Fall is an in-between season. The heat is gone and the cold is coming. We can spend it worrying about what might come - hurricanes, blizzards, bad election results - or we can appreciate the perfect weather and prepare for the future. I hope you’re doing the latter.
Humans are good at creating theories to explain stuff, and lenses through which they can simplify decision-making. I found myself doing that on Tuesday morning as I scribbled notes for my introductory speech to the thousand workforce development professionals gathered for their annual state conference at Live! Hall.
I’m now pretty familiar with what our team at Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation does, and it’s impressive. They don’t just connect applicants with employers who have job openings. They focus their work on careers. They’re in our middle schools inspiring motivation by pitching careers, and they’re sitting down with adults every day who are seeking career changes.
Careers, whether we stick with one for life or start over every twenty years as I have, are how human beings organize their economies, their institutions, and their lives.
I used that theoretical lens to express gratitude to the Maryland Workforce Association members, and probably raised some eyebrows when I told them that I’d dedicated a chunk of my life to facilitating career transitions for another species - horses - Thoroughbred horses whose first careers were racing. Transitioning Thoroughbreds to Second Careers was the tagline of an organization I founded called Retired Racehorse Project, the national network of trainers who prepare these animals for jobs as riding horses in various sports, and place them with new owners. I noted that success was a matter of life or death for these creatures, as it can be for some of their clients.
That afternoon, I did a podcast interview with Recreation and Parks Director Jessica Leys. Pittman and Friends doesn’t actually launch until Tuesday, October 8, but to ensure that we can keep up with a weekly schedule, I’ve recorded four interviews to slip into busy weeks. All four include a career question. “Tell us how you ended up in this job, starting with school.”
Chief Administrative Officer Christine Anderson, CECS Director Vincent Moulden, IT Officer Jack Martin, and Director Leys all had career journeys that make them who they are. All described how their careers give meaning to their lives. And all answered my questions about what they’ve learned in their current positions with insights about human relationships that could be applied anywhere. They’ve had impressive careers.
Next week I’ll be in Sweden on a Study Tour with state, county, and City of Annapolis public servants. We’ll hear from people there who’ve dedicated their lives to urban planning, environmental preservation, housing, and multimodal transportation, including the production of electric hydrofoil passenger ferries. I won’t just look at what they’ve created and listen to the lessons that they’ve learned. I will look for clues about what inspired them to do what they’ve done and how they honed the skills that make them effective. It’s the career stories that explain progress, right?
So as we prepare ourselves for whatever the next season brings, join me in thanking an educator, a mentor, an employer, or a career coach for getting us all where we are today. And if you sense that a new career is calling you, but aren’t sure what it is, go to AAWDC.org where career coaches will guide you in your journey. It’s how progress is made.
Next week I’ll be writing from Sweden.