When Joe Kerby decided to leave his production job at a local news station, he thought he’d put his communication skills to work helping others. As an Oaklawn skills trainer, Joe spends his days helping adult clients with mental illness learn valuable life skills. The skills he teaches vary depending on the client and his or her needs. One client may need strategies to help manage anger; others need assistance with taking medications properly, while others may need to learn cleaning or hygiene practices.
“Connecting with another person and helping that person work to better their own life is incredibly fulfilling…”
The work is far different from what he studied in college; Joe has a degree in telecommunications. And he didn’t think he’d stay this long, but there’s two important things that have kept him here.
He shares, “First, I’ve really appreciated how friendly and supportive my co-workers at Oaklawn have been. Everybody has been very pleasant to be around and work with, which definitely helps given the nature of the job. Second, and probably the biggest reason, is I began to really value the time I spent working directly with my clients through skills training. Connecting with another person and helping that person work to better their own life is incredibly fulfilling, and that human-to-human interaction is really important to me.”