Networking Forum: June 2006 Archives

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June 20, 2006

Your Most Important Teaching Moment

Last week, Barney posted this comment here on the eSight Networking Forum:

“I believe in the course of life we are all students and teachers. When we are not teaching we are students, and when we are teaching (if we are good at teaching) we are learning from our students.

”Life is an eternal classroom with so many opportunities that we simply have to decide which ones are ours.”

Well said, Barney. Probably one of your most critical “teaching” moments happens when you’re interviewing for a job.

Look at the skills sets from my book,
"10 Things Employers Want You to Learn in College."

Select one skill about which you can comfortably say to a prospective employer, “I’m good at that.” Chances are that it’s also your strongest skill.

Then post your reply to this question:

What’s the best way to show potential employers you can use your strongest skill for their benefit?

In posting your reply, you’re taking the first step in preparing for one of your most important “teaching moments” -- and you’ll have done some of your homework for your next job interview.

Thanks.
Bill Coplin
Director, Public Affairs Program
Meredith Professor for Teaching Excellence
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY

For more information about the Syracuse program, see:
genuinedogooder.com
Public Affairs 101 course
Public Affairs Program web site
Community Link Program

Author:
”10 Things Employers Want You to Learn in College”
“How You Can Help: An Easy Guide to Doing Good Deeds in Your Everyday Life”

(Also see Bill Coplin’s biography.)

Posted by Bill Coplin at 12:26 PM | Comments (5)

June 13, 2006

What is Your Teaching Role?

Our proclivity as humans to stereotype others who are unfamiliar to us can lead to some amusing (but understandable) thought patterns.

For instance, if I’m physically disabled, being merely “adequate” but successful in certain job skills can lead others who don’t know me very well to extrapolate that I’m “very intelligent” or even “brilliant.”

Come on -– how many people are actually “brilliant?”

It works the other way, too.

If I appear to be disoriented when I go into a job interview, most likely the interviewer will think of me at the very least as “unprepared” and most likely “not fit” for the job in question -– no matter how well qualified I may actually be.

We all make quick judgments of others as we zip through our daily lives. Those snap conclusions are sometimes accurate but more often faulty due to our lack of information or discernment.

This phenomenon came up during last week’s discussion on the eSight Networking Forum with June’s guest blogger, Bill Coplin, about the 10 key skills he has identified as essential in any professional career.

Elizabeth, eSight Networking Forum blogger, writes:

“Your physical disability and mine means that you and I stand out in a crowd. We stand out when we come in late to a meeting or in the morning or when we leave early. Little things like this count a lot.

“Be careful to let others talk. Sometimes, being less aware of body language due to low or no vision may tend to make you or me interrupt others when they need time to talk or when you are not really part of their conversation. When you’re unsure whether to interrupt, it may be more useful to be quiet than to be perceived as rude.”

Is it any wonder that some folks with a visual impairment can be construed by others who don’t know them as “unresponsive” at best or “inconsiderate” or even “rude” when they don’t pick up on visual cues during a conversation?

That’s why I believe Bill Coplin’s fifth skill, working directly with people (which includes building good relationships, working in teams and teaching others), is particularly important for those of us with disabilities.

Teaching others has an extra meaning for me because I’ve gradually accepted it as part of living and working with a disability.

It's a role I have not always savored, but, now in my 60s, I believe I have a responsibility for helping others put my disability (or disability in general) into a context that sheds some of the stereotypes and misconceptions that are all too common today.

That educational role not only pays off in terms of the "common good" but it also is a key skill which I believe helped me gain entry into the work world -- and survive once I got there.

On the other hand, I can relate to individuals who believe that “education” doesn’t have to be intentional -- that just by swimming in the mainstream of life you’re helping to shatter stereotypical thinking about disability.

How do you currently view your role in “teaching others” about disability?

Posted by Jim Hasse at 02:42 PM | Comments (11)

June 06, 2006

10 Key Skills Needed in any Professional Career

Take a look at the 10 skills I believe are essential today in developing a professional career.

On eSight, you can listen to audio files of a telephone conference call I made two years ago about these 10 skills.

I discuss those skills in detail in my book, “10 Things Employers Want You to Learn in College.”

I wrote the book because I believe students worry about the type of degree and the GPA they earn when they should be worrying about the skills they can offer their networking partners – and prospective employers.

Knowing which of the vital skills you can offer others is the first step in networking effectively. And being able to talk about those skills in concrete terms is a part of networking.

But, first you need to identify which skills you already have, which ones you need to develop and how to develop the ones you don’t have.

Review the 10 skills.

As a blind or visually impaired job seeker, your awareness of and ability to articulate your relevant skill sets can be the edge you need to overcome a prospective employer's hesitancy about hiring you.

What additional skills would you add to this list?

I need your real-world feedback. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks.
Bill Coplin
Director, Public Affairs Program
Meredith Professor for Teaching Excellence
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY