The Power of a Cohort

Another powerful component of the LA Fellows program is the cohort experience. Each of our classes, which we call cohorts, is chosen for a variety of factors including commitment to finding employment, willingness to get out of their comfort zone and try new things, attitude and an ability to work in a team environment.  The program is designed to not only give strategic and temporal structure to the job hunt but to also create a supportive diverse social structure to provide encouragement, accountability and inspiration far beyond the instructional portion of the program.

Members of LA Fellows Cohort 8 at a recent breakfast meeting at Corky's Restaurant in Sherman Oaks.

 

Cohort 8 is a shining example of how that works. They graduated in August of 2013 but despite new jobs and all the activity and responsibilities of day-to-day life, they keep in touch via email and phone and periodic get-togethers. They organized the first LA Fellows all-cohort mixer last Fall (http://lafellows.blogspot.com/2013/12/first-la-fellows-reunion-mixer.html) with great success. They pass on job leads and help each other with freelance projects, they touch base with where they are in life and in the career arcs that they are pursuing.

 

They took to heart an important part of what LA Fellows teaches: job search does not end when you sign on the dotted line and start you first day at a new job. The world has changed and jobs rarely last for decades any more. It's important to be ready for the next job when you need it, and an important part of that is the people in your network, the people who will support you in your journey.

 

LA Fellows will soon be looking for a new group of job seekers who are ready to change the way they see and prepare for the future and we hope that we will find a dedicated group like those in Cohort 8. You can find more information about LA Fellows, including how to apply, at www.lafellows.org.