Charles Mossiat- A discussion of experiences in training
Training is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as “the action of teaching a person or animal a particular skill or type of behavior”. It is a critical part of work and in a sense, never goes away. When you are new to a job the first “phase” is typically classified as the training component of the job but from my experiences, I have learned that there are always new things to learn and updates on the training that extend far beyond what is initially taught. In this blog post, I will draw back on a good and bad training experience I had and explain what made one successful as opposed to the other.
Perhaps the worst job training I have had was with Starbucks as a barista in high school. There were parts that were good and I obtained knowledge that I used daily in the job, but others were irrelevant to my success in the position. The training started with eight hours of online computer-based learning. A lot of companies do these kinds of online training and I would love to see some numerics on how many people actually find them beneficial. I feel that the majority of people I have met who have done online training have had negative experiences with it. The lack of hands-on training out the gate is what leads to poor work experience.
One of the best forms of training I had was actually a class I took for AFROTC. The premise of the class was to teach about broad-range leadership in the Air Force, however, our professor, a Captain in the Air Force, decided to target the curriculum to best support our future careers. The class was full of Juniors in college who would be comisssioning into the military within the next two years. We had been trained on a variety of subjects but what we lacked were the day-to-day life skills that come with being a military professional. Our teacher tailored training to things we would need such as how to buy a house and car, what are the best ways to save money, etc. Training that focuses on establishing a connection with the other party is critical for success.
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