On ThE JOB
What Employers Want
comPAssIon
To work with people, especially people who need help
during a difficult time, “compassion is the number one
thing employees need,” says debbie callander, director
of social services at Quail ridge alzheimer’s special
care center in lubbock. she says working with geriatric
patients can be especially challenging, because many
people don’t want to deal with aging and death.
ann mcmaster, a life coach in Houston, adds:
“employees need to be good listeners and hear what
people are saying, and they also need to understand what
they’re not saying.”
confIdence
deena katz of evensky and katz wealth management has
offices in both lubbock and coral gables, florida. she
looks for people with good communications skills and an
The PeopleBusiness
easy manner. “projecting confidence is essential,” she
says. “as financial planners, we have to engender trust.
people come to us for sage advice, and they have to be
comfortable with how we give them information.”
mAkInG A dIffeRence in people’s lives is the
heart of Human services.
AnAlYTIcAl skIlls
“employees also have to be able to assess a situation
and use critical thinking skills to come to a solution,”
katz says. “They have to sit down with people and help
them find a solution.” katz adds the analysis has to go
H
uman Services is a broad umbrella Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step program.
for professions as varied as “Her sobriety’s being tested a lot,”
childcare, psychology, and fashion Munoz says, “but she reaches out for help.
beyond the numbers: “being a financial planner is about
merchandising. Because these occupations She attends AA meetings daily and has
95 percent psychological and social work, and about 5
are all a part of the people business, a sponsor. It’s neat to see these people
percent number crunching.”
each involves many of the same understand there’s hope and grab onto it.
“employees need to be smart about patterns in human
challenges—and rewards. They’re so depressed when they get here, so
behavior,” mcmaster agrees. “They need to know the
In Human Services, the goals angry. It’s so rewarding to see that change.”
different personality types, and understand that not one
are to make a difference in other
size fits all.”
people’s lives. In some cases, the A sense of Purpose
changes are profound. Debbie Callander, director of social services
flexIBIlITY
“The difference between at Quail Ridge Alzheimer’s Special Care
“I never know what’s going to happen in a day
when people enter and Center in Lubbock, sees the same kind of
here,” says callander of her geriatric facility.
their graduation is just change in her patients. “We deal with verbal
because it’s hard to predict how seniors will
amazing,” says Beth and physical aggression on a daily basis,”
react to aging, especially people who are
Munoz, a drug and she says. “People who can no longer do what
frustrated with losing abilities they’ve had
alcohol dependency they once could find it easier to be angry
all their lives, employees must be flexible
counselor at the than to cry.”
enough to respond quickly.
Dove Tree Ranch in Callander helps relieve this anger by
sharon welkey, who worked as a buyer
Lubbock. restoring a sense of purpose to seniors’ lives.
for a travel catalog before becoming
A woman in the Patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s
an assistant professor of fashion
program was dealing may no longer be able to use tools, for
merchandising at Texas state university in
with a history of sexual instance, so Callander gives them smaller
san marcos, says buyers must stay on their toes.
abuse. After just a few tasks with which they can succeed. A
“They have to gear up, get their samples ready for
months in the program, former furniture maker might be able to sit
the catalog, present it to the creative directors,
Munoz says, she was with friends and build a simple birdhouse,
place orders, and follow up on orders,” she says.
ready to resume her life. for example, with the help of the staff.
“It’s not the same thing every day.”
Now she’s working as a “Giving patients a sense of importance in
substitute teacher and their life—that’s what I love the most,”
blossoming thanks to the says Callander.
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