September is Wealth & Wellness Month

30 ways to improve your wealth and wellness

DISCLAIMER: ASK THE STRATEGIST is a blog that addresses business, career, workplace and etiquette issues. Any advice dispensed by Ask The Strategist is purely for informational and entertainment purposes. Take the advice and opinions at your own risk – and betterment! Follow @KesiStribling or @CareerConnectDC on Twitter. Post your questions/email your conundrum/send your question via video to ask@ksgsc.com. All submissions become the property of Ask The Strategist. Names and other identifying information may be changed to protect the person asking for advice.

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Workplace Primer for College Students (Part I of III)

Begin your career the right way!

This week, thousands of students will enter the hallowed halls of colleges across the country. For many, once the excitement of moving into dorms and registering for the requisite classes has subsided, collegians will settle into pursuing job opportunities. Whether a necessity, or a means for generating work experience for their resumes, entering the workforce – from searching for jobs to the on-boarding experience – can be a daunting task for rookie employees.

For college students, there are some key imperatives to help them become successful job seekers:  streamline the job search; create a flawless cover letter and resume; prepare for the interview; ask the right questions before you accept the position; give an award-winning performance at work; and, treasure your mentors and advocates.

Streamline the job search

Applying for any-old-job is a strategy that can lead to a disappointing workplace experience. Streamlining the job search is the first step in gaining temporary or long-term employment. Job seekers typically visit online job sites first to find opportunities. In addition to surfing popular sites, such as DCJobs.com or Career Builder, there are a number of websites tailored to specific industries. For example, CareerMD is an online career source for physicians and residents looking for jobs in the health care industry. The American Marketing Association job site lists thousands of opportunities in marketing and communications. Another site, the American Institute of Architects, lists architecture opportunities spanning internships to project managers.

Paid jobs, apprenticeships or internships in a desired field, such as technology, marketing, and business, are often advertised at the campus career services office. Recruiters who advertise jobs and internships with career services typically have a pre-existing relationship with the office, which can be an advantage to college job seekers because of that rapport. Many campus career centers allow students to register for online alerts for posted positions, workshops, and campus job fairs.

Create a flawless cover letter or resume

Before applying for an internship or job, students should create detailed, flawless cover letters and resumes. These documents are an introduction to potential employers, who critique the applicants’ experience, soft skills, and specialized skills before deciding if they even want to bring candidates in for interviews.

Recruiters typically spend less than a minute to peruse a cover letter or resume, so it is important to structure your cover letter and resume, list only relevant information, and proofread everything. Structuring your cover letter or resume covers everything from ensuring your documents are the appropriate length to layout and font.

Visit specialized career sites for jobs

The cover letter expresses the candidate’s interest in a position. It also details a few highlights that complement the position for which a college job seeker is applying, and lists specialized skills, such as web design, HTML code, certifications, and foreign language proficiency. It should also include the person who recommended that the job seeker apply for the position, if applicable.

A college student’s resume should be one page – the average person does not have enough relevant job experience to justify a two-page curriculum vitae.  Highlight the principal tasks (primary work responsibilities) for each job or internship. Do not use informal fonts and large pitch for your resume. Stick to fonts like Times New Roman or Arial in 12 pitch. Ask a trusted friend, parent, or mentor to proofread your cover letter and resume before submitting it – errors will almost guarantee that a potential employer will not call you for an interview.

Finally, be sure to follow applicant instructions the company lists. If candidates are asked not to call the company about the position, respect the recruiter’s process. If candidates are allowed to call the prospective employer, only ask questions that are not covered in the position announcement. For example, if the job announcement states that travel is required, do not ask (before or during the interview) if traveling is expected.

Next week: Part II of the Workplace Primer for College Students

© Copyright 2012 Ask The Strategist™

DISCLAIMER: ASK THE STRATEGIST is a blog that addresses business, career, workplace and etiquette issues. Any advice dispensed by Ask The Strategist is purely for informational and entertainment purposes. Take the advice and opinions at your own risk – and betterment! Follow @KesiStribling or @CareerConnectDC on Twitter. Send questions, your conundrums, or questions via video to ask@ksgsc.com. All submissions become the property of Ask The Strategist. Names and other identifying information may be changed to protect the person asking for advice.

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Free Webinar sponsored by the Local Jobs Network on Diversity Recruitment

The Local Jobs Network, an employment website that advertises millions of jobs across the country, and warehouses a multitude of employee and employer resources, will host a free webinar on Affirmative Action Recruiting Under the New OFFC (Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs).

Related content: View my articles on the Local Job Network

Click on the image to register

WHAT:
Affirmative Action Recruiting Under the New Office of Contract Compliance Programs, a 1.5 hour webinar.

WHO:
Join the Local JobNetwork™ team and employment attorney, Ely Leichtling from Quarles & Brady LLP, as we explore the impact of OFCCP regulations on recruiting. Whether you are an affirmative action officer or a recruiter, you are likely to learn something new from our OFCCP webinar.

WHEN:
Friday, June 22, 2012 at 8:00 a.m. PT, 10:00 a.m. CT, and 11:00 a.m. ET

WHY:
Federal contractors need to carefully examine their recruiting practices to ensure compliance due to OFCCP’s emphasis on enforcement, the increasing number of onsite audits, and many recently proposed revisions to regulations and approaches.

ADDITIONAL INFO:
The webinar is approved for one HRCI credit towards recertification of PHR, SPHR, or GPHR credentials. The webinar is 1.5 hours and covers the following topics with a live Q & A (last 30 min.) to ask our experts questions.

To register, visit www.localjobnetwork.com/webinars

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EVENT: Presented by STEM Connector

http://www.stemconnector.org/resources-events

Workforce Planning to Fill the STEM Jobs Pipeline
May 2, 2012 – 2PM EST

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Current Speakers Include:
	Governor Jack Markell, DelawareAs Governor of Delaware, Jack Markell has helped open shuttered manufacturing facilities, won President Obama’s Race to the Top competition for progress in public school reform, and signed new laws to drive improvements in the economy, environment, and education. Governor Markell brings innovative public and private sector experience to the Office of Governor. He began his career in the private sector helping lead the wireless technology revolution as the 13th employee at Nextel (a name he coined), where he served as Senior Vice President for Corporate Development. Governor Markell is the current Vice-Chair of the National Governors Association.
	Marc Morial, President and CEO, National Urban LeagueEntrepreneur. Lawyer. Professor. Legislator. Mayor. President, U.S. Conference of Mayors. CEO of the National Urban League, the nation’s largest civil rights organization. In a distinguished professional career that has spanned 25 years, Marc Morial has performed all of these roles with excellence, and is one of the most accomplished servant-leaders in the nation. He served as Mayor of New Orleans from 1994 to 2002.
	Hank Jackson, President and CEO, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)Henry G. (Hank) Jackson is the president and CEO for the Society for Human Resource Management, the world’s largest association devoted to the human resource profession. Prior to this he served as the Society’s interim president and CEO, and before that he was Chief Global Finance and Business Affairs Officer. In this capacity he was responsible for financial management as well as publications and new media, meetings and conferences, seminars, member marketing, corporate sales and technology solutions.
	Rick Stephens, Senior VP, Human Resources, BoeingRichard (Rick) Stephens is senior vice president, Human Resources and Administration for The Boeing Company, and member of the Boeing Executive Council. Stephens, a 31-year Boeing veteran, oversees all leadership development, training, employee relations, compensation, benefits, Global Corporate Citizenship, and diversity initiatives at the Chicago-based aerospace company.
	Gary Wimberly, Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer, Express ScriptsGary Wimberly came to Express Scripts in 2004 and has held numerous top management positions. As senior vice president and chief information officer, his focus is on the overall IT strategy and performance, specifically focusing on innovative solutions, process improvements and improving productivity. Wimberly is responsible for ensuring the information systems are aligned with the business strategies of Express Scripts.
	Jeri L. Buchholz, Assistant Administrator for Human Capital Management, NASAAs the Assistant Administrator for Human Capital Management and NASA’s Chief Human Capital Officer, Jeri Buchholz has stewardship responsibility for NASA’s workforce. Her responsibilities include setting the agency’s workforce development strategy, assessing workforce characteristics and future needs based on the agency’s mission and strategic plan; aligning the agency’s human resources policies and programs with organizational mission, strategic goals, and performance outcomes.
	Linda Y. Cureton, Chief Information Officer, NASALinda Y. Cureton is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). As NASA CIO, she provides the requisite leadership to transform the management of information technology (IT) capabilities and services to support and enable NASA’s mission. She ensures that the Agency’s information resource management (IRM) strategy is in alignment with NASA’s vision, mission, and strategic goals.
	Leland Melvin, Associate Administrator for Education, NASAMr. Melvin has served the Astronaut Office Space Station Operations Branch, the Education Department at NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C, and the Robotics Branch of the Astronaut Office. As co-manager of NASA’s Educator Astronaut Program, Leland Melvin traveled across the country, engaging thousands of students and teachers in the excitement of space exploration, and inspiring them to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. A veteran of two space flights, STS-122 in 2008, and STS-129 in 2009, Leland Melvin has logged over 565 hours in space.
	Martin Scaglione, President, ACT Workforce DivisionOver the past five years, ACT has witnessed widespread adoption of its Workforce Development programs, including the globally recognized WorkKeys System and the National Career Readiness Certificate. In his pursuit of ACT’s mission to help people achieve education and workplace success, Martin has called on his extensive experience in business and industry. Martin began his career with Maytag, where he worked for nearly 20 years. He then led the North American Bosch-Siemens Household (BSH) appliance group in a variety of roles including chief operating officer.
	V. Celeste Carter, Program Director, NSF – ATEV. Celeste Carter received her Ph.D. in Microbiology from the Pennsylvania State University School of Medicine in 1982 under the direction of Dr. Satvir S. Tevethia. She served as a Program Director twice in the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) as a rotator. Dr. Carter accepted a permanent Program Director position in DUE in 2009; she is the Lead Program Director for the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Program in DUE as well as working on other programs in the Division and across the Foundation.
	Brian Fitzgerald, CEO, Higher Education Forum (BHEF)Brian K. Fitzgerald is a leading analyst and advocate for higher education and science, technology, engineering and mathematics education. Dr. Fitzgerald serves as BHEF’s chief executive officer and has led the organization to develop an ambitious policy and programmatic agenda focused on college readiness, access, and success, particularly in high-need disciplines such as science and math. Under Dr. Fitzgerald’s leadership, both of BHEF’s key initiatives—Securing America’s Leadership in STEM in partnership with Raytheon Company and the College Readiness, Access and Success Initiative (CRI): An Agenda for Educational Success—have grown as signatures of the organization.

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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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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)