Inspiring Words from an LA Fellow

I am happy, grateful and relieved to report that starting tomorrow (4/11/2012) I start a temporary, full-time assignment at University of Southern California Information Sciences Institute. I will serve in an administrative support capacity, primarily to the deputy director and director of a division within the institute. This opportunity is testament to the power of LinkedIn. I reached out to a former colleague from over a decade ago, many months ago. This renewed connection planted a seed that now manifests as a work opportunity.


My hope and prayer for those who are still struggling and/or not yet working is that you will soon find relief and comfort. I am humbled by the blessings and friends that are afforded to me - ­ at times, undeserved. I consider all of you my friends, my fellows, my cohorts... I'd like to finish by sharing the note that I never shared in class because you all know, at least those in Cohort 4, what would have happened. This is the note that we were all asked to write at the beginning of our LA Fellows journey, to be read on the last day of class prior to graduation.



Dated: 6/6/2011

Dear Matt,

Congratulations! Do you have a job yet? :-)

Over the course of 8 weeks in the LA Fellows program you hoped to make new friends, gain insights, develop in-roads, and achieve better understanding of yourself to lead to a brighter, creative future... You also desired to have an internship opportunity that would grow and stretch you in ways that you've not previously experienced; to enrich lives and in turn be inspired by those you have come in contact with. Additionally, taking advantage of this amazing self-development construct to set you on a course of career fulfillment that re-infuses you with a passion that has lain dormant for too long. Remember, it's the journey... It's OK to fail but it's not OK to give up. Believe in you and others will as well. You deserve to be happy. Go for it!

-Matt



The above has been posted on my refrigerator since graduation last year... We usually don't know when things will align for us but if you continue to labor and nurture something somewhere is bound to bear fruit.

Keep the faith. Express gratitude every day. Be good to yourself and others.

To quote my (our) friend David Talbert, "BLESSINGS BE UPON THEE".


Sincerely,

Matt Binkley

LA Fellow, Cohort 4

Joy Gemberling shares how the hidden job market worked for her!

I’m proud to announce that I’ve landed as a consultant for Plus Delta Consulting Firm, a LA-based firm specializing in leading organization development and change initiatives to produce better business results.



My story is very different from the majority of LA Fellows Cohorts since I started my job search in a new environment having relocated to California less than a year from attending my first LA Fellows class. In 2009, I reconnected to a high school buddy through Facebook and we fell in love. We both grew up in New Jersey; he’s been living in the SoCal area for quite a few years while I was still living in New Jersey. We had a long distance romance for several months. In January 2010, I was laid off from my Jersey (pronounced “Joisey”) job, relocated to California in May 2010 and got married in August 2010. During the Fall 2010, I began my California job seeking adventure, joined the Los Angeles chapter of the ASTD (American Society for Training & Development) and attended locally-based job seeking groups to network and learn more about companies/organizations within the area. Through the ASTD-LA’s LinkedIn group, I saw Allison Silver’s posting regarding the LA Fellows program and thought it would be a great opportunity to expand my network, partner with a nonprofit to gain new skills and expand my job seeking skills.



Being new to the SoCal area, I needed to make friends and expand my network. During our first LA Fellows class, I met Victor Beauchamp and Monqiue Carroll who both lived nearby in Pasadena and I suggested that we start a carpool. During our drives to and from classes, we commiserated regarding our job seeking woes and how it was affecting our families. Being so new to the area, I didn’t have any close friends to talk to and their friendship came at a perfect time in my life.



Back in Jersey, I was active with a variety of nonprofits and was looking forward to my LA Fellows internship. I had chosen three nonprofits that I was interested in working with, but wanted more information. I decided to contact LA Fellows who had interned at these nonprofits through our LA Fellows LinkedIn group. I was excited with the outpouring from many Cohorts graciously offering their experience and advice. I decided to accept an internship at Chrysalis where I recorded and edited 24 videos of their core classes to create 10 train-the-trainer videos in order for new volunteers to successfully facilitate specific Chrysalis classes to clients. I reached out to Ana Gamboa, who was in Cohort 2, had interned and now has a full time position as an Employment Specialist at Chrysalis. I hit a few bumps in my internship and Ana was very sympathetic and generously offered her job seeking advice. I also met Kimberly James, who was in Cohort 1 and also interned at Chrysalis. We’ve become friends and will be serving as Co-Directors of Community Services for ASTD-LA in 2012. Now remember, I’ve only lived in California for just over a year and have met some great people who have become friends all through the “joys” of networking (yes, a pun IS intended).



Since attending the LA Fellows Program, I significantly changed my job seeking philosophy and strategy. This job opportunity happened though my LinkedIn network. Having been an active member of my professional organization (ASTD national & ASTD-LA chapter), I decided to join ASTD affiliated LinkedIn groups. I read a posting on the ASTD-LA LinkedIn group from the owner of this consulting firm, checked out his LinkedIn profile and company website. Per Lynnette Ward’s advice, I sent a personalized cover letter seeking a consulting position with his firm along with my resume. Within 10 days, I was offered a consulting position at his firm. Before the LA Fellows program, I wouldn’t even have thought about seeking a position that wasn’t posted on a job seeking website. The recession has made it quite challenging in seeking a full time job. Through the LA Fellows program, I realized the value of the hidden job market, being open to endless possibilities and the power of networking.



There’s no good luck charm or one size fit all solution in finding a job in this turbulent economy. However, I hope sharing my story will open your eyes to new opportunities and possibilities towards your job search.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Joy Gemberling, Cohort 4

Turning a volunteer position into a paid position...One LA Fellow's story

Roxanne Rock, Cohort 4, recently shared how her volunteer position turned into a paid position.


I'm glad to report that I have completed my 100 volunteer hours for City Scholars Foundation.  It was a rewarding experience that allowed me to use my administrative skills and gave me the opportunity to work with the 2010 MS Suite.  The inhouse staff is comprised of just two people - the Founder and the Program Manager - so it felt good that I was able to attend to all of the small tasks it takes to put a program on.  Once my 100 hours were completed I let them know that I intended to volunteer to help with their upcoming program but that I had to reduce my contribution from two days to one day per week.  They knew that they needed more help than that to tend to all of the details.  They decided to hire a temp two days a week through October.  They offered me that opportunity.  Now I can say that I work for pay two days a week and am still able to continue my job search and networking three days a  week.  Thanks to LA Fellows, I get to update my resume to show that I am working!  

Roxanne Rock
Cohort 4

Victor Beauchamp of Cohort 4 shares his Top 5 Best Job Search Practices

When I think back on most useful practices I learned there are the obvious classics such as “bring shiny penny,” the “blunt instrument,” network, practice interview questions, volunteer, etc. which were all valuable lessons for me, but the “Top 5” that stood out during my search were:




1. Have an Accountability Partner(s)/ “Continue the Fellows” – Immediately after Fellows graduation I went into a “Post-Fellows” funk and started to slip back into some bad habits: staying up late, not wearing shoes, etc. Fortunately I was able to attend a Monday morning group of “Mini-Fellows” led by Julie-Ann, with Monique, and Lorita that had an agenda and weekly homework assignments. Just knowing that I had to start off my week with at least three people expecting big things from me really made a difference and helped keep me focused throughout the week. It also helped me feel like Fellows was still ongoing as we already knew each other’s issues and had an amazing shared experience that we could all draw from. I recommend that everyone have at least one “accountability partner,” but if it can be a few former Fellows I think the experience will be that much richer because you can reinforce to each other what you learned in the program. (Also, be friends with Joy Gemberling if possible: she is very resourceful, helpful, and a human good luck charm!)



2. Adjust Resume for Each Job (Use Hybrid with “Selected Accomplishments”) – Although this is a huge drag (especially when the “no’s” start rolling in) I took Lynnette’s advice and only applied for jobs that I thought I was really qualified for, and created at least a new unique “selected accomplishments” section for each with my best three bullet points that fit the job. This helped me immediately understand how I was qualified for the job, got my best attributes on to the first page, and became the basis for my cover letter. (If you don’t want to do this you have to at least use Lynnette’s resume template and follow it exactly to the letter unless you want to get in trouble : )



3. “Be Completely There” During the Interview – I would get super nervous during interviews and over-prepare which would create a tightening effect, but Larry’s numerous tips about speaking from your lower abdomen, “mee mow moos,” shaking it out, and finally just “letting go and trusting it will be there for you” really made a difference for me. I also found that using his SOAR template and putting those concepts on flash cards instead of actually writing out full interview answers allowed me to still grasp the basic concepts but sound less rehearsed…



4. Help “Non-Fellows” Job Search (Teach) – As I mentioned numerous times before many people in my other networking groups are very interested in LA Fellows: I used these opportunities to teach people the lessons which helped me better understand what I had learned and made it obvious to me when I was not practicing what I was preaching.



5. Take Risks/Get Out of Your Shell – I used the Fellows program to take advantage of every opportunity that was presented to me, even if it meant getting way out of my comfort zone (like speaking at graduation, attending black tie affairs, or having informational lunches with complete strangers that prefer to talk about “chicks” instead of job openings, true story : ( I figure whatever I had been doing for the last few years had got me unemployed so changing it might reverse the effect? Although none of those experiences directly led to me getting this particular job, I saw each of them as accomplishments that went in my “backpack” so when I started feeling nervous about the next panel interview I just thought: “this is easier than the graduation speech and that went ok so calm down.” It really helped put things in perspective forced me to see myself in a totally different light.



Although these were all important to me I really can’t emphasize enough the importance of continuing the spirit of support and community with other Fellows: in fact I think the only downside about landing for me is no longer having the chance to go to Mini-Fellows (that and the whole working every day thing : ) Seriously, please get together with each other because it really is the easiest way to “keep” what you learned. I wish you all luck in your job search and if there is any way I can help please let me know…

Victor Beauchamp, Cohort 4

Chai Chaloyphian, Cohort 4, shines at Habitat for Humanity

Congratulations to Chai Chaloyphian, LA Fellows Cohort 4, on completing over 100 volunteer hours at Habitat for Humanity. In addition to volunteering and completing the training portion of LA Fellows, Chai is on track to complete his MBA before the end of the year, will compete in his 15th LA Marathon, and has started his own company. What an inspiration!

Chai Chaloyphian, Cohort 4, proudly wears his Habitat for Humanity shirt and hat

Cohort Four's Cara Eichorn's graduation speech

Cara Eichorn, a member of LA Fellows Cohort Four was chosen by her fellow participants to give a "class perspective" about her experience in the LA Fellows Program in a speech at graduation and Cara has generously allowed us to post a copy of her speech here on the blog: 

Good Morning – Los Angeles Valley College Job Training team, our esteemed instructors, members of participating non-profits, distinguished guests, friends and families of the LA Fellows and to LA Fellows Cohort #4.

Before I get into the heart of what I'd like to share, a heartfelt thank you is extended to the Job Training staff, faculty and administration of LAVC and program partners for conceiving, creating, and implementing the LA Fellows program.

My name is Cara Eichorn and I am proud to be an LA Fellow. I am immensely grateful to be here and to represent Cohort #4.

To start, I'd like to read a quote that resonates deeply within me from Moliere. (Mole E Air) "It is not what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable." This ties in directly with my belief about responsibility for all of my actions. Moreover, the role of accountability helps me stay in integrity with my good intentions.

Establishing an open support system, communicating openly, being vulnerable, showing empathy, and establishing trust happened quickly and seamlessly for our group. Let me share a story that is very powerful that illustrates these ideals.

On Day 2 of our program, we were asked to stand up and tell the class who we are, what field we were in and what we were looking to do next. Everyone with some level of nervous anticipation, including yours truly, stood up, shared and sat down. Then, it was Matt's turn. He started, was on a roll and then it got unquestionably quiet in the room. He was at a roadblock and was doing his best to filter and process what he planned on saying. As one could imagine, if a pin were dropped, it would have sounded like a blaring horn. In the next moment, Matt was getting emotional and the room was absolutely silent, doing our best to give him the space he needed. We knew as a group--that this was a pivotal moment for Matt and ultimately for the entire class. After a period of silence, Victor showed empathy by sharing some things he had learned about Matt. This gave Matt an opportunity to regain his composure and for him to realize he was in a supportive environment. Then, Matt finished what he had to say in an eloquent style. This one example set a precedent and a foundation which opened the group up to being vulnerable, including Alicia who made a point when she shared to personally thank Matt, as this allowed her to share opening and freely. The tone was set--LA Fellows Cohort #4 was off and running---hard...in the fast lane.

Throughout our entire job search journey, we have shared many personal and professional stories through our course materials. We have learned about a multitude of different topics, including, advanced job search techniques, career growth, and volunteerism. All of us worked and have re-worked our resumes and cover letters, ad nausea, so that these documents would stand out favorably and get us the interview. And ultimately, the goal was and is to differentiate ourselves from our competition. Before the interview, we practiced answering interview questions as a class and even had a few mock interviews. These prepared the "lucky" ones who chose to participate in the mock interviews and hopefully gave them another dose of confidence. It was suggested to have 30 stories ready to tell, as these stories would most likely answer many interview questions that we could be asked during an interview.

The program was designed to thoroughly cover these topics and many others to give us a plethora of resources to use in order to have a potential advantage in this job market. As each classroom module was learned, we each gained more confidence and the knowledge that we could do “it”, whatever the "it" was. Through hands-on collaborative exercises to working independently, we each had a chance to test drive our new knowledge base.

In short, our class had a fun time learning new material. Often times, we were motivated or inspired to change our behavior or “conventional” way of thinking. In fact, come to think of it, we were often challenged to think and do things differently which was a breath of fresh air for many of us. We definitely had quite a few laughs and sometimes a few tears. Interestingly enough, the laughter would happen spontaneously when one least expected laughter to erupt. One hysterical example comes to mind is when we were asked to select a theme song that keeps our attitude upbeat and positive when we’re headed off to an interview. Rosie enthusiastically announced “Brick House.” The entire group was caught off guard and burst out in roars of laughter. Once again, our expectations, or at least mine were put in check---quite quickly.

Through applying skills that were reinforced through the LA Fellows program, it helped me land a consulting role with VCA Animal Hospital. Incidentally, VCA is one of my target companies. I am proud to say that I am passionate about my new role in training customer service to their IT department, so I am very eager to make a contribution that will impact their morale and their bottom line.

Concurrently, I will be doing my internship with the Los Angeles Valley Foundation, located right here on campus. My main focus will be to raise funds for the President's Circle initiative which provides funds for academic scholarships and other Foundation events. Who knows....some of you who are present today, may receive a phone call from me, so kindly, please take my call. It is for a great cause.

For all of us, we know this is the beginning and not the end. We have heard this all before, although now this statement probably resonates more loudly and with greater sincerity. I am elated we all have been on the same bus for our journey. The “bus” analogy does come into play once again. There have been many stops along the way and rest assured, there will be many more. Now, each of us is faced with knowing that the LA Fellows bus is heading to the main station for re-fueling, in anticipation that there will be a Cohort #5. Although I am very loyal to Cohort #4, we are breaking barriers, being fearless, rebuilding our confidence levels, and most of all, we are being vulnerable and willing to go the extra mile -- to land our next job. I sincerely wish everyone the best on your journey. I am rooting for you and I know you are rooting for me.

It is now time to board another bus, as the job search journey continues for many of us. Remember to take proactive action steps, to stay on course, and to remain positive with a stellar attitude. Now, we each must ask ourselves, “What is next?” For some, this answer will be simple and intuitive; for others, time is of the essence and Cohort #4 as well as the rest of the LA Fellows extended family is here to help.

I would like to leave you with the following quote by Gilda Radner. She said: “I wanted a perfect ending. Now I have learned, the hard way, that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next.”


It has been an honor to be one of the speakers for Cohort #4. Thank you and I will see some of you on the next bus.

Cara Eichorn

Gail Soffer, LA Fellows Cohort 4, featured in The Soldiers Project newsletter!

Gail Soffer, from LA Fellows Cohort 4 was recently featured in The Soldiers Project newsletter.

They wrote, "I am thrilled to announce that we have hired a full time Development Director: Gail Soffer. She is a recent graduate of the Los Angeles Valley College LA Fellows program. We are fortunate to have found her as she brings to us a wealth of knowledge and skills from her many years of working with non-profits. She is passionate about the work of The Soldiers Project and has already attended several Veterans Events, made new contacts for us and expanded our visibility via Facebook and Twitter."
To read more visit:

http://www.thesoldiersproject.org/?LinkServID=E3F34899-3048-94E3-DE5C78C44D1FDCA4&showMeta=0

A Big Thank You from LA Fellow, Bill Papoutsis

I’d like to send a BIG THANK YOU to everyone at the Job Training Program for putting together a GREAT graduation event!  It was really inspiring to see all the people who are responsible for the creation of this program there.

It was great that the LAVC administration was there along with Councilmember Krekorian, all very supportive of the LA Fellows program. I now know that people care.

A big part of the success of the graduation was the fact that our two fellows, Cara and Victor, were very honest about their/our challenges trying to get back in the workplace and becoming productive citizens.

ALL THE PARTICIPANTS OF COHORT 4 were FANTASTIC!!
I have never seen better cooperation, generosity and honesty in a large group like that before, it may never happen again! It speaks volumes of Allison's and Keri's abilities in recruiting all of us as well as their leadership and help they provided us from the very beginning. I hope that we will get the funds so this program can continue on.

Today was the first day without attending an LA Fellows class in two months! It will be an adjustment.
We now have to apply what we learned in the class and just as our Program Director Lennie said, FIND WORK!

Again thank you for the opportunity to participate in this program and from now on we will always be connected with LAVC !!

Bill Papoutsis

Gail Soffer Reflects on her LA Fellows Experience

Gail Soffer, LA Fellows Cohort 4

I am really looking forward to reuniting with my fellow LA Fellows in Cohort 4 at our graduation on July 28th. I will be very proud to introduce you to my guest, the founder and director of the non-profit I now call home, Dr. Judith Broder. It was a very bittersweet experience for me to take "early graduation" to accept the position of Development Director at The Soldiers Project. My first day at work was exactly one month after our classes began, and it was surprising to find how strong a bond I had formed with 31 people in those 30 days. Although I love what I'm doing and am so grateful to be here, two weeks later, I still genuinely miss being in class and spending time with everyone.

I think the nature of what LA Fellows offers engenders a unique camaraderie among the participants rather than the competition that could be expected. Even though we have very different backgrounds and skill sets, we are, after all, competing for a very limited number of employment opportunities. And, especially with so many opening up to a transition into non-profit work, it would be natural to see each other as rivals. But I was so touched by the support, care, encouragement, and sharing of resources that was in abundance instead. How refreshing! So much credit for that is due to the environment created by the instructors and staff and the message behind the practical aspects of our trainings.

Yes, we were taught some priceless skills that would give us an edge and shown some amazing resources that would give us special access to apparently locked back rooms. Those things would certainly get us across the finish line ahead of the others. But what was most significant to me was the focus on exploring who we really are and what we really want. Getting in touch with what makes you thrive and flourish provides clarity on the destination and an understanding of how best to use the newly available tools to get there. And, on top of that, discovering your uniqueness completely dissolves the stress of beating out the competition. You can move forward with full confidence that there is a perfect match out there just for you. You still have to make plenty of effort but you can also enjoy the treasure hunt rather than race around in panic and desperation or collapse in despair of someone else getting "your" job. I like life being an exciting hunt for treasures waiting just for me!

So what I found conveyed in LA Fellows has been far more than job-seeking tools but some wonderful, far-reaching life lessons. I'm so thrilled to have shared the learning and growing process and this brightened part of my journey with such sincere and enjoyable travelers. I want to express tremendous appreciation for my companions and for this fabulous program.

Hello and Welcome Cohort 4!

We are thrilled to welcome the exceptional men and women selected to be a part of the fourth cohort of LA Fellows!

Hailing from a variety of backgrounds and industries, this outstanding new class truly distinguished themselves during the long LA Fellows interview and application process. 

Cohort four officially started on June 6th and very soon they will be putting their newly refined skills to good use at their host nonprofit organizations.

Please give a warm LA Fellows welcome to cohort 4!