Nominations now open for Employee of the Month

Shout out the hardest workers in the DMV!

More than 711,000 employees make Washington, DC run efficiently, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Add the surrounding counties in Maryland and Virginia, and the number grows to more than 1,000,000 people who drive business, revenue, and services in, and around, the nation’s capital. We seek to sing the praises of many of these hardworking and talented employees in our new article series, Employee of the Month on Examiner.com.

In order to make Employee of the Month a success, your nominations – and spreading the word about the friendly competition – are vital.

Submission Process and Guidelines

Anyone may submit a nomination for consideration for Employee of the Month, including those who wish to self-nominate. Eligibility is based on two criteria:

1. The nominated employee works in the metropolitan Washington, DC area (i.e. the District of Columbia, Northern Virginia – Fairfax County, Prince William County; Montgomery County, MD; Prince George’s County; Howard County, MD)

2.  The nominee must work for a company, nonprofit organization, federal/local government, or educational institution; be support staff, a manager, executive director, administrator, intern, or anyone who works there; and, be a part-time or full-time employee of the company

Winners are selected based upon how well the nominator documents the employee’s contributions to the workplace. Nominations should be sent in Microsoft Word, and contain no more than three paragraphs. Include the nominator’s AND nominee’s name, telephone number, and email address.

Tips for writing a successful nomination:

• Include specific contributions to the workplace
• Indicate nominee’s work title and employer
• Specify why the nominee should be selected asEmployee of the Month

Employee of the Month Submissions

Email nominations to eotm@ksgsc.com. Winners will be featured in an upcoming article on Examiner.com.

For complete details and submission guidelines, visit www.ksgsc.com/eotm. Follow us on Twitter @KesiStribling or @CareerConnectDC.

This story also appears on Examiner.com.

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A day ON, instead of a day OFF

We kicked off this year’s Martin Luther king, Jr. Day of Service on Saturday, January 14, when we presented The Essential Job Search Toolkit (youth edition) to Washington, DC area high school students participating in the Leaders in Training (LIT) program, sponsored by Gap Buster, Incorporated.

Gap Buster Founder Dr. Yvette Butler, front left, with LIT program youth

During the workshop, participating youth learned how to create personalized cover letters for their dream jobs and internships, the elements of a great resume, pitfalls to avoid when creating cover letters and resumes, and detailed online job and internship resources.

They also discussed job categories (corporate, nonprofit, educational institutions, local and state government, and federal government), and identified which potential jobs were most appealing to them.

Feedback from The Essential Job Search Toolkit workshop:

…the students enjoyed your presentation tremendously. It was very informative and vital, since many of the students are on the verge of college; and internships are a great way to get experience and a head start on their competition.” – John, Gap Buster, Inc.

LIT students during the workshop

The students, most of whom are in their sophomore or junior year, also conducted a self-assessment to help them identify personality traits, skills, and interests that may aid them in their career pursuits.

They also learned how to identify their KSAs (knowledge, skills, and abilities), best tips for effective use of social media sites, and strategies for creating their (appropriate) online brand.

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Remaking America: Tavis Smiley, Suze Orman, Michael Moore talk poverty, the economy, and jobs in DC today

Tavis Smiley brings Remaking America to DC tonight

Talk show host and commentator, Tavis Smiley, brings his latest initiative, Remaking America: From Poverty to Prosperity, to Washington audiences tonight. Smiley, who will moderate the discussion, is bringing some notable heavy-hitters to the table to discuss the nation’s poverty, the economy, and jobs.

Panelists for tonight’s event include Princeton professor Cornel West; financial advisor and author Suze Orman; Academy Award™ winning filmmaker Michael Moore; Director of The Earth Institute and New York Times best selling author, Jeffrey Sachs.

Remaking America will be held today, January 12, at the George Washington University, Lisner Auditorium, 730 21^st Street, NW, Washington, DC 20052. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. The program will begin at 6:30 p.m.

For more information, or to view live streaming of the program, visit the Remaking America website.

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This story also appears on Examiner.com.

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Employee of the Month

It’s time to recognize the hard-working, innovative, and dedicated employees in the metropolitan Washington, DC area! Beginning in January 2012, my new article series, Employee of the Month on Examiner.com, will sing the praises of employees who work tirelessly to contribute to their workplaces. In order to do that, we need your help.

Nominate an Employee of the Month!

Nominate a deserving employee to be featured in our new article series on Examiner.com, Employee of the Month. Anyone is eligible to nominate an Employee of the Month, based on two criteria:

1. The employee works in the metropolitan Washington, DC area (i.e. the District of Columbia, Northern Virginia – Fairfax County, Prince William County;  Montgomery County, MD; Prince George’s County; Howard County, MD)

2.   The nominee can work for a corporate or nonprofit organization, be support staff, a manager, executive director, administrator, intern, or anyone who works there, and be a part-time or full-time worker

Employee of the Month Nominations

Nominations open on January 1, 2012. To view the nomination guidelines and submission process, visit www.ksgsc.com beginning December 30, 2011.

Winners will be featured in an upcoming article on Examiner.com, and on our affiliated social media pages, blogs, and in our publications.

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Your gift choices will give you away every time.

In Washington, DC, the land of political correctness, the ability to act without offending extends to the workplace, especially during the holiday gift-giving season. No matter how cool you are with your company execs and fellow entrepreneurs, discretion – and serious consideration – should dictate the holiday gifts you exchange.

Sure, maybe you and your supervisor secretly share a penchant for Maxim magazine, but giving a yearly subscription to the risqué magazine is completely unprofessional. Okay, maybe that gift-giving gaffe is obvious to you; but, if you need tips for finding the perfect gift for your office mates, not to worry. Here is my list of the top five gift suggestions for 2011.

Great gift ideas

1. Books that highlight the recipient’s areas of interest, such as biographies, golf, knitting, or the latest publication by his favorite novelist
2. Technology-related gift cards including the iTunes store, Best Buy, Amazon.com, or the recipient’s cell phone carrier
3. Gift cards that promote healthy living such as a visit to a local day spa, a salon to get a relaxing manicure or pedicure, or a yoga class
4. Magazine subscriptions are a great idea for coworkers who prefer to read publications in hand rather than scroll through content online, such as Entrepreneur or Inc. Magazine; professional membership subscriptions are also a great idea, especially for budding young professionals who may not be able to afford to join the Society for Human Resource Management or the American Marketing Association

Read the entire article on Examiner.com – more careers and workplace culture articles

Have gift ideas? Comment below to share your picks for the best holiday 2011 gifts.

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It’s National Career Development Month

It's National Career Development Month

Today, November 30, 2011, is the last day of National Career Development Awareness Month.

In an effort to encourage young people and adults to take charge of their professional careers, the month was chock full of activities, including a poetry and poster contest, My Career Dreams, sponsored by the National Career Development Association.

Why celebrate career development awareness only in November? I exhort you – job seekers and those who are content with their careers – to use this month as a kick off for becoming, and staying, empowered about your choices for your career. Following are 10 things you can do to boost your career:

 Talk to your mentor about your career pursuits and advice
 Review job announcements for positions in which you are interested
 Visit your college Career Services office (students and alumni, alike)
 Begin developing your career plan
 Apply for an internship or volunteer
 Shadow an employee at work
 Take a continuing education class
 Get a certificate in an area of interest
 Update your resume
 Overhaul your social media sites to make sure they are professional

For more resources and tips to strengthen your career, visit our Career Connect website. Did these tips help you? Do you have a tip for us? Let ASK THE STRATEGIST KNOW by commenting below.

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Excerpt from Examiner.com

Panelists during the CBC Town Hall on the economy, jobs

The Town Hall on Jobs and the Economy, held during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. 41st Legislative Conference yesterday, featured panelists who fleshed out some of the continuing economic challenges related to jobs, and offered some solutions for communities and businesses alike. It is often impossible to set aside politics and rhetoric when attending any conference hosted by elected officials, especially in Washington. While political sentiments bubbled to the surface at times, there were several cogent points made about the country’s lack of jobs and possible solutions to overcome the effects of the economy.

Moderated by former Secretary of Labor, Alexis Herman, the session opened with greetings from ranking Democrat, and former speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi. Panelists included Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II, BET founder and entrepreneur Bob Johnson, former AFSCME leader Bill Lucy, Economist Julianne Malveaux, National Urban League President Marc Morial, and Congresswoman Maxine Waters.

Continue reading on Examiner.com CBC Town Hall on Jobs, Economy: We can’t wait for the government – Washington DC workplace | Examiner.com

Excerpt from Examiner.com article

The White House to unveil detailed jobs plan soon

President Barack Obama laid out his plan to get Americans back to work during his speech on jobs to Congress this week. While the nation has been impacted as a whole, job seekers and business owners in the Washington, DC area sound off about their fears, frustration, and hope as a seemingly last ditch effort to corral both political parties to solve the continuing crisis was made by the President.

A real estate professional in Virginia, who asked that we not reveal her identity, said that she continues to endure the negative impact the economy has had on her industry. In addition to worrying about making ends meet due to a reduced income, she faces almost $50,000 in debt from the IRS and medical bills.

Excerpt from article on Examiner.com, 9/10/2011

DC Mayor Vincent Gray announces One City, One Hire

Washington, DC Mayor Vincent Gray, flanked by leadership of the DC Chamber of Commerce and the DC Department of Employment Services, announced the OneCity, One Hire initiative on Thursday at the chamber’s office in downtown DC.

An effort to encourage employers to hire District job seekers, OneCity, One Hire has an ambitious goal in today’s economy: hire 10,000 residents as soon as possible. Modeled after Atlanta’s Hire One jobs initiative, which helped successfully employ 13,000 job seekers within six months of its launch, Mayor Gray hopes to see similar results in the nation’s capital.

Continue reading the article on Examiner.com: Mayor Vincent Gray launches One City, One Hire to employ 10,000 residents – Washington DC workplace | Examiner.com

http://www.examiner.com/workplace-in-washington-dc/mayor-vincent-gray-launches-one-city-one-hire-to-employ-10-000-residents#ixzz1XZ7bT33A

ALERT

On the heels of President Barack Obama’s speech to Congress last night about his plan for jobs, and specifically, the American Jobs Act, the White House will hold a teleconference this afternoon. Details and call in information are below:

JOBS CREATION UPDATE CONFERENCE WITH THE WHITE HOUSE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PRESIDENT’S PLAN

THE ISSUE
Last night President Obama presented his plan to create jobs and grow our economy during a nationally televised address to both U.S. Houses of Congress.  Now it’s your turn to learn more and hear details.  This afternoon, Friday, September 9th at 4:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time, the White House will hold a Jobs Update conference call.

WHAT:   Jobs Update Conference Call with White House Officials
WHEN:   Friday, September 9th
4:30PM EDT
HOW:     Call toll free 1 – (800) 230-1059
TITLE:   Jobs Update Conference Call (this is the title you give to the
operator)