By Mary Ann Faremouth,
The Fourth Step of the Faremouth Method, “Take the Time To Do It Right,” is a step I’ve been thinking about a lot lately in regards to how Covid 19 will affect higher education and the work world. In our previously busy “normal” lives we didn’t really have time to perhaps stop in our tracks and re-evaluate the various aspects of higher education. Now this virus has forced our educators to reimagine how we will deliver an engaging and holistic learning experience for students. It just might give us time to think about “doing it right” in many respects. It’s funny, too, when I think about the situation before us, that famous opening line of Charles Dickens’ book, “A Tale of Two Cities,” keeps popping in my head, that said:
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epic of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the season of hope…….”
Hope that although there might be challenges along the way, it is also a grand opportunity to break out of old habits and create new, impactful, up-to-date modes of learning which take advantage of the digital world of today. This is also an opportunity which would allow our students to consider how experiential learning while attending college, like internships, work-study programs, or maybe even taking a break before entering college to work full-time for a period of months, might now even better prepare one for the job market. This would allow students to have more to contribute to the “New Work World” with a more realistic understanding of the job market, and be even better prepared to do the job at hand and make a meaningful contribution.
One of the local colleges is really going the extra mile to hold an event called “Operation College Grad – from Education to Employment,” to have professionals in the job market work with educators and their students. They have graciously invited me to be on their staff with other major company professionals to offer workplace solutions, practical tips, and career mentoring to provide realistic advice for the students of this educational facility. Some are even organizing and holding job fairs where companies come in and interview students. It demonstrates to me that our educators in some areas are trying hard to adapt to change and give their students the right tools in their tool box to do the best job possible in light of changing circumstances.
Another positive that might come out of the Coronavirus challenge is that higher education just might become more accessible as colleges and universities consider how they might move all of their programming online as well as other college services such as counseling, student life, career development, etc. By taking advantage of this digital world for education, students may lose a lot of the camaraderie and teambuilding situations and that, too, is part of this changing world of adaptation. There is likely to be more emphasis upon education itself rather than the higher education lifestyle where kids are away from family, friends and hometowns. They will be adapting to a new societal change regarding education. While some activities and situations may disappear or be minimized, new ways of being social will evolve and develop, producing a new normal playing field.
I know, for me, living on campus was an education in and of itself, but the hefty costs associated with that probably eliminated many good students from actually having the college experience. Hopefully, when a vaccine is successfully developed, that might be an option down the road to consider, but learning how to work and go to school might also offer a valuable education to our young people of this new work world.
The four-year college model is one that will always be highly regarded, however, it might not be the only game in town to consider these days. Even before the pandemic hit, manufacturing jobs like welders, electricians, pipe fitters, were in high demand paying almost six figure salaries. This pandemic may have caused a major shift in the mindsets of the workers of the future to consider alternatives like trade schools which are more flexible and cost-effective and are within the reach of more young people. It might even be possible that this heart wrenching change may have birthed new models that deliver better response to the needs of our fast-changing, complex, real life environment.
Just like Charles Dickens mentioned in his opening line:
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom……..”. I want to have HOPE that the wisdom we are gleaming will provide a new higher education model which will allow more of the students of tomorrow to become better prepared, better skilled, with a better mindset and attitude for our NEW WORK WORLD. When old models of how we have worked become stale and outdated, new methods will appear out of necessity and replace what no longer works. Covid 19 has allowed us all to TAKE THE TIME TO DO IT RIGHT and let the BEST OF TIMES be our new mantra for our new work world.
According to Faremouth’s company website, “Mary Ann is the founder and CEO of Faremouth and Company. As a leader in the national recruiting community and a placement specialist since 1982, Mary Ann knows what it takes to get the job done. She is 2016 President of Houston Independent Personnel Consultant Group, is a member of the NASPD, NAPCA, the National Association of Personnel Consultants, and is also a highly regarded speaker and writer. Her articles can be found in various industry related publications. She founded Jobs: Houston Magazine in 1997, one of the most popular employment magazines in Texas for over 7 years.” She is the author of the critically acclaimed and multi-award winning book Revolutionary Recruiting.
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Mary Ann Faremouth is the founder and CEO of Faremouth & Company and a highly regarded recruiter, career consultant, speaker and writer. She has been a placement specialist and a leader in the national recruiting community and has placed thousands of employees since 1982. She was the 2016 president of the Houston Independent Personnel Consultant Group and is a board member of the NASPD (National Association of Steel Pipe Distributors) and Authors Marketing Guild. She specializes in recruitment of professional, clerical, and temporary placements, with a variety of industry specific positions in various fields. Her expertise is in matching quality applicants with the right job, serving companies ranging from thriving independents to global conglomerates, tailoring each engagement to the client’s needs.
Mary Ann holds a CPC (Certified Personnel Consultant) credential, was certified by the Board of Regents of the National Association of Personnel Consultants in Washington, DC, and was awarded an Advanced Communicator Bronze, Advanced Leader Bronze Awards by Toastmasters. She cofounded Jobs: Houston magazine in 1997. Mary Ann maintains affiliations with professional organizations in various other industries, including oil and gas, financial, construction, IT, and structural, mechanical, and civil engineering. She has a keen understanding of the marketplace and its specialized needs and requirements.
Mary Ann brings a wealth of expertise to clients looking for the right individual to maximize and empower their team. As a consultant she is available to assist both the applicant and the client to quickly adapt to the New Work World. She also offers virtual and in-person workshops to guide individuals through personalized self-discovery to find new career paths. She continues to build her affiliations with recognized leadership organizations to best serve her clients and applicants by creating a network of highly professional contacts throughout the world. She utilizes her platform as a writer and speaker through her articles and affiliations to reach those in need of help, offering hands-on guidance to navigate this uncharted territory. (More information on www.faremouth.com)
Mary Ann’s award-winning first book Revolutionary Recruiting has been listed by Book Authority as Number #1 of the Best 100 Recruiting Books; #1 Best Seller, Non-Fiction by Amazon (2019); Top 20 Recruiting books by Recruitics; Readers’ Choice finalist (2019) by Houston Literary Awards; Best Non-Fiction (2018), Best Cover (2019), and Best Self-Help (2018) by Authors Marketing Guild. Her books support individuals and corporations, teaching them how to tap into each candidate’s unrealized potential to find the right person for each job, maximizing both employee satisfaction as well as the employer’s bottom line. Mary Ann also showcases her expertise of the recruiting world on a monthly podcast for The Price of Business and weekly articles for USA Business. Mary Ann lives in Houston, Texas.
