"Why should we hire you?" asks a prospective employer in a mock job interview.
"I'm responsible, I'm prompt, I handle responsibility and stress very well, and I am a quick learner," replies a poised and professional looking Amber Thacher with a smile.
After fellow adult education students at the Las Palmas Skills Center in Sacramento critique the videotaped interview, teacher Jane Miller sums up the group consensus.
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Jane Miller congratulates Maria Vakaahi (top) on completing her class at Las Palmas Skills Center. Shannon Idlewilde demonstrates her appreciation for what Miller has taught her. |
"Amber, I think you're ready. I think you were terrific."
Getting students ready for prime time - the job market - is Miller's primary goal. All of her students are in the welfare-to-work program, which requires that they get vocational training before their benefits run out. Many are also enrolled in vocational classes.
Miller's four-week class, which is operated on a contract basis for the county, teaches students how to write resumes, find job leads and dress for success on the cheap. They also learn good work habits like punctuality and telephone etiquette.
"At first they hate me," says Miller, a member of the Grant District Education Association. "They hate the county for making them come here, and they feel blackmailed. By the end of two weeks, they love what they're doing and they've made an unbelievable turn-about."
"My class offers information about a world that students never knew existed," explains Miller. "It may never occur to them to say, 'May I please take a message?' instead of 'Who's calling?'
"When you have been sitting at home for a few years, you may not understand that you can lose your job by showing up late."
Students also "learn how to listen instead of doing all the talking."
As a result of the class, Darrell Sample says he now realizes that talking about his back surgery could have hurt him during previous interviews. "I have learned not to disclose things unless I am asked."
Miller advises her students that they shouldn't be embarrassed to tell prospective employers that they have received public assistance. "Tell them if they hire someone on welfare they will get a tax break."
The success rate for Miller's classes is high. Ten of the 23 students in the previous class have already found work.
At a graduation ceremony for last month's class, students exude pride and confidence. Some of them share the exciting news that they have already have found jobs.
"This class helped me prepare for the interview and answer questions," says Brandi Hill, who has just been hired to do telephone sales for Verizon Wireless.
"I've been out of work for two years," says Thacher, who'd like to find a job in customer service. "I felt a little rough around the edges. But I've worked through a lot of that in this class. Because I'm prepared, it won't be as scary for me."
