My Very First Job is a participatory dynamic focused on sharing personal stories about each participant’s first job—formal or informal. Through storytelling and active listening, the activity invites reflection on early work experiences, values, emotions, and lessons learned. It fosters empathy, human connection, and recognition of diverse life paths. It can be adapted to educational, community, or organizational contexts, and run either in person or virtually.
Preparation
- Define the purpose:
- Explore personal experiences related to work and life trajectories.
- Foster empathy and shared reflection.
- Recognize informal learning and early responsibilities.
- Prepare the space:
- Set up a safe and comfortable environment (circle, semicircle, virtual room).
- Optionally prepare guiding questions or reflection cards.
- Invite participants:
- Encourage diversity in age and background to enrich the storytelling.
- Briefly explain the dynamic and purpose to build trust.
Step-by-step instructions
- Welcome and introduction
- Present the objective: to share and reflect on first job experiences.
- Clarify that the focus is not on evaluating the job, but on what it meant to each person.
- Individual memory time
- Give a few minutes for each person to recall their first job and jot down what they’d like to share: what they did, how they felt, what they learned.
- Storytelling round
- Each person shares their story briefly (3–5 minutes).
- Practice active, respectful listening—no interruptions.
- Open group reflection
- After everyone has shared, open a discussion about common themes, differences, and key insights.
- Use prompts such as: What surprised you? What did you learn from others’ stories?
- Closing
- Invite everyone to share one word, feeling, or takeaway from the experience.
- Optionally create a word cloud, collective mural, or memory board.
