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Angie:Hello, Alameda. Welcome to the Island City Beat podcast. I'm your host, Angie Watson-Hajjem Today's show, we're gonna talk about the world of work. So whether you're someone that's struggling to find your purpose for work in the world or maybe you've been job searching for a while, you can use some support on that journey, or maybe you've been working at the same job for years, maybe even decades, and you are in major need of a major career makeover.
Angie:We're gonna talk about these topics with my guest, career coach Amanda Gerrie. Amanda is the founder of Pathways Career Consulting. She founded her business back in 2003 with the goal of helping people discover fulfilling careers, prevent burnout, and promote healthy life work and balance, which is something I think all of us could use some help with. So with that, I want to welcome my guest, Amanda. Welcome to the Island City Beat podcast.
Amanda:Thank you. Thank you for having me, Angie.
Angie:Oh, it's wonderful to have you here. I'm really excited about our our time together today. So, you know, I think one of the most point questions that a person can ask themselves is, you know, what is my purpose in the world? What is my work in the world? What am I here to do?
Amanda:And I think for a lot of people, it's a it's a painful question because the answer is sometimes very elusive. You know? You hear people working in jobs where they're just, like, they're just miserable, and they know that they should be doing something different and more and and in line with their passion, but they have no idea what that is. And so I would love for you to start off by kinda helping us see, you know, how you walk your clients through that journey of really figuring out, you know, what they're here to do, what's their passion. What does that look like?
Angie:What what do you do? What do you say? How do you work with people like that that situation?
Amanda:Sure. Thank you for having me. I really appreciate the invitation and the chance to speak with you and your listeners. So as you said, I'm Amanda Gary, and I've been a career coach for about twenty two years now. But I've also been in career and workforce services for about twenty seven years.
Amanda:I'm dating myself. So my perspective around identifying one's life purpose has changed over time. Twenty two years is a long time. And so what my thinking has has adjusted as I've as things have changed in in in our world. So when I when I started out as a career coach, I think I believe that work was a was a reasonable place to to fulfill one's life purpose.
Amanda:It's closely tied to this concept of of a calling, which is rooted in the church, like, so people are called to the ministry, that term. But over time, my my thinking has shifted a little bit. So I think I think some people come to me, they identify with the idea of work as fulfilling a life purpose or a personal mission. And they might be working to, like, address some some wrong in the world or improving something in the world. But but work is only one place where we can fulfill that purpose.
Amanda:It it can also be through other channels like our relationships and how we care for the people we love or creativity, you know, like the beauty you make in the world, but maybe you don't get paid for it. So I recognize now that that work in our late in the labor market is is a is a system that's that's biased like all of our systems and that some people find doors open for them and others don't. So this concept of life purpose is is changed in my thinking over time and I've realized like that it's steeped in privilege too. So if I'm if I'm trying to make ends meet, I might not be able to be concerned about purpose. I'm trying to put food on the table and a roof over my head.
Amanda:But that said, some people come to me and they're they're kind of on a spectrum and there's kinda like two big questions they might have. One is, you know, what should I do? You know, maybe they want to identify a new career path or, you know, a new start a whole new career progression or maybe they wanna make a change that's more subtle around what they're doing. And then that's called career exploration. And then over on the other end of the spectrum, people maybe have a more urgent need, which is job search.
Amanda:And so I I try to help people identify where they fall on that continuum. Is it a career exploration question or is it more of an urgent job search? And sometimes people are kind of in the middle, like, maybe they have a good good idea of what it is that they wanna do, but they're having a hard time getting there. Maybe they have a set of ideas that they're they're trying to test and find out what what fits in the labor market. The the whole life the concept of fulfilling one's purpose is is tied to that career exploration, but I now realize like not everybody wants that answer.
Amanda:You know, maybe they're trying to find a job that does no harm, you know, or makes them feel like they have balance in their life so they can go home and let it go at night. So what I'll do is help people clarify answers to these questions. So what skills or what, who, where, and and why. So what skills do I have? What skills might I wanna acquire?
Amanda:What skills do I wanna ditch and never use again? Like, who? Who do I wanna work around or impact to my work or where? Like, what's the right setting for me, both geographically or organizationally? And then why?
Amanda:What are, the social concerns that or values that drive my decision making? So I help people identify the answers to those questions. And then we usually come up with a set of ideas and some people have a mission from that. Like, they kind of it reveals, like, something that they really wanna change in the world or build or repair, but not everybody. You know?
Amanda:So my thinking has definitely adjusted over time. If you want, I could tell you a little bit more about, like, process, but or tell me a little bit more about what what you'd like to know.
Angie:Yeah. This is very, very helpful. You know, the whole thing about, you know, asking people questions and helping them kinda sort out, like, you know, what are my skills and what what what I could do, what what do I don't wanna do anymore. I I think I it seems like to me what you're saying is that that the the the journey of finding work that you love and your passion is really about learning about yourself and and getting yourself those inner questions. That seems like that can put you on the map.
Amanda:I remember I was talking to a woman years ago who did some career coaching for a while. She was saying that, you know, what she told her clients when they would come to her, like, I don't know what I wanna do. What what's my purpose? And she would say, well, what do like to do when you were kid? What made you do when you were a child?
Angie:You know? Mhmm. And that could be a real clue. I know for me, I remember, like, two things my childhood. I remember being in fifth grade, and my my fifth grade friends, we would pretend like we were newscasters.
Angie:So we would be, like, recording, and we would have, like, people are are Perfect. Be, you know, listening to our reports back then. And then I also remember so well, so vividly when I was a kid, I had lots of dolls, and I would have my dolls sitting out in in a row, and I would be talking to them. I'd be, like, teaching them. And I'm teaching and training and journalism.
Angie:It's a passion. I do it in my life. So, you know, it's so interesting how that that there's a real link between what I love to do in my younger life and what I'm doing right now. But I wanna talk, Amanda, about, you know, people who, like you said, they may not be even thinking about. They don't have the privilege to think about their passion.
Angie:They're trying to get food on their table. They're trying to pay their rent, their mortgage. So let's talk about the job search because warmer people are, you know, job searching right now, know what's happening in the economy right now. And so I'd to ask you, like, what are some major mistakes that you see people making on their quest as they're beginning their job search?
Amanda:Yeah. Yeah. First of all, I just wanna say that I love that you played some of the things that you do now as an adult. Because one of the things I I ask people, one of the very first things I do is do a history with people, and I go all the way back to, like, school age. Uh-huh.
Amanda:And I ask them lots of questions about what they liked, how they played, what they were they an indoor kid or an outdoor kid, what their parents or or caregivers thought they were gonna be when they grew up? I asked lots of questions because that that, like, eight year old self is so honest and true. There's so much honesty there. But, again, still steeped in privilege. Like, what if I'm in a crisis situation?
Amanda:I don't have a lot
Amanda:of time to play or remember play. So I I I it's a great question to ask people, but I don't I don't always yield clear clear clarity on the what where to go from that, but I love that you brought that up. So your question about job search. So it's first of all, it's a tough time right now. We have kind of a blue collar or a white collar recession.
Amanda:We have a lot of tech companies downsizing, a lot of companies starting to migrate or deploy AI in their job functions. And then we have a huge layoff in the federal workforce, which was always considered a very stable place. So we have these very odd segmented places where people are losing jobs or being downsized. It's very different from other economic downturns. It's very distinct.
Amanda:But what I'm seeing is people are are not customizing their resumes for specific positions. Many applicants are using the same generic resume for every application, and they're focusing too much on their, like, past responsibilities rather than their accomplishments or what their transferable skills are. So I think of a resume as, like, more of a persuasive essay than a biography. It's a chance to tell the recruiter or human resources department or hiring manager what it is that you can do for them as it relates to that specific job that you're applying for. So that involves, like, researching the company and getting to know a little bit about what it is that they do and customizing your application materials to to mirror what it is that they do and what they're looking for.
Amanda:So I see a lot of people just lengthening these resumes or applying on LinkedIn, just the quick apply. I was working with a gentleman last year who had been laid off. He'd been like project management in a number of different tech environments, and he'd applied for hundreds of jobs. And I asked him if he'd been customizing anything, and he said, no. Why would I do that?
Amanda:He was going for volume, but he wasn't getting any hits. And he was leaning on on these automatic apply features on LinkedIn. So he he wasn't getting like, it would be so much better if he he created a connection with individuals at specific companies that he really felt strong about, and he felt like he had a connection with rather than these mass applications. He just wasn't getting any bites.
Angie:Mhmm. Yes. So just kinda getting a real sense of what you're going for and kinda customizing your resume to to meet that job description, not just this blanket thing that we put out. Mhmm. So let me ask you a question.
Angie:How important is it for people to have a cover letter? Because I know I I work for a a nonprofit agency, and sometimes I am on the interviewing panel and, you know, I'm getting the resumes. And and it's amazing how so many people don't write a cover letter. Because I always thought back in the day, twenty years ago, you're supposed to have a cover letter with your resume, but I'm seeing more applicants not having that. How important
Angie:is the cover letter, and what what should you convey in that cover letter if you do not
Amanda:Cover letters are tricky. So one of the things I've done, I've been in workforce development services since the late nineties. And what that means is I work on a policy level or a program level with systems that provide job search services or career training or things like apprenticeships or skills skills training. So as part of that, I've led a lot of employer panels with different sectors. And I always ask that question, like, to HR managers.
Amanda:I've done it in logistics and transportation, hospitality, administrative support, finance, retail, all these different sectors, and every recruiter has a different answer about how they feel about cover letters. Mhmm. So what I tell people that I work with is default to the per to the possibility that a recruiter is gonna want it. And here's what they say. 50% of the recruiters say, I don't read it.
Amanda:I don't look at it. Another 50% will say, I always look at it to see if the person took the time, knows how to write in business English, thoughtfully puts put down some ideas about how they're fit for the position in addition to what's on their resume. They're assessing for attention to detail and follow through. And the three things I usually tell people on a cover letter is keep it simple. It's three paragraphs.
Amanda:Make sure that it's error free. Write a business letter, you know, show that you know how to write the old school business letter. And the first paragraph should say this, like, how you know the company, either if you know somebody there, somebody referred you or an organization like your university or some sort of affinity group that you're part of. Recruiters spend a lot of money on posting in, specific settings to increase the diversity of their talent pools. They wanna know the return on that investment.
Amanda:So in that very first sentence, say how you know the organization, and tell them what you're applying for because they might have many openings. And then the middle paragraph should be something that's it could even be a bulleted list. It should be, tell me why you think you're qualified for this position. It kinda mirrors what you might put at the top of the resume, but it's also a chance to say if you're a career changer to articulate how your skills transfer from one sector to another because it might not be obvious. And then the third paragraph, just close it out, tell them that you love them, you wanna you wanna meet with them and come in for an interview.
Amanda:These these cover letters that are more than that, they don't get read two pages, forget it. But make sure it's error free, you have attention to detail, and that you know what you're applying for. You know, it's it feels insulting. I've been on the recruitment side, Angie, where I get a resume or a cover letter where it's clear they didn't even look at what they're applying for. They have the wrong, job title there.
Amanda:And, you know, this is the thing that gives me pause about these new AI tools that automatically apply for positions for you is they say they can customize it, but you're not even looking at it before it goes in Yeah. To the employer. So you may have just lost the opportunity to to work for that place because you didn't give it that attention to detail.
Angie:Yeah. It's really important that that detail. No. I have to say, there was one person that, I interviewed, another coworker and I, and she didn't know what the job prescript she didn't know what the job was. And we told her, why don't you go back and read the job description and let us know if you're so interested?
Angie:I mean, it's I mean, it's it's crazy. I mean, you can't make this stuff up. Let me go back to the resume. So, you know, for people who have had a lot of experience, maybe thinking about an older worker, lots of jobs, lots of lots of really good relevant experience, is it okay to have a two page resume if if you if that's gonna be the best way if you'd be able to show all of the the wealth of knowledge experience that you have. Is that okay?
Angie:Is that just overflowing it too much?
Amanda:Yeah. No. So here's my rule of thumb. The the old one page resume is is back when we used to print. It was kind of a paper rule.
Amanda:And so it it's actually a two page resume is is fine. Three is probably too much unless it's a CV where the person is maybe a professor or an artist and they've got many, many shows. Where I wanna see a one page resume is recent college grads, high school students, of course. So you don't have too much to put on there just yet. Or there's certain occupations that kind of prefer a more succinct resume.
Amanda:I've seen this in law. I've seen it in tech. But, you know, somebody who's been in their career five or years or more, I think it's perfectly acceptable to have a two page resume. And these days because you're trying to appeal to both the applicant tracking system, is either using keywords or AI and or AI to screen, then gets to a human reader. You wanna have as many robust keywords and phrases in the application as possible.
Amanda:And so if you're only limiting yourself to a short one page resume and trying to get screened in, you've just limited the number of keywords that could possibly get you screened in for, an interview.
Angie:So you actually could lose out on an interview that those keywords aren't in your resume, you're saying?
Amanda:Mhmm. Yeah. Yeah. You just don't have that much space to put to put in there.
Angie:Yeah. Mhmm. Okay. So let's say, you know, you found the job on Craigslist that you really love. You think you're gonna love it.
Angie:You, you know, you got your resume. You put it out there. They call you. They wanna interview you. Oh my god.
Angie:I'm gonna have an interview. So walk us through the process of, the interview, journey, and what would you say are some of the things that people should do in preparing for that interview?
Amanda:Well, prepare thoroughly is what I I I tell people to do. I I don't believe in winging it. You know? And every year that goes by, you have more and more research possibilities to prepare yourself for the company to to know about that company or the position. So here's some things you can do in advance in terms of research, you know, know what the company does.
Amanda:You can look of course on its website, look at its mission and values, look at the organizational bios, see if you can see who it is that you're interviewing with. Look and see if there's any news on that organization, you know, use a Google search and and see if there's, you know, any products or they've been in the news for some for some reason recently. Kinda know what's happening inside that company. Make sure to read the job description carefully. If if there are terms you don't know, I was once interviewing for, I was on a panel interviewing candidates for position in a school district.
Amanda:And there was a technical term in the, job description, and we asked a question about it. And I could tell that 99% of the people didn't know what it was and hadn't looked it up. And it it was funny to me on the inside because I could see people squirming because they hadn't looked it up, and the answers are all out there. So look up anything that you're, not familiar with and and and make yourself at least familiar with the terminology. And then in terms of preparation, what I do is I used to draft questions potential questions myself, but now I've been using AI and it's really helpful.
Amanda:So you can plug in the job description to, you know, Gemini or ChatGPT. I use Getliner, is kind of a combo of those. And I ask it, generate five interview questions for me for this job, and they're very good. You can even ask it, like, to prompt you with some potential answers. You can cut and paste your resume into, an AI and, you know, I I caution you about putting your personal information in there.
Amanda:Take your name off, take any personal, and proper names of employers off. But you can even ask it to help you draft answers to those questions in advance. So based on what you've said, it'll in your resume, it can prompt you with some ideas of what you might say for interviews. But so what I do usually in interview prep is I generate those questions in advance based on the person's application. And then we go through what I call kind of a sandwich approach.
Amanda:So if you've ever been an interviewer, it's it's really sad when you see somebody who started off strong in an answer then they kinda painted themselves into a corner and they don't know how they got there. They didn't really know where they were going with their answer and then they kinda just stop abruptly and you're, you know, you're kind of wondering, god, How'd we get here? So what I I try to do is get people to prep this sort of a b a sandwich approach. So a is like big idea. I have extensive experience leading a team.
Amanda:B is, for example so tell a story. I call them mind movies. I tell a I get them to think of examples or stories or experiences where the interviewer is seeing a mind movie of them doing the job, and then you close it back up. So you can see I have extensive experience managing a team. Now you can't do that with every question, but the more you tell good stories in an interview, the better it goes.
Amanda:Because those interviewers are sitting there for, you know, a day maybe interviewing many many people and they tend to remember the first person and the last person. Everybody gets smooshed in there. So the more that you have an opportunity to help them remember you and some examples of who you are and and of you doing the actual work that they're hiring for, the better.
Angie:You know, I've this is great, great, great tips you're giving us, Amanda. You know, I didn't realize how AI could be such a support to people, who are looking for for work. I I didn't guy I'm not that familiar with AI. I haven't used it a whole lot, but it seems like it there's a real place for it in helping people, you know, develop those skills and being, a better interviewee. Let me ask you a question.
Angie:Now sometimes, when you're, in front of that, you know, potential employer, they'll ask you, what questions do you have any questions for me? And and so when when when you're asked that question, what would be a really good answer? I mean, should you bring up, oh, how much money are you with salary, or or should you talk about benefits, things like that, or is that just no. You don't wanna deal with that at that time. What would be a good answer to a question?
Angie:What what questions do you have for our ABC company?
Amanda:Okay. I just wanna say one thing about AI that's really transformative right now, and it's very, very new. A AI is the interviewer too these days. So many companies are deploying these new AI tools where you record your interview looking at the camera of your computer, not with a person, and the computer is evaluating your affect and your eye contact.
Angie:Wow.
Amanda:And assessing if you're a good fit for the position and it it it its answers, its way it's interacting with you is very human because it's generative AI. It's it's it's modifying based on what you've said. It has huge implications for equity because not everybody looks at a camera. Not everybody who could be a fantastic employee has the affect that maybe the AI is looking for. So there's a few new tools.
Amanda:There's something called Teal out there that is a practice for that. So I just wanna mention that because job seeking is a brave new world. It is changing swiftly, swiftly, you know. So you might not be interacting with an actual employer. So, like, say, for example, these questions, it just might be done.
Amanda:There's no chance to ask a question. But if you do get to meet with an with an employer, what I like is when the person tries to demonstrate interest or engagement. I call it the kinda like roll up the sleeves approach. I love that feeling when I've been an interviewer and I get the feeling that the person is gonna take something off my plate. And it's a it's like the first day that they are on the job.
Amanda:They're asking questions that show me that they got it. You know? So you questions I like to to encourage people to ask, you know, what does success look like in this role after six months or a year? What would you describe the team culture to be like? What are the biggest challenges the department is facing right now or your team is facing?
Amanda:And this is, you know because we're trying to find fit. Like, I wanna know if I fit with you, not just the one way. It's a two way thing.
Angie:Right.
Angie:Can you tell me about a typical career progression? Some people might be surprised that there's no growth there. Or what professional development opportunities are available? I help people craft value statements that become like a vetting criteria for them. And so we will draft end of interview questions based on the things that are really important to them around maybe life work balance or challenge or achievement, things that they value.
Amanda:In terms of salary, I luckily here in California, it became the law a year or two ago where employers here in California have to put down a salary on the position. Gen z sometimes doesn't even wanna apply for a job if they can't see how much it is. But these days, because you're applying you might be applying for salary or for positions in other places in the country or even in the other places in the world, you might not see the salary. I see it as becoming increasingly more common to just put it on the job posting, which people appreciate. Just show us a range, you know.
Amanda:But the rule of thumb is generally don't ask it until you're at a later stage in the interview process, preferably even when you've had an offer because that's when you can negotiate. They say the salary and you say, or you could ask them, you know, could you share the salary range or the benefits package of this position? I really appreciate when that's already transparent. But you can ask that at the end, then you can use it as a way to negotiate and move that move move the needle a little bit on what what you're hoping to get in terms of salary.
Angie:Do you recommend that people this may be totally old school that they follow-up with the interview with a thank you note, letter, email, or no?
Amanda:Definitely. Well, do you remember the the what I was saying about, like, them having a hard time remembering you? Yeah. You know? So if if interviewers are talking to a dozen people, that opportunity to follow-up with a thank you note or email is a chance for you to rekindle their memory of your conversation.
Amanda:So, you know, ask if you want the job, tell them. There's gender differences in how people approach this. Men tend to be more likely to ask or say they want the job, and women tend to be more, passive about it. I encourage both to say, if you want it, tell them. Tell them at the end of the interview, look them in the eye, tell them in the follow-up, and then remind them of some part of your conversation.
Amanda:If say for example, you ended up talking about, you know, best practice or research or an article, even something fun, a hike that you went on. Share that in in the thank you. And then the funny thing about thank you notes, you know, lot of people aren't in offices these days, but if you can send a thank you note, if it's the kind of organization that still still has desks and addresses, what happens to that thank you note is it's not tossed. It sits there right on the desk. It's pinned to the wall.
Amanda:The person remembers you and remembers even if it was a I've encouraged people to felt like they didn't do well in an interview to do this, turning out just fine and getting an offer because they've re helped the person re remember them in a positive light, you know. So it's a great opportunity to recast yourself and express appreciation and clear interest in the role.
Angie:And then also
Amanda:Personalize it. Employer remember you too, which is really
Angie:Mhmm. Yeah.
Angie:You know, Amanda, I have a lot of friends who are in their fifties and sixties and have a wealth of experience and knowledge and skills. And, you know, they put their resume out there, put their best foot out there, and they're just not getting interviews. And I I think and I've I've shared this with a couple of friends that I think that, you know, age bias really does come into play in the world of work today. And I'm just wondering if you have any advice for the older worker out there who, you know, is looking for work and and, you know, some employers just feel like younger people are gonna be better for a number of different reasons. How do you help someone maneuver around that?
Angie:Mhmm.
Amanda:Well, I think it's particular to the bay, you know, because we're very tech focused. A lot of our you know, very strong sector focused on technology, which is driven by people who are, you know, in their twenties, the early thirties, you know. So one thing you can do is think of sectors where age is an asset or maybe it's not as relevant, you know, or look at because there's so much remote work, look at other places in the country. I have one client who lives in San Francisco who has an interview this week out in Fairfield. It's a remote position.
Amanda:It's in The Bay. If she needs to, she can go in. But age isn't necessarily as much of a factor in Fairfield as it might be at, you know, tech start up in San Francisco. But in general, focusing on your recent accomplishments and relevant skills rather than your, like, entire work history. You know, you kinda have to let go of some of some of your story when you're drafting any sort of I call it like marketing materials, your resume, your link LinkedIn.
Amanda:And then focus on strengths. So, you know, emphasize your adaptability and willingness to to learn new technologies. Show it, you know. If you just did a certification in generative AI fundamentals, put it on there and and be honest with with yourself about that, you know. Highlight your experiences that that are an asset that bring that kind of mature perspective and problem solving, You know, as we move into our latter years in in our careers, we become mentors to the next generation.
Amanda:That's a place that a lot of organizations really value perspective and and bringing up the next generation of workers. And then network strategically with your contacts who can vouch for your capabilities, you know, consider updating any of your certifications or courses that you might need. And then you don't have to go back so far on your resume. So ten years is pretty much as far back as you need to go, ten or fifteen maybe if it's relevant, And remove any graduation dates. You don't you don't need to put graduation dates for any of your universities on your resume.
Amanda:One thing that kind of alarmed me, I spent time this last week going through a number of AI powered job search applications. And because they are made in other countries for job seekers all over the world, they ask lots of questions about age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status. It was striking that all of these questions were on these platforms that were designed to help people apply for or generate resumes. So just a caution I caution folks about using some of those tools right now because they don't feel like they're customized for The US market.
Angie:Thinking about the older worker, let's say you have someone who's been working their job for years, maybe even decades, and they are, wanting a career transition. They're wanting to move on. What what advice would you have for someone and and just kinda helping them get more clarity of the steps that they need to take as they make this, hopefully, this new career transition, doing something different or maybe similar, but not exactly what they're doing right now.
Amanda:Mhmm. Yeah. You know, sometimes it's it's hard if you've been at a place for many years, but you've maybe had multiple jobs at that organization. It means that you probably really like the organization and excelled there. But you generally tell people to start with a self assessment to identify their transferable skills, their technical skills, their interests, and those guiding values that really are important for them as they as they make decisions about their next career choice.
Amanda:There's a couple free tools that I I use. I'm trained in the strong interest inventory, which is not free. It's that's a formal career assessment. I use that with people. Some people it it's really appropriate for, but there's some other free tools that you can use.
Amanda:There's the California Career Zone. That's a website. You could just Google California Career Zone. The federal ONet online is a great tool as well. There's several free career assessment tools on there.
Amanda:I like both of those those sites because they are deemed valid and reliable. They're not like the kind of pop quizzes that you might see, you know, in the back of a magazine or something. And then in terms of career transitions, talk to people. Take everybody you know out to lunch, do informational interviews, you know, get your network activated, but also get other people's perspectives of what's happening in the market, where is their opportunity. And then then create a plan that that might include additional training or education.
Amanda:It might be volunteering somewhere new to, like, get associated with a new sector or part time or even contract work, you know, in something that you're trying to transition into. So you have one toehold in the new thing that you're thinking you wanna do, plus you get to test it out and see if it's what you think it is. And then when you're when you're ready for interviews, develop, like, a narrative that connects your previous experience to this new career direction. Sometimes people make career transitions like I was working with somebody who had been in in consulting, business consulting, and wanted to design clothes. It was a totally different space and she was taking classes at the College of Alameda and their wonderful, clothing design textile program there and fell in love with it.
Amanda:But what she ended up doing was doing kind of a little bit of each. She's been doing some consulting as a sole proprietor as what in what she had been doing and then is working on her design work and her her textile design work. So sometimes it's not all or, but maybe yes and.
Angie:Mhmm. Wonderful. I know one of the reasons why you were inspired to create your business was that you want to help people, really develop a healthier work life balance. So in the last part of our interview, I would love to ask you, first of all, what is a healthy life work balance to you, and how do we achieve that?
Amanda:It's the magic question. I think it's it's different for everybody. Right? Mhmm. I think your body tells you loud and clear if if you're out of balance.
Amanda:It'll show up in the in with stress related illnesses. A long time, I was getting referrals from psychiatrists and psychologists who were seeing people coming in, with work related troubles and asking for psychiatric response. So they might be having like eye tics or migraines or digestive problems or racing hearts or body pains. And what was really happening was that people were experiencing stress in their work environment maybe because it was a values conflict. Like, maybe they really wanted to spend more time with family that was a high value for them, but the organization said, no.
Amanda:You need eighty billable hours this week or something like that. Maybe that eighty billable hours is great for somebody, but it's not right for this one person who might be having stress related illness. So it's it's different for each person. You gotta really listen to your body. I think it's a practice.
Amanda:You know? Every single person, it's a practice. I've been really focusing on putting my phone away. Yeah. You know?
Amanda:Now work permeates our daily lives more than than ever. I was recently on medical leave, and I I took Outlook and Teams off my phone. So I didn't look at it. Yeah. And I've been trying to plug in my phone at night and just put it aside and not keep looking at it.
Amanda:I think that's part of it is is, like, being really present with the people when you're not working and being really present when you are working. But it it I was just reading an article about a gen z trend where people I think they call it bear packing, something like that where they ride the train or the public transit to work and don't use anything. Not a phone, no headphones, no book, no newspaper. They just stare out the window. And I I appreciate that the younger generation is teaching us how to have some boundaries with work and with technology so that we can just have some space to be in our own thoughts and in our own bodies.
Amanda:Yeah. So Yeah. To practice.
Angie:I also think you're taking your vacation. I know I have one Yes. Where she's going on vacation. Like, every four weeks, she's taking days off, and I think it good for you. We all need to be using our vacation time more.
Angie:You know? Enjoy enjoy enjoy that that free
Amanda:That's what we're here for. We're here for to learn and to have some fun. Right?
Angie:I'm so happy with that, Amanda. Well, you know, before we go, I want you to just let people know how they can get ahold of you if they would like to work with you.
Amanda:Oh, thank you so much. Yeah. You could find me on my website. It's pathwayscareerconsulting.com or you can email me at agerry, a g e r r I e, at pathwayscareerconsulting dot com. And incidentally, I used to run the Alameda One Stop Career Center.
Amanda:So right there in the island of Alameda is a career center inside the college. I know they have limited hours. So before you check it out, check out their their website and but they're open to the public, not just students, and you can drop in. So always always wanna support free career services too.
Angie:Absolutely. Thank you so much, Amanda Gerrie, it's been such a pleasure to talk with you. I've learned so much. I'm sure many of us have, throughout this time with you.
Angie:Thank you for coming on our show.
Amanda:Thank you, Angie. Thank you so much. I appreciate it.
Angie:In my interview with Amana Gerrie she mentioned a new trend that she described as: . ‘bear tracking’ .. Well the correct term is ‘raw dogging’.
Angie:Raw dogging requires people to travel for a long period of time on a bus, train, plane without the benefit of distractions like their phones, books, movies, even food or water. Raw dogging got it’s start on TikTok and has become quite popular – especially with men. So there you go, a new word for all of us .. Raw Dogging.
Angie:And thank you for tuning into our show, and, please do come back for another edition of Island City Beat podcast. Until then, I'm your host, Angie Watson-Hajjem. Take Care. Goodbye.