Wednesday, November 14, 2012

"Ask for the Opportunities" - Jun Kinoshita


In this video, Brian Lawatch interviews Jun Kinoshita, Fire Archaeologist for Yosemite National Park, about his experiences, wildland fire mentoring and career development.



Video Highlights:
  • What factors have contributed to your success in this career field?
    • Communications skills
    • Sharing knowledge with others
    • Positive attitude
  • What advice do you have for employees taking on a new position or increased responsibilities?
    • Give yourself the ability to take a step back, relax, and ask questions of the folk(s) who have been in the position or worked with the person in the position.
    • Give yourself the luxury of not expecting yourself of being proficient the moment you step into the job.
    • Give yourself time to learn the position.
  • Do you have a mentor or someone who inspired you, and how did they help you?
    • Learned from mentors
    • Received support when branching out
  • Why would you recommend a career in wildland fire to someone?
    • Fun and exciting.
    • Challenging--both physically and mentally
    • Outdoor work environment.
    • Great people.
    • Very rewarding.
  • What is a great risk that you have taken in the past, and how did that risk pay off in the end?
    • Asking to take a detail as a smokejumper where he developed new relationships and created a network outside his immediate working environment.
  • What resources would you recommend to employees pursuing a wildland firefighting career?
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Thanks to the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center for this contribution.

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