When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we saw an obliteration of jobs, internships, and our social calendars. Worried about all the uncertainty and social distancing triggering loneliness and depression -- and wanting to make lemonade out of lemons -- Positive Charge! PDX hosted a series of discussions from July through October 2020. Professionals shared tips and information to support people in finding their pandemic footing. We recorded these invaluable discussions and are thrilled to share them on YouTube so anyone at any time can help build practical career and life skills. These hour-long recordings are especially geared toward young adults just getting started in the workforce, but everyone can learn something from them. Enjoy! Share them with the young people in YOUR life!

COACHING CONNECTION TALKS

Find the following on our YouTube link!

On JOB SKILLS

with Steven Kaufman

of Red Fender Consulting, My Cup of Sugar Moment, and author of The Garbageman's Guide to Life: How to Get Out of the Dumps

"A Hard-Hitting, Practical, Straightforward Guide to LANDING A JOB"

"The Profile of a Great Employee: WHO GETS PROMOTED?"

"OWNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS: Is It Time and What Do You Need?"

"FINDING YOUR RIGHT LIFE: To Boldly Go Where You May Never Have Considered"

GOT SOME DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR THE COACHES?

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Coaches' Pearls...

Advice to their younger selves, if they were to start all over again...

All experience is great experience. Hard work will get you to your goals. It is OK to try things and not like them, but try them. College was OK for several of my friends, but hands-on work was best for me. I learned best in the field, and I became successful with my type of learning. I had good guidance and great respect for the person who taught me what I know, and I am passing that forward with the people who work for me. Good, honest work and relationships pay off.

I would take time to thoroughly explore and experience my career choices before starting a long and expensive academic program. The academic piece may sound exciting, but the practical application may be the last thing I want to do the rest of my life. Taking the time on the front end to properly investigate my choice for the future is worth every day of experience it brings, even if I learn it's not what I want to do after all.

I would take more time out of high school to learn about and establish a financially wise and responsible routine. This would offer me the flexibility to make my money work for me, work less than full time, and still feel confident and secure that I had everything I needed for myself and others as I grew older.

All of life is a very narrow bridge; your job is to cross it in spite of your fears.
-Rabbi Nachmin of Bratislav

Go forth with good courage.
Know that there are no Mistakes, only learning and growing.

Lean into uncertainty.

Invent Facebook.

Be gentle with yourself.

You might be graduating or have hit a turning point in your life with your career. You might feel a bit lost and not sure where to go. It's okay. Go out there and try as many different things as you can. Don't ever feel like you're wasting your time. The process that you'll be going through will shape you into who you will be. If you let your intuition guide you, you will almost certainly be in your most fulfilled place in the future when you find your purpose in life. Enjoy the journey. Don't rush. Every little path you have to go through will lead you somewhere. And looking back, you will be able to connect the dots. It will all make sense.

You can always pivot and shift. Do not define yourself too strictly. You can be more than your job.

Value Life: Spend the waking hours of your life doing what you enjoy, with people you enjoy. Don't waste the gift of life being unhappy in job, in a career, or with people who don't make you feel good.

Be the Best You: That also means being respectful of others by trying and showing your best effort, and asking for help before the

expectations you set with others become unreachable.

Collaboration is fun and often produces pleasing results.

Negotiate: If you have a complaint for your company, a manager, or anyone in general, be respectful, diplomatic,

and plan to negotiate and work on a solution together.

People like to hear how you're stepping up to be part of the solution, rather than piling more work on them to fix something alone.

Be a good friend. Have good friends.

Openly reach out and welcome those without friends.

BE A COACH

OFFER PEARLS OF WISDOM

Did you find your career through the magic of networking and mentoring? Many of us did. Consider Paying-It-Forward by submitting some "pearls of wisdom to your younger self." Doing so will help our young people build their networks, knowledge, and options.

Please SUBMIT YOUR PEARLS OF WISDOM ON THE BLUE LINK ABOVE. Your words will go a long way in improving the social and emotional health of our shining stars of tomorrow.