First Job Opening Activity

 

My classes are full of “technical” men of all ages from all over the country and world. When they arrive at our facility, they often have preconcieved notions of what training will be like, they are resistant to change, and they don’t want to be told how to do their job. This “first job” opener has been a successful, light-hearted way for me to relieve tension and get people talking.

First Job Name Tent
Class Size: any
Time: 20 minutes

Method: Give everyone in the class a piece of paper and a marker. Tri-fold the paper like a letter and ask the class to do the same.

Front
Write your name nice & big on the center section so that if you set the folded paper on the table, you create a triangular name tent. Show the class and ask them to write the name they’d like to be called on the center section of their name tent.

Back
Refold the name tent like a letter again. With the marker, divide one of the two remaining blank sections into 4 quarters and show the class. In one corner (it doesn’t matter which one), ask everyone to write their company name as you write yours.  In the next corner, write your job title and ask the class to do the same. In the third corner, write the years (or months, weeks, or days) you’ve been with the company. And in the remaining corner, write your first job ever.

Now, tell the class that when you say “go”, you want them to stand up, move around the room, and introduce themselves to 7 other people (or more, depending on class size) by carrying the name tent they created in front of them and sharing the information they wrote on the back. Give an example: “Hello Eddie. My name is Rencsi. I work for XYZ Training Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota where I am a Training Specialist. I’ve been with the company for 4 years. My first job was grocery store cashier. Nice to meet you!” Start the activity with, “Ready, set, go!” and participate in the activity with the class.

Important: Make the goal number of people unattainable, but not obviously impossible. Cut the activity short before they have time to complete the given number of introductions. This is the Zeigarnik Effect – people better remember activities that are interrupted or not completed.

Debrief: Stop the exercise before anyone can talk to the required number of people. Ask everyone to take their seats and bring the class together for a large group discussion. Some questions to ask might be:

• Did anything surprise you? What? Why?
• Did you find anyone with the same first job as you? What was it? Why was it common?
• Did anyone have the first job you wanted when you were younger? Why did you want that job? Does it still sound appealing?

Depending on time and group size, you may also want to go around the room and hear everyone’s names, companies, locations, and roles as part of the opener.

Filed under openers, training techniques | Tags: activities, adult education, energizers, esl, icebreakers, openers, training techniques | Comment (1)
 

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