Tales from the Front

Learn about the Winning New Jobs workshop as seen through the eyes of the facilitators...

MPRC Facilitators (pictured left to right): Diana Cramer,
John Gingrich, Susan Manney, Steve Barnaby, Katherine Ives,
Barbara Hutton, Paula Wishart.

Facilitators share their stories and thoughts on…

The WNJ Workshop:

• "What I find most wonderful about the WNJ workshop is helping participants feel that they can truly reach their goals...and feel better about themselves in the process!"

• "I have done other types of workshop and training sessions before, but this is different because I never before felt such a deep level of support, encouragement, autonomy, and open-communication in my professional life."

• "What I find most wonderful about the JOBS workshop is that IT WORKS!!!"

• "What I find most wonderful about the JOBS workshop is the personal growth, in many domains, that participants experience, and the supportive community that develops among the participants--who often have widely varying backgrounds and levels of education."

• "Is this workshop, participants not only learn new skills, but they start to feel better about themselves in the process."

• "Perhaps the most wonderful thing about the WNJ workshop is seeing people from such varied backgrounds come together in each workshop and bond with one another so quickly. It is a rare privilege to watch each week as people come together and the masks drop away as people discover that we are all created with the same need for love and affirmation."

Being a JOBS Facilitator is great because…

• Being a JOBS facilitator is fun because of the wonderfully rich partnership with my team and with the participants--this program is a truly nurturing environment for partnership, openness, and growth. It’s also constantly creative!

• "Being a JOBS facilitator is fun because I get to see the positive impact that our work has on the participants."

• "I’ve done other types of workshop/training sessions before, but this is different because it has a very clear stated and working commitment to the principles of active learning and empowerment---participants are engaged in a learning experience which brings forth self-trust, self-respect, and contribution."

• "Everyone ‘walks their talk.’ Its great to work with such caring and supportive colleagues. It’s easy to give positive feedback to participants, because we’re, as facilitators, so positive and supportive to each another as a well."

• "…some folks come to the workshop with slumped shoulders, downcast eyes and a heaviness about them. It is a pleasure to watch them literally transform as the workshop unfold. When these folks leave, a new air of confidence is visible, they stand taller with shoulders held back, they have a sparkle in their eyes and a lilt in their step. Being a part of the ‘before’ and ‘after’ process is truly rewarding."

• "It is wonderful to facilitate a workshop that has actually been proven to help people get better jobs faster!"

• "I get paid to point out to people what they do well!"

The Approach and Techniques:

• "I am learning to respond in ways that indicate their are many options…"

• "I am learning to take charge of a group, firmly holding the reins to instill a feeling of safety within the group while still allowing creativity and growth to emerge within individuals…"

• "…strangers become old friends while learning job search skills…"

• "I’ve seen the power of inoculation against setbacks and many other of the techniques we use --wonderful clear tools which allow people to recognize their own power in their lives.."

• "…When participants asked me a question in other workshops I’ve done, I was expected to come up with an answer and be the expert. In the JOBS workshop, I turn most questions back to the group and they come up with an answer as good, if not better, then any answer I would have given…"

• "The initial period (of learning) for me was like traveling through a maze of new skills and techniques. The process began to make sense over time as I watched the magic of the workshop transform sad, and often desperate, participants into confident and capable job seekers."

On Co-Facilitation:

• "I’ve learned so much about the joys--and sometimes trials--of co-facilitation, and the art of that dance…"

• "I am enjoying doing the WNJ workshops because it is a team effort. It has been a great experience for me to work with my co-facilitator because I learn best by watching and doing. Although our styles are very different, watching my co-facilitator do the training provided me with many hours of observation of a highly skilled and professional trainer. I also like working with the different styles and personalities on our facilitation team."

• "I have found co-facilitation so much more effective than a single facilitator. I don’t think I’ll ever go solo again!"

Memorable Participant Statements, as remembered by facilitators…

• "The most memorable statement a participant has made to me was ‘I’ve gone from ‘me’ to ‘we’!’ and ‘I’m looking inside instead of outside, now, and I like what I see.’

• "The most memorable statement a participant has every made to me is: This has been a tremendous support and help in my situation. You are really good at bringing out the best in me and in the group."

• "The man who came into the workshop so afraid of being around people that his anxiety made it extremely difficult for him to participate. With the help of the facilitators he was able to reduce his anxiety and remain in the workshop. The third day he had an interview and arrived late at the workshop, walking into the room with his head held high and a smile on his face. He recounted to the group how, in the interview, he had applied the techniques he had learned in the workshop and felt very confident about his performance."

• "A participant once told me that I kept the workshop moving and on track in such a smooth and gentle way, when I interrupted them, it was like being interrupted by Ghandi."

• "One participants said ‘I’ve been to workshops where I’ve paid $600 or more, and I kept looking at my watch hoping it would end soon. At this workshop, I kept looking at my watch hoping I could make the time go slower, because I didn’t want the workshop to end!"