2.0 Career Basics Course: Summer 2025, Day 0

“questions challenge authority and disrupt established structures, processes, and systems, forcing people to have to at least think about doing something differently.”

“What if our schools could train students to be better lifelong learners and better adapters to change, by enabling them to be better questioners?”

“What’s required is a willingness to go out into the world with a curious and open mind, to observe closely, and—perhaps most important, according to a number of the questioners I’ve interviewed—to listen.”

“What’s required is a willingness to go out into the world with a curious and open mind, to observe closely, and—perhaps most important, according to a number of the questioners I’ve interviewed—to listen.”

― Warren Berger, A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas

Over the next several weeks, we invite you to join us on a process and journey of discernment and exploration weaving together a collective conversation about job search strategies and tactics, learning (formal, informal and experiential), and honest conversation of our obligations and responsibilities to ourselves, our families and broader communities, our dreams, our pursuits, and what matters.

We offer this "Career Basics Course" with humility; we hope to build a co-creative and co-participatory community where we will work out the details along the way over the next several weeks.

Here's what we have in mind over the next 250 Hours, or so.

1. As a foundation, we're going to use Dev Aujla's "50 Ways to Get A Job: An Unconventional Guide to Finding Work on Your Terms."
2. Each week, and hopefully on most days, we will take up one or more "Ways" from the book. We will list the question and offer a few thoughts from our journey. You are invited to keep your own journal or add your thoughts to the comments for that day.
3. Each day, we will feature a quote that has inspired us as well as an additional set of resources, if applicable.
4. The goal and intention over the next several weeks is to -- as rapidly as possible -- create momentum and traction for individuals of all ages, whether you're 15 or 85, or somewhere in between.
5. We intend to get some real work done for those who accompany us on this journey; several of you have already identified the pressing and immediate need to find a new job for yourself and your family; others are simply ready for a change and to (re)set their career, life and learning trajectory; while others have found themselves in a toxic and debilitating work environment.
6. All are welcome; please feel free to comment and join the conversation, or message me directly, if your search must remain private and confidential.
7. Finally, wherever you are, we hope that this community provides healing, joy, and support for your journey.

TODAY's WISDOM:

• Ask questions of yourself and others?
• Ask for assistance? Ask others to join you and walk with you?
• Express gratitude to those who have accompanied you in the past -- and now.

Much peace.

Gerald

P.S. I'm very pleased to be joined in this process by my good friend and colleague, Al Nunez

Looking ahead, our next topic will be

• NETWORKING, Reconnect with Five Mentors from your Past

Appendix:

The Career Basics Course was originally offered across 10 Weeks, beginning in February 2023.

Here's a link to the companion introduction from two years ago:

• Career Basics Course: Week 1 (of 10) 2/26/23

Note: For me, one of Dev Aujla consistent reminders throughout the book is to ask good questions; Warren Berger 's book and work give us a framework to think about how we might ask better questions of ourselves -- and this will help with understanding our WHY and this helps with our job search and career trajectory.

A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas