Cohort 11 Graduates

Lennie Ciufo addresses a capacity crowd for the Graduation ceremony of LA Fellows Cohort 11.

The LA Fellows program graduated its most recent cohort on March 13th. The occasion was celebrated in a ceremony in the Fireside Room of Monarch Hall on the campus of Los Angeles Valley College. The room was filled with family, friends, job training staff, college officials, business leaders, WorkSource representatives and representatives from our elected officials.



LA Fellow Ruth Ford laughs along with one of
the many witty speakers.

As part of their training, every LA Fellow agrees to do 100 hours of project-based volunteerism with a nonprofit organization of their choice. The LA Fellows who were volunteering at an organization who had representatives in attendance each stood up and told the crowd about the organization's mission and a description of the project that they are working on. The nonprofits who are matched with Fellows volunteers from Cohort 11 include:

• American Red Cross Los Angeles Region 
• Center for Nonprofit Management
• Children’s Burn Foundation
• Community Career Development
• Foundation for Pierce College
• JVS – Marina Del Rey WorkSource Center
• Office of LA City Councilman Paul Krekorian
• Los Angles Ronald McDonald House
• ONEgeneration
• Silhouettes for Vets
• Therapeutic Living Centers for the Blind
• The Trust for Public Land
• Universal City North Hollywood Chamber of Commerce
• Valley Community Healthcare
• The Valley Economic Alliance
• A World Fit for Kids

Michelle Gilstrap of the Universal City North
Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which is
hosting LA Fellow Erica Dozier as a volunteer
Social Media Event Coordinator.



Alan Percy explains the mission of nonprofit
organization A World Fit for Kids, where he is
donating his time as a volunteer Grant Writer.











Alex Bryman introduces Site Supervisor and Veterans
representative Anthony Rodriguez with JVS Marina Del Rey,
where she is volunteering 100 hours of service as a Career Counselor.



Bismark Romero and Brian Sullivan, two of the three LA Fellows of Cohort 11
 who are doing volunteer projects at the Center for Nonprofit Management,
stand and listen with pride as fellow Fellow Frank Sulzberger introduces the
organization and its representatives. Brian and Bismark volunteer their time as
Fund Development Associates at CNM.



Frank Sulzberger introduces Gigi
Nang and Linnie Riboli of the
Center for Nonprofit Management.
He completed his hours with
the organization as a
Consulting Program Associate.




LA Fellow Carol Blakeslee rings a bell. In many organizations, including
the Valley Economic Alliance, - where she is volunteering as an Economic
Development Consultant - and LAVC Job Training, home of the LA Fellows
program, a bell is rung to announce a  job seeker landing a position.


Like most graduation ceremonies, there was no shortage of speeches. The Fellows heard parting advice from instructors, words of encouragement from local leaders and reflections on the experience from two of their own.






Lennie Ciufo introduces Kenn Phillips, President of the Valley Economic Alliance, board member
 for the LA Fellows program, and supporter of the program since its founding almost five years ago. 

Mark Brenner with nonprofit veterans' group Silhouettes for Vets and
LA Fellows instructor Roberto Gutierrez strike a pose for the camera.
Silhouettes for Vets is hosting LA Fellow Reina Shelton, who is
volunteering as an Administrative and Coaching Intern.



All 28 Fellows were awarded certificates of completion from the program, a lapel pin, and several certificates of recognition provided by the elected officials who represent the Valley and LA areas. As expressed by the Fellows themselves, however, the most important thing they took away was a renewed confidence in their worth in the job market and optimism in the future of their careers. The LA Fellows program shares that outlook and is proud to welcome Cohort 11 to the ranks of the over 300 LA Fellows graduates to date.



Sydney Kamlager offers LA Fellow Ruth Ford
congratulations and a certificate on behalf
of Senator Holly Mitchell.

Instructor Lynnette Ward presents graduate Bismark
Romero with a framed certificate of accomplishment
provided by Congressman Tony Cardenas.

Josh Kurpies prepares to present a certificate from Assemblymember Richard Bloom as
Talene Dermenjian with Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian's office congratulates LA Fellow
Fred Jackson on his graduation and his articulate and heartfelt commencement speech.



LA Fellow Nancy Sisson hugs instructor Sam Borelli, in appreciation of the difference
the training she received has made in her job search. Fellow graduate Paul Stevens
looks on, sharing the joy of the day.

Proud LA Fellows Program Director
Allison Silver and instructor Larry Braman
wait in line to congratulate the Fellows
as they receive their certificates.

 


LA Fellows graduate Mark Manuculich landed a job prior to the end
of classes but was able to join his Cohort for the ceremony. He was
also honored for his service, as a veteran of the US Marine Corps.







Instructor Sam Borelli and LAVC Job Training's Lennie Ciufo look on as instructor
Lynnette Ward presents LA Fellows graduate and veteran Regina Shelton with one
of several impressive certificates provided by elected officials who support
the work the program does.

LA Fellow Justin Storrs, graduate of Cohort 11,
admires the certificate of recognition provided by Senator Holly Mitchell commemorating
the completion of the program

Talene Dermenjian congratulates Jen Johnson on
her graduation from the LA Fellows program.

Instructor Sam Borelli presents graduating LA Fellow Gus Hulander with the iconic
LA Fellows lapel pin. Every Fellow dating back to the first Cohort
has received a pin to signify their place in the Fellowship.

Parting Words of Wisdom at Graduation

LA Fellows instructor and expert job coach Larry Braman used
humor to convey some final words of advice about the
 one topic he forgot to go over during his instruction time.

LA Fellows' newest instructor, Sam Borelli, shared his renewed love of
teaching and some last-minute encouragement for the Fellows. 

Doug Card, LAVC Job Training staff instructor of the Microsoft classes for
the LA Fellows program, kept the audience laughing with his quick wit. 

One of the greatest strengths of the LA Fellows program has been, and continues to be, its outstanding staff of instructors. The Fellows benefit from the wisdom of professionals who understand the issues job seekers face from a unique range of perspectives: Los Angeles Valley College Job Training staff, professional job coaches and trainers, nonprofit experts, and hiring managers.

The instructors are passionately dedicated to providing the highest level of guidance in order to position the professionals in the program to re-enter the workforce in a thoughtful, directed way.

Four of the instructors, Larry Braman, Sam Borelli, Doug Card and Lynnette Ward, were able to attend the graduation ceremonies and speak on behalf of the teaching staff. They eloquently expressed encouragement and pride in the accomplishments of this cohort, injected their own brand of levity, and provided a few last nuggets of wisdom to keep the LA Fellows on track for the next job and all the jobs after that.

Lynnette Ward, an instructor who's taught with the LA Fellows program from
the very beginning, shared insight and heartfelt appreciation of Cohort 11's
enthusiasm and dedication to the training and the job search process.

How LA Fellows Helped Me Land My Next Job

A few weeks after the most recent training ended, the staff received the following email from LA Fellows Cohort 10 graduate Yoonsin Park. She has given us permission to post it in edited form.

I wanted to send this e-mail to notify everyone of my accepting a temporary position at Avanquest as an Order Processor. The position is set to last up until mid-to-late December.

The reason I'm sending this is because of how this job came about and how much it represents everything we have learned from LA Fellows.

I just happened to be home and on my computer when I received an e-mail from Mary (Program Assistant for LA Fellows, and an LA Fellow from Cohort 7), asking if this position would be something I would be interested in. Initially, due to the job title I didn't think I would be but when I read through the job description, I realized I would be using my Photoshop skills and would be gaining Photoshop 'work' experience which up to this point I don't have, though I use it personally on my own photographs.

Within minutes of responding back to Mary of my interest, I received an e-mail from my friend Pat Luc (LA Fellow from Cohort 8) who had been included in an outreach group e-mail by Daryl Salrin (Also from Cohort 8, whom Terry Proctor from Cohort 8 had mentioned in a talk he had with Cohort 10). Daryl was searching for candidates for this very same position. Daryl had recently gotten a position at Avanquest as a Recruiter, through her friend who is an HR Director there. Does the word 'networking' come to mind?

I immediately followed up with Daryl, introducing myself as an LA Fellows’ alumna and at her request sent my resume. Daryl then sent it to the "powers that be" and said she would be in touch. To my surprise, she contacted me the next day asking me to come in for an interview! I wasn't expecting it to be so quick.

To prepare for my interview, these are some of the things I did, remembering our teachers' advice and the many takeaways:

Keri: To calm myself for the interview, I remembered that if you are called in for an interview, they WANT to like you and are hoping you will be the solution to their problem.

Lynnette: I read each line of the job description and came up with examples of stories that utilized the skills they were asking for.

Kim: I wrote down answers that would overcome any objections they might have such as having my own company, no Photoshop work experience, long length of unemployment, etc.

Larry: Due to the exercises on "value" and being "clear", I knew I liked the company. The company is public but still currently small, creative with an easy going air and they are fine with people having their own independent side projects as long as it doesn't interfere with the job. The office is so colorful and artistically decorated. You know you are in a creative environment!
 

Nancy Alexander (LA Fellow Cohort 10): I wore the bracelet she made for our group so I would have Cohort 10's support with me for good luck! While waiting for the interview, I looked at it and was humming in my head Larry's LA Fellows theme song, not so much to rev me up but more to keep me calm and relaxed!

The interview went well, and the Manager I will be working with was very surprised at my preparedness.

The first interview question he asked me was NOT the dreaded, "Tell me about yourself". Instead, he first asked me what I knew about the company. Due to the research I had done, I was able to give him a general overview. It seems that alone impressed him and after that, the interview became a conversation. From Keri's class, I didn't forget that the goal was to stay focused, so in every instance, I gave him examples of what I have done and imparted my experience and knowledge.

He was surprised I knew he had an oil painting background and actually asked me how I knew. I told him I read his bio on LinkedIn. :)

The interview ended with him saying Daryl would be in touch with me.

The next day, before I had even sent out my thank you note, I was e-mailed a job offer letter.

In that letter, my pay rate was different from what I was originally told. When I pointed that out to Daryl thinking it was a typo, she told me that because I was so prepared, my manager had raised my starting rate even though the pay rate was locked. It reminded me of Lynnette's saying, "Be the shiny penny".

If you have read down this far, I appreciate your patience. This long-winded story is not in any way to self-congratulate. My pay rate is modest, and the position I have accepted is entry level. I believe this is why my manager was surprised at my knowledge and how prepared I was for his questions.

This story is more to showcase how well LA Fellows has prepared me as I continue to pursue job openings in the future.

Be assured, while in my temporary position I will be networking as much as possible to make connections as well as working hard to leave the best impression so I may be considered for any future job availability.

I know I would not have been as confident going into this interview as I was without the knowledge I have gained from being in the LA Fellows program.

THANK YOU to all the teachers in this program, you have left me with such a profound impression for which I am truly grateful!

Yoonsin Park

Mastering Effective Communication, A Free Workshop by LA Fellows Instructor Larry Braman

Another Free Workshop: Creativity & Innovation

 Are you a creative person?

Here’s the answer: YES.

Team Business Burbank is back this week with another valuable FREE workshop. This workshop features another LA Fellow favorite, Larry Braman, who's also the president of Global Career Consulting & Placement, where he draws on his experience in both the business and creative worlds to help individuals and teams create more fulfilling and productive careers. He is known for delivering fun, interactive, and meaningful learning experiences. The approach of this workshop is that everyone has tremendous creative potential. It may be challenging at times to access it—but it’s there.

If you’re not able to innovate and enable your team to do the same, your career —and your team’s output—may suffer.

Learn and experience new ways to:

· Access your creativity at work and beyond

· Inspire and unleash creativity in your teams

· Get out of the way so that new ideas can surface

· Solve old problems

This workshop is scheduled for Wednesday, May 21 (2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.). As always, there is no charge to attend. If you're considering applying to the LA Fellows program, or missing the days you did spend with us, this is a great chance to sample just a bit of the type of professional development training we are able to offer job seekers.

To reserve your seat, contact Team Business at their website, www.itsmyseat.com/teambusiness.html.