generation will understand
their need for education and/or training.
I also hope they understand that the Lord’s program for finding jobs
really works. If they will follow
instructions received at the ERC, they can find work.
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