1 incarceration may teach you some skills. Did you learn any?
2 Will any of these skills help you on the outside?
3 How many of you will have a job when you are released?
4 How many have lost their job while incarcerated ?
5 How many have lost a relationship?
Getting a job and the 500 lb gorilla ( your criminal history)
Fundamentals of making a good impression. There are collateral consequences of incarceration that can influence how they behave in difficult circumstances ( job interviews, for example). Some consequences are; rejection; hopelessness; a belief that nothing is going to change. These beliefs will influence how they conduct themselves in an interview situation. But the are just beliefs – they aren’t a reality outside of their existence as a belief.
So we’ll talk about some skills to practice when applying for a job.
1 How to dress
2 How do you walk into the room
3 How do you shake hands
4 how do you make eye contact
5 What do you say when you meet the person.
What is our ” reality”?
1 You aren’t broken! You don’t need fixing!
2 You all have a fundamental and basic goodness, a kind, compassionate nature hat doesn’t need fixing.
3 We cover up this basic goodness with armour that we think will protect us. What’s your armour?
When we let the armour fall away ( we don’t need it any longer) what we’re left with is what we’ve always possessed.
Take a moment and think of two of your best qualities ( personality traits) that define who you are!
1 I’d like each of them to say out loud what these qualities are.
What is the biggest fear that people hiring you might have?
Will your two best qualities help to put their fears to rest? Almost always the answer is YES!
In the job interview tell them your two best qualities. They may get ask you ” Why should I hire you”?
Introducing the 500 lb gorilla ( your conviction) with you in the interview.
1 It likely will come up
2 Possible scenarios to introduce the gorilla:
” I’m a convicted felon” versus ” I have a felony conviction. After that don’t dwell on it!
3 Does your past behavior define who and what you are?
4 Are you your “past”? Are you your thoughts?
5 Can who or what you “are ” ever be defined?
6 Are you responsible for your actions? Absolutely!!! You are responsible!!
To ace the interview ( even with your gorilla) you need to have some element of mindfulness ( awareness) otherwise your habit energies from the past will instinctively pull you into your previous reactive patterns.
Then I’ll bring up mindfulness. Discuss what it is. How to begin to work with it using the breath.
Maybe we will practice simply taking some breaths and noticing what the mind does.
