The Guidance Counselor
Paula Coleman’s “Keeping Your Job” class at the nonprofit Chrysalis is equal parts Tony Robbins seminar and practical guide to staying employed.
The students — many of whom are homeless — have already gone through workshops on how to do job interviews and craft resumes.
Here, under Coleman’s encouragement, they contemplate the intricacies of the 21st century workplace and Coleman’s all-important mantra: “Fake it until you make it.”
“‘Back in the day’ is over,” she bellows out to the class.
The former Los Angeles Unified School District educator repeats “Fake it until you make it” over and over again throughout the class. She also tells her own story. It took her 10 years of night classes to get an associates degree from West Los Angeles College, she says. But she knew she wanted to teach. So she kept at it and received a bachelor’s degree, and then became the person who teaches other teachers how to use computers.
She also explains to the class that she never smiles. It’s not because she’s always angry, she says. She just doesn’t.
“I had to teach myself to smile. You have to smile. You should practice it …. I can’t follow you out the door. I’m not on your shoulder. You’re responsible for yourself!”
After delving into her own biography, it’s time for some role-playing.
Using a whiteboard eraser as a prop for a busted cell phone, Coleman volunteers two students for a mock confrontation. One pretends to be a disgruntled Verizon customer. And the other student is the customer service representative.
“Lights, camera, action,” Coleman says.