Junior Achievement with Waltham Highschool At Adobe
Randy and Marie-Sophie welcomed us into the building, and gave us a quick introduction of what Adobe does. Then we met Stephan Dietrich (VP Campaign), an executive and site leader at the Newton Office. His story was really cool!
Change is the only constant in life.
After the introduction, we jumped right into the Skills to Achieve program for the day. Different Adobe employees came and gave us mini-lessons about various aspects of the professional world. For each lesson we had to complete some activities. It was fun!
The first lesson was about Branding. Randy and Kara told us about how important the brand is for a company, and that they can spend lots of money and resources to manage their image.
We are all responsible for managing our own personal brand too. Your reputation matters a lot in your professional life. You have to think about how you want others to perceive you, and work towards building this image. But no need to fake it -being genuine is an important personality aspect as well.
The second lesson was all about communication, both in and out of the professional sphere, and conflict management.
Communication can be tricky -we often assume that others know how we feel and think. That's why it is important to communicate respectfully with the people around us. Always consider other people's perspective when you try to convey something important. Compromise, and work towards the best resolution. Listen actively, and avoid using toxic words.
Remember that communication can be both verbal and non-verbal. Slouching, turning your back to someone, yawning when someone is talking to you, rolling your eyes etc. These are also ways you communicate with the people around you!
The third lesson was about Credit. This was interesting because we will have to use credit often in our lives. Credit allows you to buy things that you can't afford just yet.
There are different types of credit. A credit card is used to purchase everyday items. In opposition to a debit card, where your money is debited from your bank account instantly, with a credit card the bank makes the payment to the vendor, and then at the end of the month you have to pay the bank back. If you don't pay the full amount immediately, the bank will charge an interest on the amount owed.
A loan (whether for your car or your studies) work a bit differently. When you want to make a sizable purchase, but don't have the money right away, you can apply for a loan at your bank. The bank will determine how long it will take you to pay them back, and you will owe them the same amount of money every month for a determined period of time. They will charge you interest on loans. A mortgage is basically a long-time loan (30 years), used to buy a house.
The last lesson (after lunch) was all about soft skills and how they differ from hard or technical skills. Soft skills are as important, if not more important, that technical skills.
Soft skills include things like work ethic, attitude and manners, communication, patience, common sense, leadership, collaboration, negotiation, and many more. Employers consider them very important because, as opposed to technical skills, they are hard to teach to someone. Often, your soft skills are what give you an edge when competing for a job opening, and they are important to develop.
Right before our last lesson, we had a break for lunch, and pizza was on the menu :)
Other employees came to join us for lunch, and we had the opportunity to talk with them. It was nice!
Believe in yourself. Embrace change.
-- the Adobe team.