Job role clarity? Scoring an Interview? Muses of a ‘Zoom Host’ in light of covid19
Written by: Clarice Song, now an official tried and tested ‘ Zoom Host’
It was close to 10am on a Saturday morning, thanks to covid19, I need not get up an hour earlier to cater for the travel time needed to travel down to Bold At Work. Instead, I was going to rely on an online Zoom platform to meet over 20 young people who were about to gather clues to unpack what's next in life- we call it ‘Into the Unknown’- a live human library chat experience.
After much fumbling with the technicalities, I soon got myself comfortable after finding a cosy little corner at my home. It was now 1030am and I was about to get going as I clicked on the first reading link as a ‘Zoom Host’. There was going to be a total of four readings, containing 10 different ‘human books’ across different sectors. My heart was filled with trepidation as I was not sure how attendance would be like on our first online platform. It felt like a mass blind date on tinder or coffee meets bagel.
The Real Test- Who would show up?
1030am proved to be a test for these nocturnal young people. It was not till a couple of persistent text reminders until we managed to get enough to break out into the Zoom Rooms. Some even surprised me by informing me that they had actually forgotten what they had signed up for! The rejection was real. This I guess will be the new norm for us digital natives. Anyway, I was relieved that the attendance soon stabilized through the subsequent readings and that I finally could have a little breather just to space out.
It was during this moment that a little flicker of curiosity came through my head- what were the motivations of these young people who had actually shown up for the session. (it was a 50% attrition rate by the way) The thought simmered with me, the only way I could find out was through check-in with our ‘human books’ post-session.
Their Curiosities- What were they?
Role Clarity- Tasks, Responsibilities & Processes
As our human library session was grouped based on industries rather than job functions, many came through the sessions exploring what more. Were there more beyond being a designer in the creatives or more beyond being a social worker or a counselor in the social service sector? What were the tasks, responsibilities, and processes?
“How’s your day to day work like? Are they tedious?”
“Share with me the challenges you had face so far?”
“ What are the opportunities within the industry? Will we run out of jobs?”
- anecdotes from various young people
Noting that these young people were largely between 18 to 21 years of age, the more role clarity they can obtain the better I think they were at managing any stress or confusion that may arise subsequently in their course or career decision points in life.
Scoring an Interview- More than Grades?
Our young people are great maximizers, never would I at their age have already thought of how I could score a job, but I guess times have changed. The narrative today seemed to be one of how we can maximize what we have early. With each decision and choice that one makes, how does it enable me to ‘win’? I may have made it sound more clinical than it really is, so please take it with a pinch of salt. But here are some of the early interests that had risen.
“How do I increase my chances of showing up and getting selected?”
“What if I don’t do well in subjects that they (future employers) maybe interested in?”
“What kind of portfolio is required to increase my chances?”
- anecdotes from various young people
As systems slowly but surely open up to greater measurements and selection of success, how can we start supporting our young people to uncover their internal clarity. How can we enable them to show up in their authentic selves? And, perhaps more importantly, how can all these stereotyped ‘soft skills’ be documented? Such that, when the day comes where the emphasis on grades are no longer as critical, our young people have their ‘little black book’ ready to showcase who they are!
And perhaps, the day may come sooner rather than later.
If you are looking for a tried and tested host and content curator for any of your upcoming learning engagement needs, why not hit us up? We are looking for anyone disrupted by covid19 and looking for any online solutions to meet those learning needs. Email us at hello@boldatwork.sg