To identify and explore student’s awareness of self and culture in relation to career exploration
Handout: “How People Get Jobs”
Vocabulary
Culture, career exploration, want ads, interviews, college, university, word-of-mouth, job application, resume, skills, training
Competencies
Systems: Understands systems
Information: Interprets and communicates information
Basic Skills: Listening
Instructions for Conducting the Activity
Tell students they are going to learn more about each other and themselves by looking at the different types of jobs people have had in their home country or the US.
Spread around the Language Builder Occupation Cards and ask students to identify 2–3 jobs that friends and family had/have in their home country or in the US.
Getting a job
How do people get jobs in your home country and/or in the US?
Is it by word-of-mouth?
Referrals by relatives or friends?
Apply through the paper? Apply online?
Does the government tell you what job you can have?
Do you have to fill out an application? Do you need a resume?
Do you have to have an interview?
Education and Training
What kind of education or training (if any) is needed for these jobs?
Do you have to be a high school graduate?
Do you need education beyond high school? How much?
Do you have to have a certificate or degree?
Wrap up this discussion by pointing out the differences and similarities of answers for different countries. Emphasize that the students come with unique experiences and understandings of how people get jobs.
Extension Activities
In an ESOL class, you can ask students what they know about how people in the US get the same type of jobs, the education and training needed, and how to access the education and training. This can be a way to identify gaps or misperceptions in students’ knowledge of how the US labor market works. Other lessons can then be planned around these gaps.
Distribute the survey, “How People Get Jobs” and ask students to interview 5–9 people about how they got their job and to record the information by putting check marks in the boxes. If the group is hesitant about interviewing, the teacher can role-play an interview. The homework activity below helps students, both ESOL and ABE, identify how people get jobs in the US.
As a follow-up to the homework, have students report back on what they learned in their interviews as to the ways people got jobs and then combine the information to make a list of all the ways people reported getting a job and noting how many reported each. Discuss things from the list the participants can use to help get a job, for instance, filing an application and then calling to check on it; and which might only be available to a few people, like knowing about a position from a family member.
Based on an activity from “Personal Management: An Integrated Curriculum,” Patti McLaughlin, Curriculum Developer,
Adult Basic and Literacy Educators Network of Washington, 1993.
To find out what you’re good at, you can talk to your friends and family, review the most important skills you already have, take various aptitude tests, analyze your career, and much more.
If you feel stuck on the way to recognizing your full potential, self-discovery questions can become a great indicator to understand your natural strengths and interests.
Understanding your natural abilities and strengths can help you stay engaged in work processes, grow much faster, and truly realize your authentic self.
How to know what you’re good at
Studies prove that most people will change careers at least once in their lives. Moreover, on average, a person tends to shift 3-7 careers before retirement. So, if you’re now among the ones who try to make a big career shift or choose another sphere to develop in, it’s more than fine and normal.
Also, it’s completely OK to feel lost in this way and question yourself something like, “How do I find out what I’m good at?” Thus, here we’ve collected 12 ways to discover what you’re naturally drawn to. Check them out.
1. Assess your personality type
Over the years, humanity has noticed certain interconnections between personality types and the innate abilities people have. For instance, 45% of public administration leaders are cholerics , while phlegmatics and melancholics are better at using the written word.
2. Reflect on your hard and soft skills
Maybe you don’t do it on the current job. Maybe it wasn’t your passion in childhood, but you have some things you know that you’re good at. It can be anything that you do effortlessly without even thinking about the process.
Hard skills are specific talents, often the ones you need, particularly in your job. These can be problem-solving skills, analytical skills, creative skills, writing skills, etc.
Soft skills are the ones related to your communication with others. They can include empathy, leadership skills, emotional intelligence, etc.
Both of them can be valuable and important in your job. For example, if you don’t have strong hard skills, you can choose people-oriented work to make powerful communication skills your competitive advantage.
3. Check yourself with a test
Another good way to find out the answer to “What am I good at?” is by taking a quiz. You can start with Breeze’s career test, which allows you to discover potential jobs based on your strengths and interests. There are also other assessments that might be rather helpful, including:
The MAPP career assessment
The Big Five personality test
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
The Keirsey Assessment, and more.
4. Think about what natural talent you had as a child
Sometimes you don’t need to seek hidden talents, all the answers can be hidden in your past. You may have noticed that some kids are naturally better at drawing, while others tend to excel in storytelling, problem-solving, or even organizing group activities.
Oxford Schools states that allowing children to freely express themselves through play is by far the best way to spot their natural talents. [4] Yet, society might have limited your self-expression at some point because “math is more important than signing” or “dancing takes too much of your time.” Thus, your task now would be to remember what natural aptitude and passions you had and check whether you still feel drawn to them.
5. Try something new
Doing new things helps build flexible thinking and “wakes up” your brain to creativity and self-actualization, which is a part of mental health. Furthermore, trying something new and going out of your comfort zone can reveal hidden talents and give you a fresh perspective on what truly excites you.
These can be new opportunities and tasks on your career path, traveling, an unusual hobby, education, or something completely different. The key is to step beyond your usual routine and comfort zone by challenging yourself in ways that spark personal growth.
6. Take a closer look at your hobbies
How to know what you’re good at? Simply think about what you would love to do if money weren’t a problem. Your hobbies often reflect your natural talents and passions, so you might explore exciting career options by thinking about what you do or crave to do in your spare time.
Don’t think that all people who earn money from what they love necessarily have unique talents. In fact, only the global handicraft market size was valued at USD 1,107.67 billion in 2024. So, you can turn what you love into income, just like many others who grow their skills and find the right opportunities.
7. Notice your feelings
Anytime you do something — whether this is a new thing or a part of the routine — analyze what you feel. After some time of such tracking, you can understand that the tasks that require creative ideas or solving problems can make you feel much happier. Otherwise, you might understand that you enjoy routine things like solving puzzles, managing tasks, or helping others with practical solutions.
Of course, feeling excited when doing something isn’t always the same as being good at it. Yet, noticing these feelings can help you find areas where you’re naturally talented, or you might want to develop.
8. Get rid of imposter syndrome
If anytime you enter a job interview or talk about your achievements, it makes you feel stressed, this might be a sign of imposter syndrome. In fact, you’re not alone. Reports state that 80% of adults experience imposter syndrome at some point in their lives.Becoming an expert within a field can be a fluid experience.
Still, this is what can prevent you from acknowledging your innate talent. “She’s such a good photographer. My pictures are much worse.” These thoughts can come to your mind even if everyone around you is constantly praising your work. These are self-sabotaging thoughts that hinder one’s ability to sit in discomfort long enough for natural talents to blossom. The key is to remind yourself that everyone has their unique style, so it doesn’t make sense to compare yourself to others.
9. Review your career path
If you already have a successful career or solid work experience, think about why you’ve chosen this path. Of course, you might not be happy with your current tasks, salary, or career opportunities. Yet, you might have some knowledge in this sphere and skills that can be helpful in other areas. Analyze such aspects as:
what core skills do you have
what work environment do you prefer
how your expertise can apply to a different industry
what company culture do you feel attracted to
what specific tasks you’d like to keep doing
Once you understand what you value in what you’re doing now, it will be easier to identify new opportunities. Maybe you don’t even need to change a sphere; just changing the company might be enough. Otherwise, you’ll understand what aspect of your work you want to keep doing and what you’d rather leave behind.
10. Talk to friends and family members
Yes, it might sound weird at once, but you can directly ask your closest people about your natural strengths. Just don’t hesitate and approach it as an experiment. Sometimes they might notice unexpected qualities that you’ve never thought about. We are our own toughest critics after all.
For instance, your best friend can say something like, “Hey, you’re so good at doing makeup. How about becoming a make-up artist?” Or your brother may remind you that you used to help him with homework when he was a child. “You can become an awesome elementary school teacher, you know.” We’ve prepared some questions for you to start with but don’t feel limited to them.
If you had to describe my strengths in three words, what would they be?
What’s a skill or talent I have that I might be overlooking?
If I had to switch careers tomorrow, what job do you think would suit me best and why?
What’s one thing I do that always impresses you?
11. Approach compliments seriously
Let’s remember to talk about your friends and family. We can enlarge this tip even more and suggest you analyze any positive feedback that you receive. Whether people often complement your style, writing skills, open mind, or ability to plan a trip in 10 minutes, all these things can be a great basis for a potential job.
Pay attention to how others see your strengths, as they might notice things you overlook. We often brush off compliments and think they’re just being polite. But if you’re regularly praised for certain skills, it’s a good sign of where your talents really are.
12. Work with a coach or career counselor
What are you good at? If the question still remains unanswered, it may be reasonable to reach for professional guidance. Career counselors and life coaches can help you find opportunities for development and take a look at familiar things from a different perspective.
Now, take some time with this worksheet and really think about things you have accomplished. Also, write down the skills you used to do each accomplishment. The second page is there to help you decide which skills you did use. Now is the time to discover what you did before and what your possibilities can be in the future!
Handouts: “Things I Have Done” and “Student Future Timeline”
Vocabulary
influence, timeline, career
Competencies
Thinking Skills: Reasoning; Creative thinking
Instructions for Conducting the Activity
Distribute the “Things I Have Done” handout. Review the checklist as a group, and then ask students to identify what things on the list they did in order to begin attending English or GED class. Using the handout as a guide, ask them to identify 4–5 “Things I Have Done” that relate to the new event.
Then return to the “Things I Have Done” handout and ask them to write on a post-it note a list of some of the skills they can use to reach their future “hopes, dreams, or plans.”
The students can complete the worksheet “Student Future Timeline” the following day to reinforce this lesson.
Extension Activity
Ask each student to choose one event to “tell a story” about the event each chose. The Telling student describes what the event was and what s/he did to make the event happen or as a result of the event. The Listening student writes down a list of steps taken by the student. Then together the two students review the steps written down and identify the skills used to do each step. The students can refer to the skills listed in the “Things I Have Done” handout.
The students then come back together as a large group. Ask each student to complete the “Future Timeline.” Then ask each student to name out loud one of his/her future employment goals/events. Finally, ask the student which skills identified in the pairs activity can be used to help accomplish the goal or get to the event.
Note: This module, as well as all the others, can be done alone. No need to be part of a classroom.
Explain that knowing what skills are and being able to identify one’s own skills is essential for deciding on a career choice or finding a new career. Here are the seven categories of skills:
Communication skills
Number skills
Technical skills
Business skills
Management and Self-Management skills
Creative/Artistic skills
People skills
Review the categories and the skills in each. Ask students to name some jobs that they think require the skills in the different categories.
Extension Activity
Distribute the “Skills Identification” handout to students and ask students to check those skills they believe they have.
Have a group discussion using the following questions:
Do you have skills in more than one area?
In which category do you have the most skills?
What are the skills needed for the jobs that you are interested in?
Do the skills you have match the skills needed for those jobs?
Are there some skills that you would like to have but don’t have right now?
What education and/or training might you need to develop those skills?
Integrating Career Awareness into the ABE & ESOL Classroom
The career path could lead to many different fields.
Teacher – Social Worker – Consultant
This focuses on jobs that use similar skills but in different fields.
Next ask students to brainstorm what they think is meant by career planning. Write these on the board. Then, using students’ ideas, summarize with the following points:
What is career planning?
Identifying what you are good at
How your skills, talents, values, and interests translate into work
Matching your skills, etc., to existing jobs
Matching your career goal to your financial needs
It is a process
Need it to make good decisions
By doing career planning you can find good answers that meet your needs on your schedule
Career planning is an iterative process and is lifelong.
Depending on the needs and interest of the class, you can further break down the sections of the process. Basically, ask students to decide which parts of the career planning process they are most interested in learning about. This can guide you in how best to engage students with the curriculum.
Career Planning Model
Cultural Context:
Self-Exploration Process
Occupational Exploration
Career Planning Skills
Self-exploration looks at:
Skills • Interests
Education • Values
Experience
Occupational Exploration looks at:
Occupational/job profiles
Informational interviews
Career/job fairs
Labor market information
Educational and Career Planning looks at:
Decision making
Goal setting
Problem Solving
Action Planning
You can also post the three categories on big sheets of paper and give students index cards with the bullet points and have students put index cards under the correct heading. Leave these big sheets up in the classroom and when the other lessons in the curriculum are presented, refer to them and identify the part of career planning that the lesson addresses.
Extension Activity
For students with previous work experience, ask them to make a list of the jobs they have had and two jobs they would like to have. Then have students pair up and share the lists. Have students talk about any similarities in the jobs they have held and those they would like to have.
For students with limited or no previous work experience, ask them to make a list of at least three jobs they would be interested in having. Pair up students to share the lists. Ask them to talk about any similarities among the jobs they have chosen. Are there any jobs that they might need to have first to gain the experience for those jobs?
Integrating Career Awareness into the ABE & ESOL Classroom | Section II, Lesson 1: The Career Planning Process
Anyone who wants to succeed in their job, whether it’s a summer or after-school job or a step up in their career, needs to have good work habits. They help you build stronger relationships with your boss and coworkers, which in turn improves your productivity and job satisfaction. Here are 36 of the best habits to cultivate to help you build a successful career.
Your resume is the most important part of the job application process, because without a well-written one, hiring managers will not consider you. Not only does well-written mean that it is properly structured, contains all the right information, and is grammatically correct, but you should also write your resume in the right font.
Calibri has been Microsoft’s default font since 2007, which makes it the most widely recognized sans-serif in business documents worldwide. Its rounded letterforms are warm without being casual, and it reads cleanly at small sizes on both screens and paper.
Best for: Corporate roles, finance, consulting, administrative positions. Essentially any job where you want to look professional without trying too hard.
Why it works: Calibri hits the sweet spot between modern and neutral. Recruiters see it constantly, which means they never think about it. That’s exactly what you want from a resume font.
Garamond is the font of choice when you want elegance. Its thin strokes and classic proportions give resumes a refined, editorial quality. It also runs slightly smaller than most fonts, which means you can fit more content on a page without shrinking the point size.
Best for: Academia, publishing, law, executive-level positions. Anywhere that values tradition and sophistication.
Why it works: Garamond says “I read books and have taste” without saying it out loud. It’s one of the oldest typeface designs still in regular use, dating back to the 16th century, and it still looks fresh.
Designed specifically for on-screen reading by Microsoft, Cambria is the modern answer to Times New Roman. It has stronger serifs and wider spacing, which makes it more legible on monitors where most resumes are first reviewed.
Best for: Government, healthcare, education, traditional industries. A safe pick when you’re not sure what the company culture expects.
Why it works: Cambria gives you the authority of a serif font with none of the “stuck in 2005” baggage of Times New Roman. It was literally engineered for the way we read documents today.
Helvetica is the gold standard of graphic design. Clean, precise, and universally respected, it appears in everything from subway signage to Fortune 500 logos. On a resume, it projects confidence and clarity.
Best for: Design, marketing, tech, architecture. Industries where visual awareness matters.
Why it works: There’s a reason graphic designers have a near-religious devotion to Helvetica. Its letter spacing and proportions are close to perfect. One caveat: it’s native to macOS but not Windows, so always export to PDF to preserve rendering.
Georgia was specifically designed for screen legibility. Its large x-height (the height of lowercase letters) and generous spacing make it incredibly easy to read on monitors, which is where 90%+ of resumes are first reviewed.
Best for: Media, journalism, nonprofits, education. A warm, approachable serif that doesn’t feel stuffy.
Why it works: Georgia is one of the few serif fonts that was designed for digital screens first, print second. This makes it ideal for resumes that will be read on laptops and tablets before they ever see a printer.
Arial is the workhorse of business fonts. It’s installed on every computer, renders consistently across platforms, and never causes ATS issues. It’s not going to win any design awards, but it will never cause problems.
Best for: Any industry. When in doubt, Arial is the safest possible choice.
Why it works: Arial is the Honda Civic of fonts. Reliable, ubiquitous, gets the job done. If you’re applying to a company where font choice is the last thing anyone cares about, Arial is your answer.
7. Lato
Type: Sans-serif | Recommended size: 10-11pt | ATS compatibility: Very good
Lato (Polish for “summer”) was designed to feel warm and stable. Its semi-rounded letterforms are more friendly than Arial but more professional than Comic Sans (obviously). It’s a Google Font, meaning it’s free and widely available.
Best for: Tech startups, creative agencies, freelancing, digital-first companies.
Why it works: Lato feels contemporary without being trendy. It’s the font equivalent of smart casual dress code. One note: since it’s not a system font, always embed it in your PDF to avoid substitution.
8. Roboto
Type: Sans-serif | Recommended size: 10-11pt | ATS compatibility: Very good
Roboto is Google’s signature typeface, used across Android and Google’s own products. It has a mechanical skeleton with largely geometric forms, but the curves are open and friendly.
Best for: Tech, engineering, product roles, companies in the Google/Android ecosystem.
Why it works: If you’re applying to tech companies, Roboto signals that you live in the modern digital world. Like Lato, it’s a web font, so embed it when exporting to PDF.
9. Palatino
Type: Serif | Recommended size: 10.5-11.5pt | ATS compatibility: Very good
Palatino was inspired by Renaissance calligraphy and designed by legendary typographer Hermann Zapf. It’s slightly wider than Garamond with more open counters, making it easier to read at smaller sizes.
Best for: Legal, academic, literary, cultural organizations. A sophisticated choice that stands apart from the crowd.
Why it works: Palatino has a calligraphic elegance that Garamond sometimes loses at small sizes. If you’re in a field where the written word matters, this font tells your reader that you care about the details.
Verdana was designed by Matthew Carter specifically for screen reading. Its wide letterforms and generous spacing make it one of the most legible fonts at small sizes. This comes with a trade-off: it takes up more horizontal space than most fonts.
Best for: Digital roles, remote positions, anyone with a content-heavy resume that needs maximum readability.
Why it works: If your resume is dense with technical skills and certifications, Verdana ensures nothing gets lost. Just use a slightly smaller point size (9.5-10.5pt) to compensate for its wider characters.
Fonts to Never Use on a Resume
Let’s be specific about what to avoid:
Comic Sans – Created for speech bubbles in Microsoft Bob (a children’s software). It signals that you don’t understand professional norms. There is no industry where Comic Sans is acceptable on a resume.
Papyrus – The font James Cameron used for the Avatar logo, which was already controversial. On a resume, it screams “I picked a font that looked cool without understanding why it’s wrong.”
Impact – A display font designed for headlines and posters. It’s condensed, heavy, and exhausting to read in paragraphs. Your resume is not a protest sign.
Brush Script – Cursive fonts are hard enough to read in a greeting card. On a resume, they’re impossible to scan quickly and will confuse every ATS on the market.
Courier New – A monospaced font designed to look like a typewriter. Unless you’re applying for a job in 1975, this communicates “I don’t know how to use a computer.”
If you’re ready to make those hours count and find happiness and fulfillment in the office, then read on to find out how to be happy at work and find fulfillment in your career:
1. Discover the Root(s) of the Problem
For this first step, we’ll need to think back to 8th-grade physics (humor me). We all know Newton’s 3rd law, “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” When you think about it, the same can be said outside of physics, and we see this law play out in our daily lives, day after day.
Simply put, all the issues we deal with in the office (and life in general) affect us in a noticeable way.
If you’re appreciated at work, like the work you do and receive frequent praise, promotions, or raises, then this will probably have an altogether positive effect on your life in the office.
But what if we reverse this? What if you feel under appreciated, get passed up for promotions, or get denied raises? This is sure to affect the way you feel at work on a negative level.
So, before you can implement the steps of feeling happy and fulfilled at work, we first have to discover the reasons why you don’t feel that way already.
Think about it, write a list, or make a mental note. Run through all the reasons you’re dissatisfied in the office, and don’t hold back. Knowing the exact obstacles you’re facing will make overcoming them that much easier.
2. Practice Gratitude for an Instant Uplift
Did you know the simple act of feeling grateful can increase your happiness and make you more fulfilled at work?[1]
Well, it’s true, and it’s scientifically proven.
Dr. Lisa Firestone notes that practicing gratitude “reminds us of what we lacked in the past.” Meaning, it serves as both a boost to happiness and a bit of a wake-up call that things have been or could be, much worse.
Trying to conjure up feelings of gratitude can seem almost impossible when your work situation seems bleak but hear me out: There are incredibly easy ways to get started and it doesn’t involve trying to “force” yourself to feel grateful about things that stress you out.
For an instant pick-me-up, try this:
Find a loose piece of paper, a blank sticky note, or anything you can write on, be it physical or digital. List just three things that you are absolutely without-a-doubt thankful for in your life.
Now here’s the trick: Don’t just list what you’re grateful for, you have to list why you’re grateful for them, too.
For example, simply saying “I’m grateful for my kids” will probably make you feel good, sure, but what if we could amplify the warm, fuzzy feeling into real, lasting motivation?
Instead, write the reason you’re so thankful for your children. Is it because they make you laugh and forget about other stressors? Or maybe they help to remind you of why you go to work every day in the first place?
Whatever your reasons may be, jot them down and keep your list somewhere you can see it while you work. A quick glance at your gratitude list throughout the day can provide powerful, positive motivation to keep going.
Bonus:
If you can find just three things to be thankful for that specifically relate to your job, and list why those things make you grateful, your list can also help you find fulfillment in your work itself which can give you an even bigger boost of positivity throughout the day.
3. Take Meaningful Time for Yourself
We all know creating a strong work-life balance can be crucial to feeling satisfied in our jobs, but rarely do we ever address how we’re spending our time outside of work.
Many of us survive a 9-hour work day and commute home only to find ourselves busy with our personal to-do lists, running a household, and taking care of a child (or 2 or 3, and so on).
If you spend all your time working, whether in the office or within your household, you’re going to feel drained at some point. This is why setting meaningful time for yourself every day is highly important.
Look, I get it: I don’t know anyone in the working world who can shun all responsibility for a 3-movie marathon or happy hour with friends whenever they feel like it. But finding time for yourself, be it just 30 minutes to an hour, can really make a difference in how you feel at work.
This works because you’ll have time to actually relax and let the day’s stress melt away while you enjoy something just for you. The to-do lists and stressors will still be there after you’re refreshed and ready to tackle them.
No time for me-time? Try this:
If you have a busy household, you’ll need to capitalize on a block of time you know will be completely uninterrupted. The easiest way to do this: try waking up 30 minutes to an hour earlier than usual (or push bedtime back an hour if you’re a night owl, like me) and take time to do something you enjoy.
This could be reading with a cup of tea, catching up on Facebook, spending time on a passion project—anything! As long as it’s meaningful to you, it works!
Bonus:
Starting your day with meaningful time for yourself can set you up to have a positive mood that lasts well into office hours, and having your me-time in the evening can give you something positive to look forward to during the day.
4. Get Productive and Feel Accomplished
Don’t you just love the feeling of checking the last item off of a hefty to-do list? That’s because self-motivation can be a huge driver of positivity and success.
When we accomplish something, no matter how small, it makes us feel good, plain and simple. Applying this tactic to your daily work can be the motivator you need to find fulfillment during the daily office grind.
While there are tons of steps to get more done at work, I’ll share my personal favorite: Prioritizing.
Now, many people handle prioritizing differently. Some like to tackle the little tasks first so they can spend focused time on the big to-dos. Others like to knock out the big items first and get to the smaller ones when they can.
No matter which camp you’re in, you may be missing one crucial step: Time management.
So how’s this work? When you factor in the amount of time your priorities will take, it can transform your productivity ten-fold.
Say you have three top priorities for the day. You might jump into the smaller ones or the bigger ones depending on your preferred method, and then find yourself out of time and bringing work home with you at the end of the day.
This is prevented when you factor in time. Knowing how long each item will take, or deliberately setting specific blocks of time for your priorities can help you accomplish more in the same 8-9 (or 12) hours that you typically spend at work.
Try this:
Take a look at your priorities and consider how long they should take. Pop into your Google calendar (or Filofax, whatever works for you) and schedule time to work on your priority items around any important meetings or events of the day.
The most important thing to remember is to stick to your dedicated time.
Often, when we know exactly how long we have to work on something (and honor this time limit), we’re motivated to get more done on time to avoid taking work home at the end of the day.
The Bottom Line
There’s no need to waste 1/3 of our lives feeling unsatisfied at work. Luckily, you now have the tools to get started, take back your time, and become happy and fulfilled at work again.
You have to reconcile the fact that, in today’s competitive job market, employers receive approximately 250 job applications for every open position. Ninety-five percent of organizations (large and small) use software known as an applicant tracking system – ATS – to screen applications and eliminate the least qualified applicants.
If your resume is among the lucky 25 percent of applications that make it past the dreaded bots, it still must pass muster with the recruiter or hiring manager. With so many applications flooding their inboxes, it’s no wonder that the average recruiter skims a resume for only six seconds before deciding if the applicant belongs in the “no” pile.
To give yourself a fighting chance to make it to the “yes” pile, follow these simple rules and get rid of the deadwood.