Adult Education

There are two types of change for a career seeker. The first is a result of present circumstances, where there is a hope for change and improved conditions. This feeling of wanting change may or may not lead to action, depending upon the discomfort or severity of these circumstances. The second type of change is a true desire for improvement and it is usually followed by some type of concrete action, which may begin with the formation of a plan or goals. Readiness for change occurs when the career seeker begins taking steps towards an improved outcome or set of results.

Moving from hope for change to a true desire for change happens because of learning and continued growth. Learning can take place in a formal or structured setting, such as classroom training or a continuing education course, and it can occur informally through experiences, where knowledge is acquired and skills are developed as a result of performing the job tasks over time. Learning can lead to growth in several ways. As job skills are mastered and used over time a desire to do something more can occur. It is a natural reaction to want to use new skills or knowledge acquired. If an employee is unable to experience their full potential in their present job and they are unable to find new opportunities or advancement, that employee will likely become a career seeker.

As a career seeker what does it mean to engage in a productive conversation with a potential employer? As an educator, how do you create conditions that allow you to have a productive conversation with your students? Developing effective communication in either setting requires an understanding of the process and barriers that prevent a positive outcome.

There are several factors that influence and potentially restrict the process of communication, including internal filters, listening skills, and an ability to express needs and expectations. These factors were considered in my first blog, Meaningful Interactions for the Career Seeker & Adult Educator. Now I want to talk about breaking past all of the potential barriers and help you to discover how to become a better communicator.

The word “collaboration” is often thought of as a process, when we are interacting or working together with someone else in a productive manner. Collaboration is synonymous with cooperation, uniting, joining, or assisting. It is a two-way process that requires effective communication because there is an end result or goal that one or both parties have in mind to accomplish. Rarely does collaboration occur without a definite purpose.

As you consider this process, do you find that you need to develop your collaborative skills? Is collaboration a necessary skill for your career? The career seeker will find that collaborative skills are necessary for an effective job search campaign, including the job interview process. The adult educator is also likely to find that collaborative skills are necessary for facilitation of a class as learning is a co-creative process.

What is Communication?
The process of communication involves a two-way exchange, even when it has been initiated by one person with the intention of delivering information. It begins with the sender who is motivated to communicate for a specific reason, whether they want to present information, ask a question, seek knowledge, or have any other type of need. When someone is the recipient of this message they begin interacting with it, processing it, and responding to it in some manner. When the sender and receiver are interacting together because of this communication it facilitates an exchange of ideas, information, knowledge, beliefs, or opinions. 

The sender chooses a method of communication and their internal processing influences how the message is formed and delivered.  The receiver reacts to the message according to their own internal filters, which can include biases, prejudices, beliefs, opinions, and prior experiences. Communication has effectively occurred when the message has been delivered and received. This does not mean that the message was received and interpreted in the way that the sender intended. Communication becomes interactive because of the interactions that occur between the sender and receiver, which provides a means of interpreting the message.