The jobs that taught me how people think
Updated: Sep 27
When I was eight, I told my parents I wanted to be a newspaper writer. I used to create my own newspapers on a typewriter and I’d also write stories (mostly the beginnings of a story with no end) and diaries.
I also loved books like Sweet Valley High and Goosebumps, sometimes finishing six in a week. I loved my library card!
As I grew older, my reading interests changed a bit (still read rubbish tbf), but writing remained my therapy. Reading is always my escape into another world and way of imagining other people’s minds.
Fast forward ten years, I was juggling jobs to save for a trip around the world. I wanted to go have adventures! I wanted to see Thailand, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, America.
To save some money, I coached children’s gymnastics classes in the morning and the rushed to an afternoon shift selling shoes at Beales in Poole.
Here, I had to use excellent communication skills to tell people that a) those shoes look great, and b) yes they will stretch with time.
After that, I worked at a bar until midnight and sometimes, on my way home, I’d pick up people waiting for taxis and charge them for a lift if it was on my way.
During university and beyond, I took on various roles. I worked with children with disabilities, in pre-schools, shops, cafes, and even as an elf in Santa’s grotto.
I managed care work and taught English as a foreign language.
My point here is that all of those jobs put me in front of a completely different kind of person, expecting a completely different kind of me.
The foreign student struggling with English, needed a different skill set to the angry hotel guest who had been given a crap room. All of these life experiences help understanding and empathy. I learned what makes people listen, what makes them switch off, and what builds trust in the first ten seconds. That’s not something you learn from a textbook.
I still today draw on the valuable lessons I have learned, to make my communications work better. I often think about the films I’ve watched. Many would have had happy endings if the characters had just communicated clearly!
Some random but important tips for effective communication
Use capital letters sparingly. Writing in lower case is easier for the majority of people to read. Capital letters can be harder to read for people with dyslexia and those for whom English is a second language.
Choose the right font and colours for accessibility. For people with dementia, black text on a yellow background is the clearest for example. Canva has an inbuilt accessibility checker.
Want to engage children and young people effectively? Gamify your content if possible. Use less text and more fun imagery to capture their interest. TBF this benefits most comms for adults too!
Show you are listening. From my time on hotel reception, I learned that showing you’re listening is key. If in person, nod and use positive body language. If in writing, acknowledge your audiences voice. If you want people to listen to you, you must first listen to them.
Good communication starts with understanding who you’re trying to reach.
I founded Comms With Style because if you’re going to say something, say it well.
If your organisation isn’t being heard, seen, or experienced, let’s make sure the right people know who you are.
Contact me today!
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