For almost five years, Pat has provided one-on-one practice interview services and facilitated Job Prep 3: The Interview, preparing hundreds of clients to feel confident and interview-ready. As an actor with years of experience pitching himself to casting agents, he easily drew the parallels between auditions and traditional interviews when he started volunteering with Chrysalis.
Over the years, Pat has found that his most successful classes occur when he makes an authentic connection with clients. He recounted a story of a gentleman who was disinterested in class from what seemed like the moment he walked through the door. During the lesson, Pat switched gears, telling the class about an embarrassing interview he’d had. Before he knew it, the entire class was laughing. “I noticed he was laughing as well. Something in that story related to him, and it was a bit of an opening. He started to participate, offered up some positive thoughts, and he came up afterwards and thanked me for the class. I thanked him for his valuable participation. That made my day…and week. I most enjoy the times when I see ‘light bulbs’ go on around the room when something that has been said, or explained, connects in a way that is relatable. For a facilitator, that is a great feeling and makes the time spent at Chrysalis so special.”
Pat shared that he was encouraged to volunteer by a friend who thought he would get a lot of satisfaction out of sharing his time and experience by helping folks who needed a boost and guiding hand get back into the job market. And Pat will be the first to tell you, “She was dead right!”
Thank you, Pat, for helping change lives with us!