Category: Art of… Job Hunt
Sometimes you find things while trying to seek something else.
‘Job Hunt’ is my personal writings while searching for a job.
… because it was helping me in the process.
THE ART OF… JOB HUNT {DAY 38. – 217.}: wrapping a full process cycle
Everything ‘the Art of…’ is about processes that bring something more than goal-related fruits.
I’d like to share some of those last 180 days of job-searching now that I reached a point of being hired and fired again within 2 weeks’ time.
What I’ve learned about myself and… the job market
I have not learned so much about the job market. For me it has been more of a black box.
There is something non-sustainable (energy-wasting) about job market, I feel, if:
-one is not invited to many job interviews without really knowing why
(no resources for individual feedback? – I understand. But if I at least could learn from those rejections: a wrong school? Lack of similar job experience? Because I’m not a Dane? Cause I haven’t had a stable full-time job for the last years? Or I don’t know anyone in a company? My CV being in English? Because they don’t really read my application? Me being good, but others are even more fitting?)
-there are sometimes 500 candidates per position
–I think a job-searching process should be skill- and power-developing if it takes so much time and energy. But I feel I’ve been mainly creating texts for evaluation!
That I have learned about my job-application strategies:
(this I heard from those who really read my CV and application – and I don’t know the real percentage of those)
-my profile is very rich and interesting
-from such a profile, I need to create at least 3 different CVs, more target group-oriented:
one IT (and IT-related projects), one education/workshops/events, one creative (art, culture, research)
OK, this and a CV på dansk, right? it is slowly coming, in reasonable bits through my resistance towards – again – creating so much text for evaluation.
My Danish, my accent, my polishness…
A couple of times, I heard that I can easily be an asset without perfect Danish – even in education, as – because of my background, personality and accent – students might listen even more.
A couple of times, I heard that my accent can be an obstacle: e.g. in a role of #1) a street interviewer in Roskilde or #2) a support/company to a blind, handicapped man.
It seems (I heard) that could have something to do with #1) provincial vs international environments and #2) some people are vulnerable and they need someone “familiar” around
If I accept such explanations (of stereotypes towards foreigners), I will myself be creating stereotypes about certain people and their reactions/decisions…and this I don’t want to feed.
So in this way, I prefer an open-mind in dealing with a black-box, than “knowing” by putting people in a white-box.
What I’ve experienced/gained while trying to experience finding a job
In November and December. I kept rolling the ball I have started many weeks before when I tried to create a new job role myself, my unique package kit: a potential “performer/educator/interviewer” job in collaboration with Roskilde Kommune with an aim of inspiring and educating people to sort garbage (communication and presentation of myself with that angle is part of this blog post).
Another parallel effort was en experiment of “giving it all” to an application for a job I really wanted (going deep instead of wide). The position of Udeskolevejleder in Boserupgård Naturcenter in Roskilde. I wrote a perfect application – that I also “reused” as a base for one of my profiles (in my virtual CV) – including visual part, including calling the center’s leader beforehand, including a trip to the forest and connecting face-to-face with the team there, including calling the same leader after not getting a job for getting a constructive feedback. This application took the most time in my job-searching career.
After Christmas in Gdynia and New Years in my beautiful Polish mountains, I had some tough winter weeks, where my mind was so obsessed with finding a job + negative thoughts that I couldn’t relax walking through a park. The process was tough and fruitless.
I also received a reply to my application from Københavns Universitet:
“Kære Iwona Rejmus
Tak for din ansøgning til stillingen som Kontorfunktionær.
Vi beklager at måtte meddele, at vi ikke finder dig kvalificeret til stillingen.
Ved udvælgelsen af kandidater er der lagt vægt på indgående kendskab til universitetsverden og erfaring med engelsk som primære arbejdssprog samt professionelt kendskab til design, sociale medier og internationale relationer. Sluttelig var kandidatens personlighed udslagsgivende for at få tilbudt stillingen.“
As they argue, they put special focus on certain skills, therefore they didn’t find me qualified for the position. Hello, but all those skills/experience you need are precisely what I am and can! So either I don’t communicate what I can clearly, or you don’t read what I communicate.
Then when I realized I was one day too late for an important application deadline – hinted by a friend – and I normally keep deadlines – I felt it’s enough and time for a new chapter. I will not send applications, I will only network and meet companies/organizations face-to-face.
I took a bike, my job-searching kit (CVs, motivation letters, a city map and QR stickers – also on my chest) and spent a day visiting kulturhuse and ‘områdefornyelse’ places in Copenhagen. Even though I didn’t find a job, connecting with real people face-to-face gave me so much energy, motivation and (mutual) inspiration.
I knew that no matter how my situation looks after Sisters Academy (Feb-March 2016) – my last planned project on the horizont – I will continue with such a campaign.
Around that time, some new discovery (-> decision) also happened. I realized that all those years of unemployment I have been using actively for developing myself and sharing my treasures with other people, creating value, just not being paid for that. Maybe my way is to become a helper for handicapped people, while I continue doing what I am doing. This new turn on my journey unexpectedly gave me relief and inner peace.
What I’ve been working with for the last years and am not gonna stop…
I work with sharing knowledge and skills by injecting my energies in different contexts, a practice that I call Portable Door (Labs): performative education, co-creation events, self-developing workshops (towards authentic communication and against stereotypes):
100 faces of ‘each other’: workshop designer and space leader
Sisters Academy: teacher, performer, researcher for innovative education
Authentic Relating Denmark: workshop designer and festival co-creator
Menneskebiblioteket: a “book” in the Human Library
Huskunstnerordningen: week-long performative teacher at Danish schools (folkeskoler)
What I want from the process now, dreams and realities…
I was hired as a helper for a handicapped woman, but it was a chaotic and unstable start and had to stop, now I am soon visiting another potential family…and meanwhile I will keep searching for a job in a company/organization. I feel that a full cycle of job searching has been experienced. I’ve learned a lot. I am grateful. I am hopeful. Ready to start from scratch if needed, alternative ways of employment – even internship in the beginning. Handicaphjælper, yes, but not too long, as I cannot isolate myself from the job market. My final goal is to find a meaningful job, improving Danish, working as part of a team.
Thank you for all the help and inspiration to those that contributed to my job-searching journey until now. I needed to look back, evaluate, share before I start a new phase with fresh energy…
Passioneret Interaktiv Performer, Oplevelsesdesigner og Guide
It’s about storytelling, setting immersive rules of the game, ”contageous” networking, technology and experience economy
Min passion for mennesker, kultur og oplevelsesøkonomi kombineres med dobbel uddannelse i Sociologi og IT, samt mange års praksis med at skabe performances, immersive fiktive universer og selv-udviklings processer
* Ekstrovert, modig, velorienteret og vant til at interagere med forskellige folk og optræde
* Taler flydende dansk, engelsk og polsk
* Selvkørende, dygtig til at kommunikere gennem forskellige kanaler og ‘smitte’ med god energi
Jeg elsker spændende og selv-udviklende oplevelser samt projekter/virksomheder som fremmer en sund sult efter livet. Jeg vil invitere jer til at læse mellem linjerne inden vi forhåbentligt ses personligt.
Jeg kan tilbyde jer et konkret kompetencemix, der gør mig i stand til at spille en nøglerolle inden for en lang række forskellige områder, hvor oplevelsesøkonomi møder mennesker, web og organisation.
Jeg er i stand til at designe og teste oplevelser for folk, der matcher stil og viden med magi og overraskelse. Jeg er vant til at rejse, optræde, tale flere sprog og som person både er udadvendt, velorienteret og desuden vant til at sætte mig ind i nye områder.
Kapitel 1. Hvilke erfaringer har jeg med oplevelsesøkonomi, udvikling og afholdelse af interaktive events?
Jeg har mange års erfaring med interaktiv, immersiv performance kunst, undervisningsforløb og events, hvor vi involverer publikum og giver dem uforglemmelige, transformative oplevelser. Jeg har samtidig været en innovativ forsker, konsulent og koordinator af projekter fokuseret på alternative oplevelser og læringsprocesser. (bl.a. hos Euman, Club de la Faye’s Teaching Unit, Sisters Academy, Menneskebiblioteket og på mine egne workshops 100 faces of ‘each other’).
Jeg er selvkørende, praktisk multitasker i god fysisk form. En hands-on skattejæger, designer og formidler…der også kan konceptualisere fagligt, præsentere, integrere erfaringer i livslang læring.
Jeg er åben for at løbe rundt i skoven i skatte jagt, teste nye teknologier, skabe dans koreografier i det friluft, bungee jumpe, deltage i nøgne tantra workshops, lave mad sammen med lokale folk, med-skabe en performance eller overnatte i laden under et stjerne-ser event.
⇔
Jeg kan bagefter oversætte alle disse oplevelser til komplekse og fascinerende historier og teorier, får folk til at se forbindelser mellem forskellige discipliner, kulturer og filosofier. Og inspirere dem til at forelske sig i eventyr og til at være en bevidst skaberen af mans egne livsoplevelser.
Kapitel 2. Hvordan jeg oplever, kommunikerer og reflekterer
Jeg elsker at “plante frø” og tænke strategisk uanset om jeg interagerer med mennesker, spreder ordet, dokumenterer eller kommunikerer aktiviteter. For mig ingen oplevelse er kun det.
Jeg har deltaget i og med-skabt mange arrangementer, hvor jeg kunne bruge min unik evne til at udvide almindelig viden med nye perspektiver, oversætte fra tantra- til business-sprog eller fremme en velgørenheds kampagne ved brug af performance og ritualer.
‘in 100 years’ var en serie af konferencer/futuristisk forskning “klædt” i fiktiv performance paraply hvor erhvervslivet, den akademiske verden og kunst delte et fælles mål at gå ud over rationel tankegang og gamle paradigmer. Ved at udforske mere kreative, visionære måder at tackle bæredygtigheden på forskellige niveauer: miljø, relationer mellem mennesker og nye teknologier.
Hos IBIS, vores mål med ‘jeg er Yasuni’ kampagnen var at formidle et stærkt budskab, hvor vores målgruppe (folk der underskriver et andragende, spreder ordet eller bidrager med penge) identificerer sig med og lære af naturen og oprindelige folk. I at skabe involverende læringsprocesser, tror jeg på samspillet mellem forskellige discipliner og den æstetiske en eksperimenterende tilgang til oplevelser. Derfor er jeg en stor fan af performative og rituelle elementer sammenvævet i stærke videnskabelige argumenter.
Andre arrangementer:
- Menneskebiblioteket som en del af ‘Gør en forskel’ dage i Ørestads Gymnasium 2015.
- Club de la Faye tilføjede immersiv fiktive univers til almindelige koncertarrangementer på Copenhagen Jazz House 2009.
- Små projekter under større events: Copenhagen Burlesque, Borderland (Burning Man), Roskilde Festival.
Kapitel 3: Hvilke ydeligere kompetencer kan jeg tilbyde for at berige virksomheden?
Udover at være en god oplevelsesdesigner/guide, kan jeg desuden fremadrettet også byde på flere ting, som kan være med til at videreudvikle virksomheden:
Som en erfaren performance-kunstner, kulturarbejder og it-uddannet, har jeg specialiseret mig i brugeroplevelser, interaktion og facilitering af udviklingsprocesser. Dvs. at jeg både kan:
*udvikle hjemmesider – herunder tænke i retning af gamification, integration med sociale medier samt andet, der både kan tiltrække og fastholde nye kunder
*bidrage til forretningsudviklingen – f.eks. baseret på input og involvering af alt fra kunder til faste samarbejdspartnere, men også af helt nye og gerne anderledes aktører. Med min særlige baggrund har jeg et bredt netværk i både kunst- og it-verdenen, som jeg selvfølgelig meget gerne vil sætte i spil.
*globalisere i praksis – bl.a. ved at tænke i markedsføring og partnerskaber internationalt. Jeg har selv baggrund fra både Danmark, Polen, Canada og Storbritannien og ser kun gode grunde til at arbejde globalt helt fra starten
Hvis I er interesseret i frisk energi, innovativ tilgang, sans for mennesker og en masse hjerte, vil oplevelsestester positionen være i gode hænder. Jeg vil være glad for at kunne mødes med jer personligt for at præsentere endnu flere sider af mig selv og brainstorme sammen med jer om, hvordan jeg allerbedst kan bidrage hos jer. I mellemtiden opfordrer jeg jer at se to hurtigt lavede videoer og en film (klik på links):
…hvor jeg guider jer igennem en dag i mit liv
…hvor jeg bruger elementer af performance og ritual til at smitte folk med gode værdier
…hvor min performance gruppe laver vores sidste stor produktion i Bremen
Kærlige hilsner,
Iwona Helena Rejmus
* Richness of my background *
My Danish is not perfect…yet. I have a very unique profile and rich, international experience. On top of knowledge from various segments of Danish society, I carry stories from other cultures that I can integrate in my everyday work. Not all people – I’ve discovered – know for example that the II World War started in Gdańsk, where I come from. If Go Dream embraces diversity, we can cooperate and do something valuable together. I asked a couple of people to correct some major mistakes, so you get even a better (love)letter/application. Every time there is less and less to correct. I gave them a massage in return. A gift economy that I practice parallel to money-driven economy. Cause they are not contradictory, but complementary. I also teach it in relation to sustainability. And I try to walk my talk…
‘Imod diskrimination og fordomme’ som en del af CSR strategi?
Kampagner, foreninger eller socio-økonomiske virksomheder ligesom Gadens Stemmer, Menneskebiblioteket, Other Story arbejder på at gå imod fordomme i samfundet ved at facilitere face-to-face møder mellem virkelige mennesker. Ikke kun for at lave om på eksisterende forstillinger, stereotyper, definitioner, men også for at give en oplevelses ramme hvor mennesker kan øve empati for anderledes livstil og perspektiver, udvide sig selv ved brug af ‘the Other’.* Verden kan blive lidt større for dem som er nysgerrige og stiller spørgsmål til hvad de allerede ved.
Sådan tilgang heldigvis anerkendes og spredes i form af kampagner på sociale medier, ved initiativer rettede mod at øge global bevistheden og mangfoldighed, mod at forstå kompleksistet i stedet for simplificeringer og gennemsnitlige data.
Sådanne initiativer er mere og mere populære i kultur liv og som en del af uddannelse i folkeskoler og gymnasier.
Købehavns kommunens beskeftigelses- og integrations- forvaltningen som det offentlige, mange i det private sektor, NGOer samt ‘free riders’ ambassadører arbejde på at mindske discrimination. (At liste dem er dog ikke et fokus i den post)
Hvad med at inkludere initiativer/oplevelser ‘imod fordomme’ i CSR manifesten? For at forstyrke en virksomheds CSR profil ved ikke kun at passe miljøet og fremme grøn design, men ved at arrangere sådanne autentiske møder mellem forskellige mennesker. For at lade ansatte bedre forstå:
- bredere perspektiv i hvordan deres produkter/ydelser kan positivt påvirke andre end kun mål gruppen
- forskellige kunder og stakeholders
- andres perspektiver og interesser, endnu i et team som består af forskellige roler og kompetencer
- hvad er virkelig team-building og fælles- som personligt ejerskab af brand og ansvarlighed for selv, andre og global market
…Og for at inspirere kunder, samarbejdspartnere og andre som identificerer sig selv med det brand, til sådan ansvarlighed og værdier.
*ved ‘the Other’ mener jeg alle de folk/grupper som er udenfor vores forstålige kredser/normer/tilhørsforhold.
Performativ Interaktiv Underviser, Event Koordinator og Konsulent med sans for bæredygtighed
I de sidste mange år sat jeg pris på den grønne bevidsthed – både i mit private liv og ved at sprede of forstyrke “bæredygtigheden” princippet i forskellige sammenhænge:
- da jeg arbejdede hos IBIS med “jeg er Yasuni” kampagnen
- ved at omgive mig selv med mennesker som tror på og fremmer de samme værdier
- ved at promovere inspirerende folk/events/ideer på sociale medier og min ydmyge blog (i en ‘start’ fasen)
- ved at forsat undersøge, reflektere og uddybbe min viden, så min passion og intuition kan støttes af gode argumenter
- ved at vælge bestemte retninger og fokus, når min rolle i et projekt kan samtidig gøre en forskel/inspirere, f.eks i interaktiv performance kunst projekter og performativ undervisning fokuserer jeg oftest på bæredygtigheden, autentiske relationer med selv og andre, holistisk selv udvikling
- jeg opfordrer andre til at spise sund, spilde mindre/genbruge, sortere skrald, osv.
Det sidste punkt med affaldssortering var et direkt skub til at gå i gang med at lede efter samarbejdspartnere til et projekt rettet mod at øge mængden og kvalitetten af kildesortering i private husholdninger. Fordi det var vigtigt og fordi jeg gjordte det alligevel blandt venner, den “hippie” vej.
Jeg ville så “institutionalisere” mine indsats og skabe et job for mig selv.
For at bedst udnytte mine tværfaglige evner, var mit forslag at bidrage til adfærdsændrings-kampagner eller forsøg-programmer ved at gå rundt med min nudging- og undersøgelses-kit, som initiativrig kontakt person for forskellige stakeholders + passioneret ‘Trash is Treasure’ underviser + data indsamler + projekt konsulent i en person.
I løbet af 4 uger nåede jeg at uddybe emnet og videnskabeligt bekræfte min uformel viden om borgeres sorterings vaner og den nødvendige strategi. Jeg snakkede med nogle relevante ansatte fra 3 kommuner: København, Frederiksberg og Roskilde og fik nogle værdigfulde indsigter i forskelle i implementering af den nationale ressourceplan af 50% genbrugt affald inden 2022. Det gav ikke mening om at ansøge om Miljøministeriets kommunepuljen i November, men den næste omgang er i Marts 2016.
I min forsknings fase opdagede jeg at affaldssortering er et kæmpe stort emne og der er mange gode initiativer – allerede i gang eller under design – og en masse erfaringer og materialer der kan deles mellem kommunerne.
Jeg var mest tiltrukket af et potentielt samarbejde med Roskilde Kommunen, fordi kildesortering i et større omfang er endnu at implementeres og sådan proces er meget interessant. Der er løbende undersøgelser, miljømæssige vurderinger og prioritering af indsatser for at realisere målet mest optimalt. Kommunen kan genbruge erfaringer fra andre kommuner og mere advancerede lande og samtidig eksperimentere med egne progressive løsninger. Jeg er spændt på den retning det tager og vil gerne bidrage. Friske øjne og åbne muligheder. Og det betyder også at kommunikationsstrategi er stadig under design, som begrænser hvor detaljeret et event for borgere kan planlægges. Og det var bestemt der, hvor jeg oprindeligt skulle engagere mig selv i.
Min måde at designe og implementere på – uanset om det er et undervisningsforløb, et performativ foredrag eller tekst til sociale medier/hjemmeside – er dog altid skræddersyet, derfor “mit produkt” udvikles agilt. Min styrke er en samarbejdende proces (“samskabelse”), baseret på min egen forskning, viden- og ide-udveksling med interesseret partier og tilpassning af min “værktøjskasse” til bestemte mål og sammenhæng.
Jeg kan lide at arbejde med eksisterende ressourcer som udgangspunkt og løbende forstyrke dem, udvide dem med nye interessante perspektiver eller finde kombinationer, der tilføjer ekstra værdi. Jeg sætter samtidig pris på at mit bidrag som forsker og konsulent efterlader en institution jeg arbejder for med brugbar viden og inspiration.
En del af min rolle: performativ info- og inspirations-kampagne:
Jeg kan bedst lide at arbejde med alternativ undervisning med elementer af lege og rituel ved at lave en slags levende installation, hvor mennesker kan komme, interagere og samtidig få en masse viden gennem min passioneret, performativ måde at præsentere på.
Installationen kan foregå i mange timer inden og efter et hoved præsentation/performance hvor alle er samlede, ligesom jeg gjordte sidst i Sisters Academy i Malmo. For at motivere mennesker til at sortere skrald, var det vigtigt at give dem en visuel, ritualiseret oplevelse og vise præcis hvilket affald går i hvilken container.
Jeg er god til research, analyse og har et rigt netværk af mennesker jeg sparrer med. Jeg har kun i de sidste 4 uger kontaktet mange mennesker fra det offenlige sektor samt kunstnere og kreative iværksættere som direkt eller indirekt arbejder med ‘genbrug’ konceptet. Det kom ud af processen indtil videre. (*bemærk at det er kun et udkast af min indledende undersøgelse, ikke et færdigt produkt. Jeg ville bare vise at jeg kan også forske, analysere og kommunikere med forskellige stakeholders)
For mig er det vigtigt at mennesker identificerer sig selv med hvad som helst jeg er ambassadør for. Derfor prøver jeg at give dem først og fremmest:
- min egen historie (som et menneske som havde sin egen udvikling)
- en forståelse af hvordan alt er forbundet (selv et lille bidrag er faktisk en symbol af noget større)
- hands-on hints hvordan de kan selv gøre det
- lave dem til ambassadører ved at inspirere til at tage selv ansvar og sprede ordet
Hvis jeg er en del af genbrug/affaldssortering/bæredygtigheds kamapagne, f.eks. ‘Trash is Treasure: fo fall in love with recycling…‘, vil jeg, udover eventets fælles mål, dække bredere perspektiv. Med eksempler, associationer, elementer af bæredygtig kunst, mode, objekter, referencer til eksterne aktører/initiativer. Med startspunkt i:
LIVSTIL, VÆRDIER
sundhed, velfærd: det kropslige, det mentale, de emotionelle
DESIGN, PRODUKTION
Ecodesign (Grøn design):
berædygtig produktion (herunder smart emballage)
berædygtig produkter: sund mad, kosmetikker
FORBRUG
mindsket, mere bevidst forbrug
GENBRUG
affaldssortering
recycling
upcycling
bæredygtig mode
FRA AT BANE NYE VEJ TIL UBESTRIDELIG VIRKELIGHED
(MARKEDSFØRING, AMBASSADØRER, POLITIK, VIRAL LIVSTIL)
CSR manifest, forskellige CSR former og profiler
…at smitte andre (Lead by Example)
Andre slags undervisning/vejledning
Jeg kan bruge de metoder i variationer med hensyn til et emne, deltagere, lokale og formål. Det kan være i forskellige former og sammenhænge. Jeg underviste/inspirerede også for eksempel i:
…performance metoder, kreativitet og hvordan man kan bruge fiktion til selv udvikling, i skoler og festivaler
…autentiske relationer og mere holistisk kommunikation i min workshop og interaktiv ritual “100 Faces of ‘each other’ ”
…tantra og kærligheds liv ved en-to-en inspirerende snak med gymnasium elever og voksne under Menneskebiblioteket events. Here med Tobias fra Ørestads Gymnasium.
My roles and contributions to ‘Rituel du Papillon’ project
‘Rituel du Papillon’ project has been designed and developed by Club de la Faye since 2012 and manifested in Bremen in 2013. Here is what I did there…
- Initiating the idea of different way of performance preparation and group work (workshops + work on the floor+ inviting outsiders-potential new performers)
- Communicating, sending meeting reminders + connecting with old performers + collecting texts like Transformation Rooms, props list and workshop descriptions
- Teaching Unit 2nd edition (powerpoint update, evaluation sheet)
- PR (Explosive program + press release text + emergency PR-spreading the word in new German network)
- Contacting Jonas for music and projectors
- Bremen visit August, connecting, designing, structuring discussions and to-do lists
- Creating texts, overviews like to do list, props list for Bremen and responsibility division
- Leading 2 interaction workshops + a session with fishing out memories and each others’ talents + character development session
- Introducing new pipeliners
- Participating in others’ workshops, keeping the spirit up
- Designing the key system + other idea generation
- Setting up CDLFs account
- Introducing and inspiring new members and performers, together incubating new ideas
It has been our biggest production and I feel very inspired and privileged to have been working with so many transformative projects and incredible people. The film has just been cut-final by Johan Verdensfred.
What I did at IBIS Copenhagen
- Communication, preparing overview, campaign plans and leading meetings
- Networking and finding places to campaign with Yasuni + Totem (Dome of Visions, Republique, Earth Day, Roskilde Festival: Dream City and Triangle Project)
- Social media + online marketing responsible (facebook, newsletters)
- Updating php files for iFrame, updating tumblr, mailchimp and You Tube (accreditation of our blog URL+ clickable links), Totem and iFrame improvements ideas and coordination with Joachim and Kasper
- Text production: facebook posts, 4 newsletters, application (Dream City, Roskilde Radio, Dome of Visions and more), letters to NGOs and Ecuadorian ambassador (both in English and Danish), text changes for tak-emails, blog (in Danish and English)
- Yasuni database responsible: gathering data from Gmail, Google contacts, Totem, Mask App, hand-written sheets, camera&tablet (Face-to face). All in all data in CRM, …. contacts in Mailchimp
- Communication and relation-building with other departments: Mikkel (CRM), Sanne (call centre), Bertil (text&photos for ibis.dk)
- Translating some texts Danish-English for Dorthe, Malene
- Helping develop ideas for OD gymnasium workshops (Sierra Leone and diamonds) with Thilde
- Preparing summer party (memory-photos, projector, speakers)
- Uploading hundreds of photos and tak-emails
- Some volunteer coordinator tasks: communication, inspiration, initiating ideas and dividing tasks
- Events coordination (transporting totem, gathering volunteers, seeing to campaign kit like elastics, masks, paint, etc.)
- Research on Yasuni to better communicate on social media, newsletters and strategies like lobbying, events, COP19
- Research and preparation for COP19
- Plan on how Yasuni contacts and experience can serve IBIS after November
- Handing over responsibilities/tasks (preparing a farvel-kit, including knowledge and documentation)
…and it has been one of the best, most inspiring and creative jobs I have ever had 😉
thank you for that experience, Iwona Rejmus.
The Art of… Job Hunt {Day 16. – 37.}: see the whole rainbows?
In the last weeks I was researching a lot and communicating with many people, because I was searching for a job, a meaningful job.
Sustainability on different levels and working with and for people, as a starting point. And adding to it the whole set of my kaleidoscopic skills and experiences. Having that, different areas I could give myself to.
Have you experienced looking back at old texts you wrote, workshops and ‘surprises’ you created for others, your roles in a teamwork you chose when you could chose yourself… and realizing that they are revolving around similar things you are apparently drawn to?
I can feel my element has to do with contributing to a project by using my (performer) presence and passion to pass on knowledge, values, draw attention to new perspectives and inspire, encourage people…
Here are only some job-searching/skill developing tracks I’ve been focusing on for the last weeks:
- Garbage Queen, creating an intimate relation to trash …and infecting others
This manifested through wide research on sorting garbage in private households and connecting to a lot of people that work with recycling and upcycling. Searching also for partners to apply for funds from Miljøministeriet. My initial intuition and little research on what’s needed to improve garbage-sorting (people’s actual habits and beliefs) was confirmed by official studies performed by Mona Jensen and DARE2.
Sustainability on the environmental level: Promoting feeling and practice of responsibility for environment and other people.
- Melting prejudice, transforming stereotypes through facilitating authentic meetings between real people
This manifested through applying for a job at Gadens Stemmer and contributing to Menneskebiblioteket.
Sustainability on the inter-personal level:
Promoting diversity and mutual learning between different people, perspectives
- How important touch is. Communicating and exploring one another through body, sensuality, sexual energy: Tantric Massage
This manifested through making together with Chris a ritualized Tantra Massage workshop that will happen on the 12th December: “Winter warmth, sexual energy and a taste of chocolate”
Sustainability on the (inter-)personal level: Promoting wholeness of being, authentic expression and interaction through various channels, not only words
- Meanwhile, I also made a four edition of my Workshop and Interactive Ritual “100 faces of ‘each other’ ” and was an assistant at PURPLE DOOR for London Faerie.
Sustainability on the (inter-)personal level: Promoting what I believe is worth spreading, at the same time developing my skills to teach, facilitate, hold space for people.
5. As much as I feel resistant to working for free, I of course have to do it…cause it’s important.
This manifests through spreading the word that needs to circulate, like refugee situation. Just came back from the info-meeting by Other Story and I feel I want to help, but overwhelmed by how much it’s needed. I believe many people feel the same, they need to be given a clear task and concrete tasks are many, as so many different organizations and volunteer groups needs hands…in different forms Therefore, I decided to create a Jule Kalendar, where people who want to help get a simple tips on where and how. Receiving by giving – Santa Claus said this season.
Sustainability on the globally (inter-)personal level (or what?):
Promoting practical responsibility for “all that is not my business” that actually extends inner powers over what we thought is the limit of our capacity.
I am as always juggling with many balls at once, balls in different shapes and colors, which make the process maybe less bearable, but definitely trains my ability to see and handle the whole rainbows.
The Art of… Job Hunt {Day 15.}: Software/Web Development
Developing software and designing experiences & learning spaces
…two different processes and methods, but they have also a lot in common, which can possibly only be seen by a Sociologist (and Perfomer) with additional IT background. I make my 2 educations extend each other, learn from one another…and see a broader perspective.
That’s why I am a precious asset to a Software/Web Development team – cause I can understand, talk to and connect its different elements: presale people, analysts/researchers, external partners and suppliers, developers, testers and a customer. And not only customer, but users!
A software system wants to be simple, functional and make users happy.
A development process can be both fun and professional.
System design and development should involve end users along the way. Because it’s not IT specialists, but cooperation between them and users, that is the strongest resource in delivering a good product.
And process is an intrinsic part of any product – also research, design, development and post-production usage. Both lessons learned and influence (not to mention benefits) a new system has on a company’s clients, partners and market in general. New ways it makes people interact…
And here a question of ethics, trend-setting and leading by example also comes into a picture.
A good product can inspire other brands, can change users’ behavior, can set new trends and values. And here a concept of green IT, sustainability on different levels and CSR can be taken into account.
I want to closely work with end-users. And connect them with developers to make them use each other’s knowledge and experience in a more optimal way. I create trust, I speak languages from different professional universes. I can translate technical language into a human language…and further even into poetry.
I see a broader picture. I am a specialist in being a generalist.
Here you can read more about what I want to work and contribute with when it comes to web/software development.
The Art of… Job Hunt {Day 14.}: ‘I am yours for one week’
When I was half-dreaming, an interesting idea came to my mind. My profile is very unique and indescribable and I want to break this pattern of others seeing my skills from one angle only. I consider working for or supporting projects, companies, organizations voluntarily for a week or two. To get insight, connect face-to-face, learn and extend what they do with my perspectives, interdisciplinary contribution. To turn the imaginary, abstract into hands-on, tangible.
The experiment is called ‘I am yours for one week’.
What I initially have in mind is contacting: Menneskebibliotek, Gadens Stemmer, some refugee-related project (Other Story or Trampoline House), some media company (to inspire for stories and gather stories, interviews, treasures) or some startup (preferably with CSR mission), as I am a good interdisciplinary “octopus”.
If you have other suggestions who I could connect with, let me hear you.
The Art of..Job Hunt {Day 13.}
I realized I create a separation in my mind between a deep love relationship I dream of and my life purpose. Because my relationship will be exclusive and go against me being and working with other people? No. They need to be one, part of each other, support each other. That’s what I want.
I also realized (again) that my life purpose cannot start from money. Yes, I am goal-oriented now, cause I need a job, but when it comes to life purpose, money will be a potential side-effect. Creating my own company can create an overlap(money-life purpose), and this at this stage is easier than doing something meaningful with salary, while working for someone. Unless life proves me wrong and this I of course also hope.