Dallas Jobing Community Blogs

 

If you want to learn how to become the top candidate for even the most competitive positions:

Mark your calendars for Tuesday November 10th at 8PM CST for JobRadioUSA’s Episode 19 “Personal Branding During the Interview Process.”

Carole Martin - author of “The Complete Book of Perfect Phrases For Successful Job Seekers” - will discuss:

Why interviewees today need an extra edge or uniquely beneficial trait to win the job

How to develop 3-5 relevant, unique advantages and benefits that will wow hiring managers

How to use these unique advantages and benefits to develop elevator speeches and answers to interview questions

How to make it obvious during the interview that you are the candidate a company cannot live without

You can access the show by either dialing 347-838-9326 or visiting http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thecareercatalyst.

Feel free to share this information with fellow job seekers.

During the listener Q&A session, Carole will reveal:

Techniques interviewees can use to demonstrate their personal brand during phone screens

Tactics interviewees can use to win interviews during the first few minutes

Interview answers before and after personal branding for a few common questions

Questions interviewees can ask at the end of interviews to differentiate themselves

This is a show you do not want to miss. Likewise, I look forward to your live participation Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, visit http://thecareercatalyst.podbean.com/ and listen to Success Mapping: How to Achieve What You Want… Right Now! This show was very good and different.

"It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference." Tom Brokaw

I thought about using a quote from Groundhog Day to start this off. You remember, the movie where Bill Murray is a weatherman that finds himself living the same day over and over again.  Do you ever get that feeling when you are dealing with the same patients that come back for the same issues? Over and over again.

So you stabilize them and before they go you try to teach them. You hope the teaching sinks in and takes hold. Maybe they won’t come back – again.

The reality is it takes more time. In the hospital diet is controlled; in the home the fridge is always open. In the hospital it’s the right patient, right medicine, right dose, right time; at home two out of five ain’t bad.  In other words, it is takes more time and exposure to make changes in lifestyles.

So what if you had the chance to make a difference in whether that person came back or not? Would that be more rewarding than treating them? Prevention is the key to making a difference in today’s community.

Our agency offers a 3-1 solution focused on preventing hospitalizations. We offer cutting edge care in the home setting. Medicine management and keen diagnostic skills help us prevent signs from becoming symptoms.

We offer programs for a variety of patients, including:

• Cardiovascular Home Care - Patients with COPD/CHF/and other heart diseases
• Orthopedic Home Care - Orthopedic patients
• Safe Choices - Hard to discharge patients or patients w/ frequent rehospitalizations

For more information on our services, please contact us at 817-847-8888 x121.

If you are a nurse, therapist or home health aide that is looking for the opportunity to join a progressive company that makes a difference in the patient’s disease process please click on the links below to submit your resume/application. 

In today’s job market where demand far exceeds supply of jobs, job seekers need an edge. Job seekers who are confident about their skills and capabilities have a greater chance of successfully ending their job search. Below are seven approaches job seekers can use to develop or enhance their confidence simultaneously as they conduct their job search.

1. Believe in yourself and your abilities - you must believe that you are the ideal employee who can produce great results for your targeted employers. You can accomplish this by minimizing doubt, viewing failure as a temporary setback, and looking for the good in every adverse situation. Also surround yourself with confident people and participate in positive mental attitude activities.

2. Develop or revisit your career plan - next adjust or map out your career path. You must determine where you want to go and the actions you need to take to acquire your career aspirations. This exercise will help you focus on potential opportunities that will keep your career on track – maintaining or growing your confidence in the process.

3. Determine the required skills and capabilities - next identify the technical, soft, and personal skills and capabilities you need to move from the beginning to the end of your career plan. You can acquire this information by conducting external research and interviewing professionals who are where you want to be in your career.

4. Identify your strengths and weaknesses - pinpoint areas of strength and weakness for each of the competencies and qualifications you need to achieve your career goals. For each skill and capability, determine which ones are either your greatest assets or areas for improvement.

5. Develop methodology for previous capability and skill usage - create outlines for the processes you used to produce great results for your previous employers. These outlines will help you produce work that at least meets your future employers’ expectations especially when you encounter unfamiliar territory in your career. For example, you could have identified potential solutions, conducted analyses to prioritize these resolutions, gained stakeholder buy-in throughout the process, and executed the best solution(s) to solve problems.

6. Locate resources and access to help - compile all of the relevant resources you can store on a computer such as training material including eBooks, industry and analyst reports, notes, previous work, and so on. Also bookmark websites that provide relevant online databases and free assistance from subject matter experts for all of your required technical, soft, and/or personal skills. These resources will provide you with assistance whenever you need it.

7. Participate in professional and personal development - consistently engage in professional and personal development activities which can include formal and informal hands-on training to acquire and/or strengthen your required skills and capabilities. You could also participate in pro bono (or volunteer) and/or consulting assignments and work in teams with confident individuals who are strong in your areas of weakness.

I recommend you listen to Ron Nash’s “How to Use Facebook to Revitalize Your Job Search” which was a Featured show or one of BlogTalkRadio (BTR) Today’s Picks. This show supplied several golden nuggets. Click here: http://tinyurl.com/yfftohf to listen to this podcast.

If you live in Carrollton or Rowlett you've almost certainly noticed our two little construction projects. The next RaceTrac to open in North Texas will be at 4788 N. Josey Ln. in Carrollton. That's at the intersection of Josey Ln. and Parker Rd.

Hot on the heels of that store will be a new RaceTrac in Rowlett at 7401 Lakeview Parkway, at Lakeview Parkway and Chiesa Rd. This store is another one that makes me feel a little old. I can remember when a lot of the neighborhoods around there were just fields with newly-paved streets running through them.

When we bring a new RaceTrac to a community we bring everything you expect from RaceTrac: Smiling, friendly faces; A huge selection of fresh, convenient foods; Cold beverage selections including beer, sodas, fountain and frozen drinks; Eight different blends of fresh-brewed coffee including iced coffee, cappuccinos and hot chocolate; Huge gasoline islands with some of the best fuel prices around; and, of course, GREAT jobs!

We are very pleased to have been recognized by the Dallas Business Journal as one of the Best Places to Work in North Texas. As we continue to build new stores (and we are going to keep building - Plano, Duncanville, Lake Worth ... keep your eyes open) we will continue to create new career opportunities in the communities we serve. We offer a competitive wage, outstanding benefits (our Associates are eligible for health coverage from day one of their employment), opportunities for growth and advancement and a chance to work for an industry leader that serves the best guests in the business!

Jobs at RaceTrac are not seasonal jobs or temporary jobs. There are a lot of retailers attempting to attract "part-time, seasonal" help right now. In other words, those jobs will be going away right after Christmas, if they even last that long. Not RaceTrac jobs. We're not looking for "seasonal" help. We are growing and we're looking for outstanding talent to help drive that growth. RaceTrac Store Associates are the front line of our ongoing guest service promise. Energy, teamwork and a winning attitude create the friendly face of RaceTrac that our guests expect and depend on when they shop with us.

If you believe you have what it takes to work for one of the best companies of its kind in the country, we invite you to Click Here to apply with RaceTrac.

If you're one of our loyal "Trac Fanatics", thank you for the opportunity to serve you. It is our mission to earn your business every single day.

If you haven't shopped with us before, let me invite you to visit your nearest RaceTrac. We have 75 stores in North Texas, so there's bound to be one on your way, and we love having new guests in our stores!

(This post is based on some of the principles included in my new book, Unlock the Hidden Job Market: 6 Steps to a Successful Job Search When Times Are Tough which I wrote with San Diego-based executive coach, Duncan Mathison. For a free sample chapter, visit the book's official site: www.unlockthehiddenjobmarket.com )

If you’ve been following my posts, you’ll know that I’ve been writing about networking a lot lately. Or at least it seems like it. Networking, networking, networking. Maybe it’s me but don’t you think that when you say it out loud enough, it begins to sound like earwax? Okay…it’s probably just me.

Networking doesn’t have much appeal, does it? It doesn’t sound nearly as much fun as going to your local Applebee’s with some friends for a beer and some wings. Now there’s a problem with even that Applebee’s scenario. Based on the emails I’ve been getting, a lot of you are feeling that you don’t have too many friends either. And the ones you do have are getting, like, really tired of hearing you talk about your struggles to land a job. And you’re getting really tired of talking about it too. In fact, you’d just wish they’d change the subject.

I don’t think my readers are social losers. (At least I hope not, but, then again, what are you doing reading this blog post when it’s such a pretty day outside?) When you’ve been out of work for any amount o time, it’s easy to feel that you have run aground in the contacts department – especially in recent years when we’ve all been so busy taking care of our jobs and our families. We’ve let outside friendships perhaps atrophy. Maybe all your friends were work-related. And now that you’re out of work, you’re also fresh out of buddies. Or you’ve moved to a new town where you really, really don’t know anyone.

Whatever the reason for your feelings of isolation, you know you have to mix it up a little bit, well, a lot. Get some fresh meat, I mean talent, into your tight circles of relationships. Get out of the house. So I thought I’d offer some tips in that direction.

Remember that one thing leads to another. The thing about circulating is that your first dip into big world probably won’t net you a job. It’s a cumulative kind of thing. So leave that desperate, graspy, over-eager feeling at home when you head out the door. Just be open to meeting who you meet. Maybe tonight you’re destined to actually help someone else. And you’ll come home feeling just a little better about yourself.

Look for opportunities where you can become a regular. And no, I don’t mean the Applebee’s bar. When your face starts becoming familiar, you will emerge from invisibility to someone who people will be glad to see. Maybe they’ll even shout out your name, like, “Norm!” (But don’t count on it.) If you try a business mixer or worship service or volunteer opportunity, and people completely ignore you, keep going. Week after week. Introduce yourself as often as you can. And just let the cumulative effects of time work their wonders.

Stay away from solitary pursuits, even if they’re out of the house. Going to a matinee movie doesn’t count as “getting out there.” Go to local economic development or chamber of commerce meetings, receptions, mixers. Your local bookstore probably offers booksignings, author lectures or special classes. A friend of mine who is a professional coach is part of a team who gives courses at Whole Foods! Go! The home improvement stores offer free courses. Go! The American Red Cross offers courses in first aid, cpr, etc. Go!

Make job-related networking events only a small percentage of your out-of-the-house activities. First of all, you’re so much more than unemployed. And you need to nurture those other parts of who you are. At the very least, this way you’ll lead with an opener that’s so much more interesting than, “Hi, gotta job?” But most importantly is that your self-definition has a chance to stay strong and defined beyond this immediate need of landing a gig. You will also stand a better chance of meeting people other than fellow job-seekers. You know…people who already have jobs? And who would be thrilled to help you get inside their companies or organizations.

Learn something. Go to local college courses – especially the ones at night, when employed people go to school. You don’t have to matriculate and take on the expense of a formal semester. Continuing ed courses can be inexpensive. The teachers are often professionals in the community (hint: employed people!). It’s probably best if you took a course that would help you be more qualified for the kind of job you’re looking for. But even taking a non-job related course will at least remind you that there’s more to life than your daily bread (although, it’s kind of hard to make that argument right now, I know).

Teach something. Surely you know something that will benefit others. How to read, for adult literacy programs, for instance. If you have a profession or skill that’s useful in the for-profit world, surely you can introduce at least the basics to young people. Convene a panel of other experts and put on a program! (You’ll be able to find a venue. A friend of mine hosted the annual meeting of his professional association – on the premises of the company that had just laid him off. Awkward.)

Volunteer. Those same skills you can teach you can donate. It will make you feel good about being who you are and what you can do. That boost in self-esteem will give you the added confidence that will send out the signal that you’re a valuable contributor to the world.

Call old friends – even if they haven’t heard from you in a long time. This is where Facebook comes in handy. The other day I heard from a dear friend for the first time in about 8 years. We’d been looking for each other off and on over recent years but, thanks to Facebook, she found me first! And we talked on the phone for a full three hours. A lot of it was catching up. But, she was also very candid about the fact that she needed some professional advice from me. Did I see this as a cheesy ulterior motive? Heck no! First off all, I owed her a gigantic favor from 10 years ago (I mean, huge). Secondly, I love her and I know she loves me. So whatever I have is hers. (Advice, I mean.)

Ask for introductions. Unless you’re a bitter whiner who needs to blow your nose and brush your teeth (and, uhm, a little roll-on?), the friends you have should be happy to give you introductions you need to move your job search forward. If they’re reluctant to help you, find out why. Wouldn’t you want to know the truth, especially if it was something you could fix? And, if they’re possessive with or protective of their contacts to the point where they’re keeping you from helping yourself, or making you feel judged, it’s best that you should know that now. You might have just discovered a brand new opening in your group of friends to fill.

They say that once you achieve a certain age, it gets harder and harder to make new friends. Everyone is set in their habits, patterns, commuting routine, relationships. Well, one of the upshots of these economic times is that everyone is thrown higgledy-piggledy into a big pile of confusion and some flavor of disconnectedness. Now is a fantastic time to build new circles of friends and business contacts.

And vow to take better care of them in the future. Like, don’t wait 8 years before picking up the phone.

Stalled in your Job Search? We'll give you some enhanced information to re-energize you search by providing information that is not readily available in the DFW area. This event will feature advanced lectures on relationship building, understanding advanced resume technologies, the importance of personal branding and expanding your digital footprint, as well as other timely and relevant topics for the savy job seeker. You are not alone. We are here to help.

Saturday, October 31
8:30am - 1:00pm
Trinity Vineyard Fellowship Church
1401 W. 5th Street
Fort Worth, 76012

Registration is required. To register go to www.careersearchnetwork.org and click on the Seminars/workshops page.

International Business Coach, Scott Carley, and Nationally recognized Real Estate and Motivational Speaker, Chad Goldwasser have announced that they have scheduled a stop in the metroplex for their next supercharged event. It will be held at the Arlington Convention Center, 1200 Ballpark Way on Thursday, November 12. The all-day event will provide an excellent training opportunity for emerging and seasoned sales professionals alike.

In addition to motivational topics, the pair will cover the mind set of the sales person, how time thieves arrest your productivity, tools, tips and techniques that apply to supercharging your sales career and answer the age-old question of "what does netWORKING really mean?"

For more information and a registration form, go to www.highovoltagesalestour.com.

Many job seekers have a minimum salary in mind. If an employer offers less, they would consider it unacceptable.  It is very interesting to find out how people come up with this amount.

From my experience, many job seekers determine this amount based on their amount of experience and geographical location.  This makes sense. In reality a store clerk can't expect a $100,000 income if other clerks are making $7.25 an hour.  There is a point where you have to be realistic.

While this all has merit, there is another important factor that is sometimes overlooked or not given enough attention.  In the current job market, you may have to determine an acceptable salary that will allow you to be comfortable.  If your field normally pays $50,000 and there are very few jobs available, you may have to accept less in order to keep marketable experience.  No one wants to accept less than they feel worthy of, but we are in challenging times. 

If you determine that you may need to take less, how much less makes sense?  Though many variables may come into play, at a minimum, determine how much it takes to stay afloat. 

The only way to know this is by making a family budget.  First determine and write down all of your monthly expenses.  For example, you may determine your monthly expenses are $1,500.  To come up with your minimum survival salary, start with $1,500 and consider increasing it by 10% to 20% for a couple of reasons.  First, if you determine that $1500 is the minimum amount, a salary of $1,500 will have you living check to check.  No one wants to do that.  Secondly, we encourage people to save at least 10% of their income.  Unexpected things come up such as automobile expenses, broken household items, etc.  Make sure you have a buffer for emergency funds.  Also, if possible, you want to save for retirement, college funds, etc.  Again, at a minimum, make sure you can save for an emergency fund.

Now that you have come up with your number, you know your minimum amount for survival.  Let's face it.  In these economic times you have to know the minimum, because taking a job that doesn't cover the minimum can lead to a life you don't want to imagine.  Hopefully this minimum amount is a lot less than a job in your field currently pays.  The key is to at least know what it takes to stay afloat.

A. L. BEAN & Company

Consulting, Tax & Accounting

www.twitter.com/albeancompany

www.albeanco.com

 

Generating suitable job leads is one of the most difficult and important stages of the job search process. You can be the best interviewee in the world but you will not acquire job offers if you lack appropriate opportunities. Since the job search process is ultimately a numbers game, more suitable job leads in your pipeline will result in more opportunities to interview and to subsequently generate job offers. Below is a 7-step approach to successful job lead generation.

1. Identify Your Target Market
Identify 20 targeted companies in your desired geographical regions and industries that may have a need or problem that can be successfully met by your expertise. To identify these companies, you can use business directories like Dun & Bradstreet, lists such as Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For”, company review sites such as Glassdoor.com, and so on.

2. Identify Your Potential Prospects
Determine the senior executives who are in charge of your targeted business unit for your 20 companies; for instance, the CMOs if you are seeking positions in marketing. These are the individuals who can make hiring decisions or at least refer you to the appropriate hiring managers depending on your experience level. The quickest way to acquire this information is to dial the main number for each company and ask “Who is in charge of X (the department you are targeting)?”

3. Prepare Prospecting Scripts
Create call and/or email scripts to use when you contact previous and/or current employees (including hiring managers) of your targeted companies. These scripts should include an introduction, purpose, WIIFT (what’s in it for the individuals you contact), responses to common objections or rebuttals, and/or closing. If you want to gather information about a company from current and previous employees, you could state: “Hello my name is X and I’m a fellow X member who is thinking about pursuing opportunities with your company. The reason I am contacting you is to ask a few questions to determine if I should begin my pursuit. Do you have a few minutes to talk? ”

4. Prequalify Your Potential Prospects
Contact previous and/or current employees of your targeted companies to determine (if possible) which hiring managers are “qualified” based on having a need for your expertise, sufficient monetary resources or budget, and/or the authority to make hiring decisions. You can locate these employees from an advanced search on LinkedIn and other sources. During these discussions (and from external research), also gather information about the company’s stability, culture, work-life balance, employee profile, and so on to determine which targeted companies are ideal for you.

5. Determine Initial Contact Medium
Determine the ideal medium (based off of your comfort level) for contacting hiring managers of your targeted companies about hidden and/or advertised jobs. Ideally you should contact hiring managers by phone and/or email after receiving referrals from trusted sources. However, you could also contact hiring managers via direct mail and/or cold calls.

6. Make Contact with Your Prospects
Contact your targeted hiring managers using your scripts and the information you gathered to locate suitable hidden opportunities and/or to see if there is a fit for suitable job postings. For example, you could state: “Hello X, my name is X and I was referred by X who strongly believe I am the ideal IT manager (or ideal candidate for X job posting) for X, X, and X. The purpose of my call is to discuss this further. Do you have a few minutes to talk?”

7. Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan
Develop a daily, weekly, and monthly job lead generation plan and reserve the necessary time to efficiently meet the plan’s objectives. Periodically, determine what is working and not working regarding lead generation and make the necessary adjustments.

I strongly suggest you listen to Ford Myer’s “How to Get the Job You Want - Even When No One’s Hiring” which was a Featured show or one of BlogTalkRadio (BTR) Today’s Picks. This show was really good. Click here: http://tinyurl.com/yz98zc2 to listen to this podcast.

All Veterans searching for employment be sure to attend the job fair tomorrow, October 29th, especially for you!

The Hire a Vet Regional Job Fair will be held on Thursday, October 29 from 10am - 3pm at the Arlington Convention Center, 1200 Ballpark Way. Parking and admission are free. Only Veterans will be admitted.

Note to Vets: The uniform of the day will be business attire. Bring plenty of resumes with you.

Sponsored by:

Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas, Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County, Texas Workforce Solutions, Workforce Solutions for Greater Dallas and the Veterans Commission.

Congratulations to Shelby Bentley, Regional Manager of Human Resources - TJ Maxx, for winning our Wii giveaway.  Shelby, an attendee at the HR Southwest Conference, visited our booth in the Exhibit Hall, left her business card for the drawing and won! You can view all of the photos from her winning moment here.

Shelby joined TJX in 1994 as a Field Assistant Store Manager for TJ Maxx.  In 2001 she moved to a position at their corporate headquarters as a Field Associate Relations Specialist, which started her career in HR.  Since that time, not only has she supported the TJ Maxx and Marshalls divisions in the corporate environment, but also worked as a generalist in the Marshalls division which moved her back to the field.  In 2007, she started her current position supporting 121 stores in 13 states.  In her roles, she has had the opportunity to develop new training programs, educate all levels of the field in various labor law compliance issues, and ensure the company's culture is maintained.

Thank you to Shelby and to all of the attendees for visiting our booth at HR Southwest. What a wonderful conference and we look forward to seeing you next year! Receive all updates about the 2010 conference on Twitter @HRSouthwest.

You can keep in touch with Jobing on Twitter @JobingDallas and @JobingFortWorth and become our fan on Facebook in Dallas or Fort Worth.

 

In recent weeks I’ve been watching events unfold in Sedona  -- that whole James Arthur Ray thing and how people died in an ersatz sweat lodge.  I suppose for many people, a terrible event such as this (where people paid $9,000 for the privilege of dying a horrible death, surrounded in the gloom by their vomiting and fainting companions) is so exotic to most people that “that could never happen to me” is a thought that briefly passes through our minds.  And that would probably be true.

 

However, this whole clutch of motivation and self-help teachers has been bugging me over recent years. While a multitude of programs are offered every year that don't involve ambulances and homicide investigations, many of them are damaging in the way they take advantage of intelligent, open-minded individuals looking for a better way out of frustration and despair.  And the cumulative effect of little damages everywhere can also be very destructive indeed. And I’m worried that the general public might be even more at risk as the economy continues its stagger, stagger, crawl mode.  These are emotional frontiers we’re in, folks, and the woods are lousy with snake oil salesmen – people who promise to give you a breakthrough secret to life in a week or a weekend, for the price of a semester of college or a small car.

 I have had in my bookshelf for a couple of years now the book, SHAM, by Steven Salerno. And I’ve been really reluctant to read it. Primarily because I knew he would blow the lid off of the mechanics behind self-help gurus and their business models. And at the time I was also reading Martin Seligman (the very legitimate founder of the very legitimate positive psychology movement), and I was also dabbling in more than a little Jack Canfield, Tony Robbins, Marianne Williamson and even Joel Osteen. And, frankly, I liked the way their messages made me feel.  And while I certainly didn’t buy The Secret’s promises hook, link and sucker (I mean, sinker), having grown up in a family whose mantra was mainly, “ain’t it awful, ain’t it tragic,”  I knew there is definitely something to be said for willfully focusing on the positive side of things. If you have read my earlier postings, you’ll know that I believe that a positive attitude is more conducive to creative thinking and endurance during a time where everything seems to be hitting the fan.  At least it makes the ride a little more tolerable.

 But I also know a manipulative head-game when I see one. (At least I hope I do.) I certainly learned to recognize the signs when I’ve bought into one, much to my ever-lasting regret pretty quickly thereafter.  So, I thought I’d lay out a list of danger signs for you – with the hopes of helping you keep your money in your pocket.  (I get the fact that this could mean that I might miss out on a few sales of my own books – but at the end of this post I’m actually going to offer you my first book for free. I won’t even ask you for your email address as one of those cheesy quid pro quo gambits.)

 Avoid any course with titles containing such words as “breakthrough,” “success,” “transform,” “dream,” and whose tuition includes a comma.  Speaking from personal experience here.  These kinds of courses are mostly warmed over material drawn directly from the texts of books that you can purchase for $20 to $30.  There will be much playing of John Denver and hugging of total strangers  -- most who look like they either haven’t been hugged in decades or they’re really really really looking forward to hugging you. The break times are dedicated to urging you to sign up for the advanced course at twice the price (but today – and only today – slashed to the same amount you just paid for the basic course). My memories of those break times involve softly trance-inducing singing from the stage and a certain zombie-ness of the people moving to the back of the room where tables are conveniently set up, where staffers cheerfully accepted credit cards. Did I get anything of value from that basic week? Yes…my mastermind group is still intact after almost five years. We meet on the phone every other week and have become supportive friends. But have our circumstances changed significantly since we met that that “breakthrough” week?  Nope.  (As you can imagine, I’m usually the cranky one on our phone calls.)

 If you go to any course with a title that includes the words “spirit,” “warrior,” “vision quest,” make sure there is an EMT on call at all times before laying your money down. Most spiritual quests are flat-out scary. Who are these people to say they know the way, and will lead us there through a regimen of fasting, meditation and bodily deprivation? The way people refer to spirituality as Spirit, as if Spirit is their next door neighbor with handy cable piracy skills, is revolting. And the way white Americans romanticize the mysteries of Native American life and traditions is deeply hypocritical or willfully shallow. If they’re so enchanted by the Native American way, how about coming out to the Southwest, don't stop at the spas or casinos, and spend that week teaching Native American children to say no to crystal meth addiction and alcoholism? Share the inspiring benefits of your own education, skills and privilege, rather than trying to siphon off a few sips of mysticism from authentic traditions that you will never get anyway?

 If someone wants to teach you how to be rich (for whatever price), first find out how he got rich himself.  Look at the frequent fliers of this particular line of work, and you’ll find out that most of them got rich by sticking their hands into pockets of people just like you (and me). And they’re getting richer.  Did he ever grow a company, other than the staff of eager minions he has working for him now? Did he turn around a major corporation? Did he emerge from his own family of alcoholics and desperados to blaze his own trail by making something or contributing something useful to society (that is other than an ultra-expensive retreat)?  Is he an unimpeachable researcher who has the gift of translating esoteric, hard-to-understand information into immediately useful ideas that anyone can have for the price of a book?  That might be someone worth paying some attention to.

 When someone tells you that you’re nowhere without his secrets or gift, laugh and walk away. Need I say more? Okay, I will. I know of one so-called Buddhist guru (she’s American) who actually replaced the words “Higher Power” in the 12 Step Program with her own name.  That’s amazing. But what’s even more amazing is that hundreds of otherwise intelligent people said, “Duh, okay.”

 Just say no to any product marketed to you via email by someone you’ve never heard of but endorsed by someone you have. These people exchange mailing lists, knowing full well that purchasers of self-help products are the most likely to come back for more and more. The cynicism is mind-blowing.

 Avoid self-help books that were Number 1 on Amazon for, like, three hours one day.  Again, it’s the lists at work. These people know how to game the system and they use each others’ lists to snag that coveted spot, even for an instant. This way they can call themselves “bestselling authors.”  Big whup.

 Don’t give up your own dreams.  Life is full of true mysteries. My personal favorite one is the mystery of synchronicity. I’m a total sucker for those stories, and I have true, first-hand stories of my own that would curl your hair. But I wouldn’t bet the ranch on a synchronicity that I perceive to be an omen. (Even though, in my heart of hearts, I kind of hope it is.)

We all need fresh infusions of inspiration now and then. And  personal growth does involve keeping your mind open and venturing into uncomfortable zones now and then. But no breakthrough experience should necessitate group puking or even close bodily contact with strangers to the strains of “Sunshine On My Shoulders.”

 Keep your wallet in your pants. Or purse.

 (Now for the free offer:  I will give you a free copy of my very first book, Find Your Calling, Love Your Life. For absolutely nothing. Not even your email address.  Just go to www.unlockthehiddenjobmarket.com and click the green button that will lead you to free downloads. You can also have a free sample chapter of my new book, Unlock the Hidden Job Market.  Naturally, my coauthor and I would love it if you also purchased that book. But you know what? You don’t have to.)

 

 

 

WOVI, Inc., Announces 2009 Mentor of the Year Award Recipients

At 8th Annual Mentor Recognition Luncheon and Conference held October 9-10, 2009 at Hilton Garden Inn, Dallas/Richardson, Richardson, Texas  “Empowering Women to Lead”

Richardson, TX. Women of Visionary Influence (WOVI) honors outstanding mentors at its Annual Mentor Recognition Awards Luncheon .

Each year the awards recognize women who 1) clearly encourage and motivate other women in the workplace, 2) provide special value to their organization, and/or 3) impacts measurable growth in the development of women and/or to their organization.


Mentor of the Year– Bette Buschow-- Executive Director, Resolana

Corporate Mentor of the Year – Jarilyn Fox, President and Publisher
Business News Group

NonProfit Mentor of the Year - Ms. Rosa Arroyo, SER-SCSEP Site Coordinator
SER Jobs for Progress National, Inc.

Community Mentor of the Year – Dr. Marsha Gathron, (posthumously)

WOVI Member Mentors of the Year- Kim Andrews, President WOVI Frisco and Liz Patel, First VP, WOVI Frisco

Bette Buschow, our Mentor of the Year, founded Resolana. a nonprofit organization working with women to break the cycle of incarceration. Bette, in her untiring and unwavering commitment, has developed and mentored a staff of over 100 volunteers to help provide skills to women prior to their release. Her program is so well received that Resolana is one of only three groups with a dedicated classroom space in the new South Tower correction facility in Dallas.

Jarilyn Fox, our Corporate Mentor of the Year, Business News Group, has worked devotedly with minorities and women in the pursuit of their career and business goals. She lends instruction and insight to CEOs and directors of diversity on matters of importance to minority and women-owned businesses. Her exhaustive work over the past 25 years exemplifies a true mentor as she encourages and instructs people to make the most of one’s personal and professional life.

Rosa Arroyo, our NonProfit Mentor of they Year, works for the Senior Community Service Employment Program. Her observant advice, suggestions, direction and mentoring have helped many Seniors receive training, recruitment and placement. Her vision into each individual allows her to instinctively know when encouragement, a pat on the back, or motivation is needed. She is highly focused in her commitment to each person she reaches. Her impact is reflected in the success of the many lives she touches.

Marsha Gathron, PhD. (posthumously) our Community Mentor of the Year is the first woman to be awarded posthumously. A former Adjunct Instructor at Austin College in Sherman, Texas she fulfilled a life-long dream when she wrote and received a grant to help women from abusive homes to reestablish themselves in a new setting. The plan focused on women having nice homes while getting the necessary education to move forward. One stipulation of the grant called for women who had been helped to mentor new women coming to the homes. Members of WOVI Red River accepted the award on her behalf. Marsha was a member of the Red River Chapter.

Kim Andrews and Liz Patel – Member Mentors of the Year This was the first year that two WOVI members, both with outstanding nominations were honored. They exemplify true WOVI spirit and both are leaders in the Frisco Chapter.

Kim Andrews - Kim’s leadership as President of WOVI Frisco and through her authenticity, generosity and guidance had a profound impact on the growth of the Chapter. She helped meet the needs of fellow members and guests both in their personal and professional lives. Kim’s successful support and encouragement to one mentee in particular was life-changing helping her realize a new job, rekindle an old business and helped her become an active supportive member of WOVI.

Liz Patel – As First Vice President of WOVI Frisco, her positive energy and enthusiasm helped the Chapter by providing excellent monthly programs, making mentor-mentee assignments and by encouraging involvement with other Chapters through the WOVI Interest Rings. Liz took a proactive role early in the year and decided to mentor not one, but several women in the Chapter. Her genuine concern and commitment to women’s individual goals as well as to the vision of the Chapter continues to be exemplary.

Women of Visionary Influence Inc a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization develops programs and activities designed to lead, educate and mentor women. Through encouragement, genuine respect and inclusiveness, we celebrate self and others.
Chapters are in Addison, Frisco, North Dallas, Sherman (Red River), Firewheel, Fort Worth and Houston. The first out-of-state Chapter chartered in Phoenix, Arizona in early 2009. For more information, go to www.wovi.com.

What does it mean to “sell yourself”? It’s ensuring that your resume makes it to the top of the stack, or that your name is on the short list of preferred candidates. Sure it starts with a good cover letter. But does it really start there? It’s having confidence in yourself and your abilities in order to convince others that you are the perfect person for that incredible job that you really want.

In order to be the best, you have to know that you’re the best, and that means you have to do your homework. That’s right, education. There are many jobs out there but you may not have the right background. Well get it. You may be busy with a job that you don’t really want, but it pays the bills. Or you may be collecting unemployment for the time being, but that won’t last forever. Take a big tug on those bootstraps and earn the education that you need to better position yourself, professionally.

Going back to school… the idea is quite inspiring, really. But where will you find the time? You have it… you just need to carve it out of your schedule. The good news is that you live in the day-in-age of the Internet and what an awesome tool that is. Because of its widespread access, there are some really great online education options out there that offer you the opportunity to study wherever and whenever you want. The fact of the matter is, online education is booming right now and because of the competition, you have some excellent options.

So here’s the drill: finish your bachelors, get your masters, differentiate yourself with a specialized certificate in an up-and-coming field like Sustainability Leadership, Software Engineering and Networking, or go global with an international business doctorate. Do your homework. Research your options. You may be surprised at the educational opportunities that exist today within our pivotal global economy.

Sell yourself with confidence, knowing you have the right education. Research your educational opportunities at JobingEducation or learn more about one of our sponsored schools, UC Irvine - Extension (http://dallas.jobing.com/companyprofile.asp?i=127019) (online certificate programs) or California Intercontinental University (http://dallas.jobing.com/company_profile.asp?i=127036)  (CalU – online master’s and doctorate degrees). Use your time wisely to better your life and let the bidding begin!

When you’re in the market for a federal job, having the knowledge of the hiring process is essential for success.  After all, it’s your resume and KSA’s that will determine whether or not you are invited to interview for the jobs you want.  Without a well-written resume that highlights your skills in a manner that will appeal to federal Human Resource Staffs, you aren’t likely to get a chance to sell yourself to prospective employers.  Before you apply for another federal job, make sure that your federal resume is sending the right message to prospective employers.

Let Mr. Washington and his team of career development professional’s work with you to craft a winning federal resume. With years of experience in employee recruiting and human resource training, Mr. Washington knows what Human Resources Staffs are looking for. If you’re ready to take your federal job search to the next level, plan to attend our next seminar, October 31, 2009, 8am to 12pm, at Springhill Suite by Marriott, 3250 Lovell Ave,Fort Worth, Texas 76107, 817-878-2554, call 682-560-9142 for more information or visit our website: www.theresumeshop.vpweb.com