Q & A with Jenny Bell Martin, MS – Director of Volunteer and Career Services for OPI Living Programs
Recently, we sat down with Jenny Bell Martin, Director of Volunteer and Career Services for OPI Living programs, including the Optimum Performance Institute and specialized OPI Intensive, to discuss a few topics with her work here at OPI.
Q: Jenny, how have you motivated, inspired and supported our participants?
A: I feel that by sharing true stories and experiences of real people both in and out of the program, participants are encouraged and realize that they are not alone. I also tend to use a straightforward approach and share realistic possible outcomes so participants are not set up for failures but instead when successful, get to see how they were able to overcome obstacles.
Q: What are the most beneficial aspects of volunteering?
A: Participants benefit from volunteering for various reasons. There are social aspects, skill building opportunities, a sense of achievement, responsibility, accomplishment and commitment, it can boost career options, add experiences to resumes, create new interests and hobbies, spark a career path, provide an opportunity to network, create professional references and build compassion and tolerance in participants. Oftentimes, the volunteer process is similar to the job search process in that participants have to research, contact, complete an application, have ongoing communication and sometimes go through an interview prior to obtaining a volunteer placement. Regardless if a participant is interested in a job search, by volunteering they are building necessary skills to make them successful in the world of work.
Q: What is your strategy for career development?
A: In the Department of Volunteer and Career Services, we utilize a career development strategy that is participant-driven. We work with participants to find out what their interests, passions and/or hopes are for their future. If there is a specific path, we introduce them to the available resources at OPI, at their school, within the community and online. Volunteering opportunities or internships in the chosen field or area of interest are highly encouraged to give participants the opportunity to obtain hands-on experience, develop real world job skills, build their network and develop a list of professional references.
If a participant is unsure of a path, we encourage them to volunteer in anything that sounds remotely interesting and stick with it for a few weeks to determine if this is a path worth further exploring. If it is, we then assist participants in setting up informational interviews and/or job shadowing experiences and work with the other departments at OPI to create a school and extracurricular schedule that is congruent with the career path. If not, we work with participants to research new volunteer opportunities, thus restarting the career exploration process. Simultaneously, we have participants complete several career assessments, a career toolbox and attend monthly community service activities to further enhance their career development.
Q: What changes have you seen in participants?
A: I have seen participants too shy to ask a question successfully interview and obtain their first part-time job. I have seen participants in our OPI Living Programs who cannot keep a commitment, keep a volunteer commitment all through Phase 1 and Phase 2 and onwards into aftercare. I have seen timid participants learn to assert themselves to get their needs met. I have seen participants change, develop, mature and accept life.
Q: What have you learned from participants?
A: I have learned to accept my own differences, issues and anxieties, cope with them in more productive, realistic ways and move forward. I have been encouraged to add balance to my own life and set personal limits. I also have been inspired to look inward and develop more spirituality through meditation.