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.

LA Fellows Cohort 11 - Official Graduation Photo

LA Fellows Cohort 11 displaying their certificates, surrounded by instructors,
staff, and honored guests. The graduation ceremony was held at
Los Angeles Valley College on March 13, 2015.

Distinguished Guests at Cohort 9 Graduation

In addition to our class speakers, there were a host of distinguished guests present at the LA Fellows graduation ceremony for Cohort 9. They expressed overwhelming support and confidence in the power of this program to assist mid-career professionals in gaining skills and moving back into re-employment faster. Joining us that day were:

Glyn Milburn, representing the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti for the Office of Economic Development



Aura Garcia, Mayor Garcetti's East San Fernando Valley Area Representative

Lennie Ciufo, Director, LAVC Job Training

LAVC President Alma Johnson-Hawkins

Sue Carleo, Founding member of LA Fellows Program and
former President of Los Angeles Valley College 

 

President Johnson-Hawkins with Sydney Kamlager, who attended representing the office of Senator Holly J. Mitchell.

Senator Holly Mitchell sent certificates of recognition for each of the Fellows to commemorate the day.  The Fellows were also presented with certificates of achievement provided by Councilperson Paul Krekorian, who represents the 2nd District.

 

Several of our instructors took to the podium with advice and words of wisdom to inspire the Fellows as they move forward to the next step of the journey.

Instructor Lynnette Ward

Instructor Doug Card

Instructor Larry Braman

Instructor Jim Marteney

Instructor Keri Luna

There were 16 nonprofit organizations hosting LA Fellows this cohort and several attended the ceremony. We were priviledged to welcome guests from Liberty Hill, The Southern California Center for Nonprofit Management, Children's Burn Foundation, Senator Holly J. Mitchell's office, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Representatives from the WorkSource centers who invest not just funding but encouragement, case management, expertise, and effort to assist the Fellows through the program and beyond were there in full force. We had representatives from the JVS Northeast San Fernando Valley center, Community Career Development, and the Van Nuys and Canoga Park locations of ResCare Workforce Services.

David Fierro, Coordinator for the Veterans Community Employment Development program of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, who has been very generous in sharing employment opportunities and events with our office, joined us. Special certificates were awarded to our two veterans from this class, CJ de Dios who served in the Army, and Diana Offen who served in the Air Force.


LAVC President Alma Johnson-Hawkins (center left) shakes the hand of Fellows graduate Diana Offen as Lennie Ciufo and Sydney Kamlager, District Director for Senator Holly Mitchell, look on. 

Fellow Ruscha Robbins goes through the receiving line, receiving her certificate and handshake for completing the program and delivering one of the three gradute speeches of the day.

 We'd like to thank all of our speakers, supporters and guests for attending what was one of our best ceremonies yet. The LA Fellows program relies on the partnership of our network for its success and ongoing promise of empowering and enriching the workforce of our city. Thank you!

The LA Fellows Experience by Jonathan Berger

At the informational orientations that are held to introduce people to the LA Fellows program, former Fellows come in and share their experience in the program to give job seekers who are considering applying the inside scoop on what they can expect. Jonathan Berger of Cohort 8 spoke at a recent session and agreed to share his thoughts for the blog as well:

Why did you apply for the LA Fellows program?
 

I am an attorney. I went to UCLA undergrad and then USC Law School.  I even did a semester at Notre Dame.  So I always have someone to root for on a Saturday afternoon.  In my career I’ve worked for several large hospital and healthcare companies, most recently a 12-year stint with a large pharmaceutical company.  Everything was going quite well for me until the division that I was working for was closed down by the parent company.  I was laid off, and went on unemployment for the first time in my life.

 

In many ways I was very lucky.  I was given a generous severance package in light of my length of service, and I was even brought back for a time as a consultant to help with the wind down.  I was provided “outplacement” services including a private coach for interviewing skills and job search strategies, a resume consultant to revise and improve my resume, and similar services.  It was a great “package” – but it didn’t work!

 

I thought that I was doing all the right things, sending out resumes, using the job boards like Indeed, Monster and Simply Hired. I was going to some networking meetings and things like that.   I had some interviews with some good organizations here in Los Angeles, up in the Bay Area, even Arizona.  I came close several times, but nothing clicked.  Over time I settled into a routine of half-heartedly applying for jobs that I didn’t expect to get.  Getting comfortable with being unemployed.  Finding things to occupy my time but not really getting anywhere.

 

Then I heard about the LA Fellows.  I came to an Orientation to find out more about the program.  I didn’t really know what to expect, but I had a feeling that this program was what I needed to get myself back on track.  There’s a famous saying that goes:  “90% of success is showing up”.  I showed up!

What you gained from the training portion of LA Fellows?
 

It may be a cliché that we’re tired of hearing:  “You only get out of something what you put in” – but that sums up the LA Fellows program very well.  Allison Silver and her team have assembled one of the best groups of instructors that I’ve ever seen and put together a series of classes that are more than simply a job search boot camp, they actually provide an education on not only how to be the candidate that will be selected, but how keep that job and continue to build your skills and your network to prepare you for the job after that, and the job after that, and so on. 

What were the benefits of being a part of Cohort 8?

 

There were twenty-two Fellows in Cohort 8.  It wasn’t quite the cast of the movie “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” but we were a very diverse group.  We did, however, have a few things in common: We’re serious about improving ourselves professionally and we look out for one another!  We are willing to learn, and we are willing to help each other.  Whether it was looking over each other’s resume, conducting practice interviews, staying after class to help with setting up a LinkedIn profile or sharing job leads, the Crazy Eights work as a team.  It was nice to be part of a team again.

 

It was also really good to have a regular schedule.  It may seem strange to say, but having things to do, assignments with due dates, etc., are exactly what we needed to get our minds back in shape.  The instructors know that there’d be nothing worse for us than to land a job and then fall flat on our faces on a task, or have attendance problems with being late.

 

The class schedule is rigorous.  The days are long and the breaks were short.  But that’s what the “real world” is like, isn’t it?  This program will get you in shape – believe me.

Where did you volunteer and what did gain from your nonprofit volunteer experience?

 

I came from the for profit sector.  I didn’t have much experience with nonprofits, at least not with how they operate and what the internal dynamics are like.  As part of the LA Fellows program, and in return for the education and training that LA Fellows receive, they are required to perform 100 hours of service for a nonprofit organization.   The LA Fellows program has a network of nonprofit organizations that are eager to have bright, motivated folks work as interns to gain work experience and make connections.

 

In order to get your internship you have to apply for the jobs the same way you would a “real” job. I got valuable experience applying for the internship positions, tailoring and sending resumes, scheduling interviews, showing up for interviews, being on time, not spilling my coffee, having a spare resume with me and remembering what it says, all that good stuff.

How did being an LA Fellows help you land your job/get more interviews, etc.?

 

The nonprofit internship interviews were a very positive experience.  In particular, it felt nice to be “wanted” and for it to be more of a “two-way street”, where I was actually interviewing the nonprofit and deciding if it was a good fit for me. 

 

My volunteer work was done at The Center for Nonprofit Management in downtown LA.  It is a “capacity builder” helping other nonprofits in Southern California with management and organization strategies, consulting services and executive coaching.  My work there has given me valuable experience in my sector, healthcare, and it has given me something real and current to talk about in interviews, networking conversations, etc.

So, did the LA Fellows work for you?

 

Yes, it worked!  Just recently, I had a three-hour interview with a small law firm downtown.  It  was great to feel so prepared and confident.  I used my STAR stories (where one gives an example of a “Situation, Task, Action and Result” that demonstrates one’s skills and experience) and I presented a strong and well-reasoned case for how the hiring manager would be glad to hire me.  So, I was delighted to be offered a job as an attorney working on healthcare and corporate transactions, which is exactly the kind of work that I wanted to do! The job is starting out as a part-time position, which is actually good so that I can ease into it.  But I get the feeling that it’s going to be full-time fairly soon.

 

I would advise candidates for the LA Fellows program to take the application very seriously, especially the essay or personal statement portion. Even if writing isn’t your strong suit if you’re honest about who you are and what you want to do then that will come through.  Allison and the LA Fellows team spend many hours on the selection process, and there really are many qualified people who don’t get in – so don’t be discouraged if you don’t get chosen the first time, you can apply again.

I can honestly say that I don’t think that I’d have gotten my new job without the training and support that I received from the LA Fellows program.  If you want to really take your job search to the next level then this is the program for you.

Cohort 7 Graduates - Janet Walters Speech

LA Fellows Graduation Speech: Cohort 7, March 22, 2013

By Janet Walters

How many of you have ever lost your job? It used to be a shameful topic, but being laid off, downsized, and terminated has become the norm in today’s working world. This morning, I’d like to talk about the LA Fellows experience and thank everyone who made LA Fellows Cohort 7 a reality.

Thanks to our trainers, we are leaders and team players who are bright, shiny pennies. We quit trying to be clever and became obvious. As a matter of fact, we boosted our emotional intelligence, learned how to write proposals and SOARS. That is S-O-A-R. Plus, we take our back packs overfilled with our skills, talents, and career tools wherever we go. Let me explain.

Our first trainer, Larry Braman taught us team building skills. On our very first day of class he sang us his rendition of “Baby, You’re a Fellow Now.” Cohort 7, let’s sing the bolded portion of Larry’s song:

Cuz baby you’re a Fellow now

These teachers gonna show you how

To get you where you want-to-go

And we’ll learn from you too-we-know

                                 

Cuz baby you’re a Fellow now

These teachers gonna show you how

To get you where you want-to-go

And we’ll learn from you too-we-know

Boom boom boom

Good things coming to you soon soon soon

You know it’s still inside of you you you

Now you’ve got some work to do

Cuz baby you’re a Fellow now

These teachers gonna show you how

To get you where you want-to-go

And we’ll learn from you too-we-know

Boom boom boom

Good things coming to you soon soon soon.

Then Larry had us team up with each other and made us sing in front of the class—this was our first day of class!

What is the purpose of singing in front of each other? It’s about taking risks, venturing into the unknown and working together as a team—with people you barely know. Operating with this mindset is crucial if you want to work and succeed in today’s job market.

Fast forward to our next trainer, Lynnette Ward. Lynnette, you reminded us that we all have a mental backpack that’s filled with our job experience, skills and talents. You also reminded us to be the bright shiny penny; which means to stand out. One more thing, you don’t mess with Lynnette. Thank you for your tough love and priceless career advice.

Then we met our EQ Creative Expert, Jim Marteney. He revealed that if you want to get work and keep your job, emotional intelligence, EQ is more important than IQ We also discovered our dominant personality traits which in turn made us owls, doves, road runners or eagles

The most energetic trainer award goes to Maxine Shapiro. Maxine, you uncovered two simple AND profound truths: You said, “Quit trying to be clever. And, be obvious.” Maxine taught us how to liberate ourselves and make others look good by using the simple phrase, “Yes AND.” Say “Yes AND,” and you will open the doors of opportunity.

Grant writing expert Andrea Mitchel, you gave us the nuts and bolts of grant, or better said, proposal writing. Andrea, you told us NOT freak out. You taught us that if we used our common sense, conducted thorough research, and set up the Logic Model, we can dive into the world of proposal writing—a useful skillset indeed. Thank you for sharing your expertise.

Roberto Gutierrez, You correlated the ancient are of drumming with the jungle life in the workplace. Through drumming, we learned how to listen, how to lead, how to be a team player, get out of a funk and into a groove. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to let go, explore and discover.

Speaking of drums, the next drum roll goes to Jobs Guru Tony Jaramillo. Tony, thank you for showing us how to make the Internet work for us. We no longer get lost in the virtual black hole. You also showed us how to use Twitter to get the job opportunities hot off the press; so we can be the first 100 to apply. We now know that recruiters don’t have the time to go through and read 500 plus resumes for each job posting.

Keri Luna, thank you for teaching us about Interviewing Techniques by examining the Ecosystem of the Workplace. You are a dynamic presenter. Thank you for always being there to answer our questions and concerns.

Camille Stewart from Cohort 5, thank you for your authenticity and encouragement to us to keep going and not give up. You made it easy for us to get to class early every day.

Allison Silver, you are our foundation. You’ve helped make our LA Fellows journey an enjoyable one. Thank you for guiding us in our job search and incorporating your stories into lessons that we can use in our career paths. You’re story on how you networked your way to becoming an Oscar Meyer Hot Dogger riveted all of us.

I also wanted to point out three outstanding LA Fellows who transformed right before our eyes. They’ve made a tremendous impact in our cohort:

Geni Cobb, Thank you for sharing your honesty, creativity and wholeness. I have no doubt that you will make a difference using your voice in the political realm. You have my vote.

Mary Turner, thank you for your calm intellect. You see things in ways others don’t even consider. We witnessed a quiet, talented person evolve into a confident, dynamic and articulate woman.

Matt Donato, you are a technical genius in the entertainment industry. What we didn’t know is that you have a humorous side. Thank you for sharing your wit and humor. You are a celebrity in your own right.

Cohort 7, thank you for making our LA Fellows experience a positive one. You are all shiny pennies. You freely shared your expertise, guidance and your experience. Because of your contributions, we are experiencing career success victories right now and many more are on the horizon.

We, LA Fellows, Cohort 7 would like to thank Worksource Center Representatives for believing in us and giving us the financial opportunity to receive specialized training in the LA Fellows Program.

We would also like to thank our Non-Profits for providing us hands-on training and work experience that is making us in demand the competitive job market.

Thank you everyone who is involved with LA Fellows. You took us under your wing. Because of you, we transformed from broken, frustrated, and hopeless job seekers to confident, articulate and intelligent professionals who are making a difference in our workplaces, communities, and economy.