1. What were your motives for helping this person?
- My motives are pretty simple. When helping others, I tend to think about how I would feel if I were in that situation. For example, I had a customer who had come into the center for the first time needing assistance with getting back on his feet. Unfortunately he lost his home, job, and wife. Although my client had been through a lot, he always kept a smile on his face. Another motive is seeing people happy because of the efforts you put into their lives. We show how much we care, which is all someone needs sometimes.
2. Did you benefit from this relationship in any way? How?
- I did benefit positively from this relationship. I learned more about myself, and just got a better understanding of life. I learned more about the other organizations that we work with as well, and what they do to help serve the community. This in turn allows me to give better accurate information to those who are not aware of the resources that we have.
3. What was your role in the helping relationship? In what way do you think you helped this person? Looking back, is there anything that you might have done differently?
- At the time I was an intake specialist. Although my position was hands on with customers, it wasn't as intense as career advising. I was able to give my customer tons of resources and even job leads which ended up leading him to success. I do feel like maybe I could've directed him to a better advisor, because honestly, his advisor did not do much for him.
4. Was there anything that this person did, said, or believed that you did not agree with? How did you react?
- My client was always a pleasure to have in the center. He was a nice, quiet, well-mannered man. One time when he came into the center to visit his career advisor and also to receive bus passes for job searching. Unfortunately his career advisor wouldn't get him any bus tickets because he had smelled like liquor. Now, I do not condone being inebriated while in a career center, but when you sit and listen to his life, the way a career coach is supposed to, you would understand since he is going through such a tough time. I did end up being able to give him a few bus tickets and he was extremely thankful, and sorry to have come in the center that way. Although he did not cause any rucus, he was sure to never come in here like that ever again.
5. Did you learn anything from this relationship?
- I learned from this relationship/bond that no matter what life hits you with, always stay positive because your life could turn around in a blink of an eye. My client ended up finding his wife and got a job as a welder again. This taught me to tackle life and not let it get me down.