In an effort to counter and replace divisive acronyms like ESG, environmental social governance and DIE (which kills businesses), diversity, inclusion and equity, I have come up with a new acronym.
Every job requires TREK. Actually, life requires TREK.
T stands for training. Take a law enforcement officer as an example. Without training, a policeman or deputy can become involved in a dangerous situation that he may not be able to manage. How about a miner? A miner is not born understanding how to look for and process ore He is trained in the skills he needs to do his job. He better have training to run one of those huge ore carrying trucks. I, as an editor and writer, wasn't born with the ability to edit and write. It has taken a full life of training, studying, learning to achieve the skills required for an editor.
R is for responsibility. Everyone has to take responsibility for every decision made every day An irresponsible decision can create havoc in one's life, as well as in the lives of others around them, including their families and loved ones.
A law enforcement officer has huge responsibilities. He must act in a responsible manner to keep the community and himself safe. A miner, too, has to take responsibility for every action he takes.
If I decided, as an editor, that I was fed up with dealing with the everyday needs of my news website (and some days I am), would it be a responsible decision to just quit doing it? I don't think so. I took on this responsibility to get the news out to you readers, so I must continue as long as I am able.
E stands for effort. Everyone reading this understands effort. Effort can be mental or physical. A deputy must make the effort to get in his or her patrol car to watch out for trouble or answer the calls when someone is in distress. The officer must make an effort to stay in good shape, so when physical effort is needed, that officer is ready. A miner, depending on his or her job, might have to put out physical effort, at least in the old days, when mining was often done with a pickaxe. Sometimes, a miner must scale the ladders leading to the top of the large trucks. This editor has to make the effort every day to get to meetings or events to cover them, and then put in the mental effort later to write them up for readers.
Last, but by no means least, K is for knowledge. Law enforcement officers have specialties, such as investigating crime scenes or chasing down drug offenders. They need to know what they are getting into, and knowledge of human reactions is sometimes key. A mining geologist must learn about geology or hydrology to make a well-thought-out decision where to look for a specific ore. My knowledge of grammar, sentence structure, and vocabulary helps me every day in my job as an editor of the news I receive in news releases and when writing articles.
Everyone should put these four letters and what they stand for in the personal search for success in the labor force, as well as in each one's life. Think about trekking your way through your career and life. These four—training, responsibility, effort and knowledge—will always stand you in good stead. TREK ahead.