January 2021: Got a job and then.....QUIT.

In the second week of the new year, I applied for a behavior technician position on Indeed. The company was called Behavior Frontiers. Since I had experience working with autistic kids, I thought I would try and see what this company had to offer.

The recruiter from the company responded back and we had a short conversation on the phone. Things went pretty smoothly. Then he said he would like to go to the next step and have someone conduct a remote interview with me. I was excited and a week later, the guy contacted me via Google Meet. The app wasn't working very well on my computer, so he called me via video chat on his phone. 

The interview wasn't that difficult and the guy was really energetic and positive. I got hired! It was my first job in America since 2003! I had a good impression of the company and went through the typical pre-hiring process of filling out and signing documents. 

However, the next step was a bit rough. The new hires (including myself) had to watch 5-6 hours of training videos per day in one week. On top of that, the four of us had to meet with our trainer via video call. It seemed fairly useful, but it definitely wasn't as effective as having the training done in person. Nevertheless, the training was helpful and I was ready to get started with field training.

My first day of field training was planned by my scheduling coordinator. I was to go to a home in Simi Valley (24 miles and about 40 minutes from Santa Paula) and a trainer would conduct the first lesson. While she was doing the lesson, I would watch the trainer and take notes. I would also check off to see what was being done and ask questions if I had any. I was supposed to be at the home by 9:00am to begin my field training.

I overestimated the time a bit because I left at 7:30am and arrived at a shopping center near the home at 8:15am. I prayed, tried to get myself to relax, and played a game on my phone. Then when it was about 8:45am, I drove to the home. Then it got a bit confusing. The home was an apartment, but it looked like only tenants could park in the parking lot of the apartment complex. I couldn't find where guests could park, so I parked across the street from the apartment complex. When it was all said and done, it was 8:55am when I was on my way to the front door of the home.

After I rang the doorbell, a woman peeked out and looked very surprised. A Vietnamese woman opened the door and she told me that she had canceled the lesson because her daughter went to the doctor's office. At that point, I didn't know what to do because it was my first day and it was totally unexpected. I told the mother that I would figure it out and that she didn't need to worry. I called my training coordinator while outside the mother's front door, but she didn't answer the phone. I called the main office, and the man from the main office said that I was indeed scheduled to be there by 9:00am. He said he would call me back in a few minutes. A few minutes passed while I was outside the home, and he finally called me back. He said that the mother DID call and cancel the session and he apologized. I realized that I had driven all the way to Simi Valley for nothing.

The shocking thing for me was that the scheduling coordinator didn't call me back even after I arrived back home at 12:00pm. I got the hint that this company wasn't the best fit for me. In fact, it was probably more suitable for younger people that are looking for experience and will do anything to get a paycheck. Think about it: You get paid $20/hour (not horrible) but have to drive to 1-2 homes to teach an autistic child for 2-3 hours. Not only do you have to teach that child, but you have to correct their behaviors, take data (behavior and learning data), and you have to do it with the parent watching you or at least in the home with you. I came to the conclusion that I needed to quit and sent in my resignation letter. And of course, the scheduling coordinator immediately responded back. It was ironic, to say the least.

Scott Worden

Instagram: l.a.seoulguy

What Makes a Great Manager or Boss

Throughout my working life, I've had various jobs. When I was 21, my first job was at a chiropractor's office doing paper work and helping patients with their treatments. Next, I worked as a cashier and merchandise stocker at Office Depot for three years. Then I became a teacher's assistant at a special education school helping emotionally disturbed kids. A year later, I was a teacher's assistant for kids with autism, Asperger's Syndrome, bi-polar issues, etc. In total, I spent two years working with kids that had special needs. Then the big transition happened.  When I was 27, I moved to South Korea in 2003 to teach English to elementary school students and middle school students at an academy. I did that for 15 months before realizing that it wasn't for me. Finally, I've taught adults at two English academies for the past 12 years. With all of this experience, I've had various managers and bosses and I have a pretty good sense of what separates a good manager or boss from a bad one. I've had good bosses, bad ones, and ones that were in between. I want to be fair and even include positive things I observed from bad bosses and negative things I saw in good bosses. So here's my TOP 10 list of what a manager should or shouldn't do:

1. Encourage your employees. If your employee is trying hard to do their best, focus more on what the employee is doing right and less on what the employee is doing wrong.

2. Motivate your employees to be better. If you see that the employee is doing a good job, but could do even better, let them know. However, do it in a way that shows that you have faith in their abilities.

3. Don't show favoritism. This is probably one of the worst things I've observed over the years. Don't nitpick certain employees to keep busy when they have free time while allowing the employees that you like (or happen to have the same nationality as you) to enjoy their free time. Favoritism destroys your credibility and destroys the morale at work.

4. Be fair. This is similar to #3. If you have a high standard for one employee, you should have a high standard for all of them. This shows that you truly care about the company as a whole and you are consistent in what you say. Your employees will respect you and trust you more if you are fair with everyone.

5. Don't micromanage. Focus on the big problems and not the tiny details. This will stress out your employees and stress yourself out as well. Don't sweat the small stuff.

6. A good boss doesn't always have to keep his "boss's cap" on. If you always keep your cap on, every time you walk into the workplace the mood will change, and not in a good way. It's a bad sign when your employees get along well with each other but as soon as you walk by there's an awkward silence.

7. Communicate with your employees. If it's important, tell your employee directly and even if it seems trivial, keep your employees in tune with what's going on in the company. Your employees will feel more open to telling you when there's a problem if you're open about everything as well.

8. Don't be fake. Don't ask your employee how their weekend was unless you really care. Don't be superficial and give them vague answers about your own weekend if I ask you. Just be yourself and be human. You're not a robot.

9. Don't be a hypocrite. If you expect employees to step up their game to help improve the company, you should also be doing the same.

10. Show that you care about your employees. Appreciate them and let them know that you admire their effort. Take them out for pizza or a beer for no reason. Most of all say "Thank you" when your employees do more than their fair share at work.

Scott Worden (The L.A./Seoul Guy)
Instagram: l.a.seoulguy