The Changes LA Fellows Has Made in My Job Search

The LA Fellows of Cohort 11 were an eager and successful class in getting job interviews during the program. Eight had accepted job offers by graduation day and more offers were in process. One of the Fellows sent an email to their Cohort talking about an interview experience that didn't turn into an offer, and how the program helped them deal with that disappointment in a more positive, healthier way than they may have in the past:

A week before graduation, I'd received a pretty formulaic email rejection for a job that I was really excited about. I had a pretty good idea which answer in the interview knocked me out of the running. The more I thought about it, the more upset I got over not getting the job and blamed myself.

Halfway through the graduation ceremony I had an "Aha!" moment and realized "I can address the outstanding issues in an email to HR." I emailed my HR contact and asked her to pass on a message to the hiring manager expressing my disappointment, clarifying the issue that might have been problematic and wishing them well.

Later that evening I received a more personal email. The HR contact let me know that what I thought might be a stumbling block to getting the job wasn't a concern to the employer at all - it really was just that the other candidate was a better overall fit for that position. She encouraged me to continue applying for other jobs at the company. Had I not followed up, I might have needlessly shut the door on future opportunities.

Lessons learned: It's not all about me. It is all about fit. There's always another bus (job) coming along.

If this had happened before I started in LA Fellows, I would have:

• Written a perfunctory response to the turndown email. If HR had written back, I would have found it too painful to read the email and deleted it.
• Made a coy but sad post on Facebook and vented all weekend to friends on the phone or via private message.
• Continued to beat myself up over things I could not change and feel horrible.

Instead, thanks to my LA Fellows training:

• I reached out to my network (Fellows and non-Fellows) for support and constructive feedback.
• I continued to work on other projects and leads and set up informational interviews because, although I hoped this opportunity would be the end of my search, I knew not to put all my eggs in one basket.
• I am convinced that since I didn't get it, it was not the job for me, and am ready to move on in my search for other opportunities.

I'm sharing this with you now to remind you of what Lynnette taught us in class: do your best and move on. Don't over-think every job opportunity, don't take rejection too personally, and keep taking actions that will move your job search forward. Dwelling on the negative only serves to slow you down. LA Fellows set me up to be more successful, more productive, and smarter in my job search. I value the training I received and the connections that I've made and I know that it will help me find a position that's right for me.

This post was edited with permission of the author.

Sodexo Visits LA Fellows

On Wednesday, March 25, The LA Fellows were invited to a meeting with a senior recruiter from Sodexo, a major employer that provides quality of life services to a range of companies and organizations around the world.

Having heard about the LA Fellows program from contacts at the Department of Labor, company representatives realized that the experience and management skills of the individuals who are drawn to a program like LA Fellows, which also supports the efforts of nonprofits in the community, could be a good match for their needs and corporate philosophy. Sodexo's vision is about improving the Quality of Life of all those they serve while contributing to the economic, social and environmental development of the cities, regions and countries where they operate.

Adriana Gonzalez, Senior Recruiter - Talent Acquisition for Sodexo, met with a select group of interested Fellows in the Library of the LAVC campus. The Fellows went around the room and introduced themselves, giving her an idea of their backgrounds and the types of positions they were targeting, which ranged from IT to Hospitality Management to Training and Development to Public Relations and Marketing. When they finished, Adriana confirmed that Sodexo employs people to cover all the skillsets they described.

Sodexo is a company built around Quality of Life services. Many people are familiar with their janitorial or food services for large institutions but they are so much broader than that: they do corporate concierge services, senior living management, security, IT, wellness, training, event management – too many services to list here. Adriana explained that Sodexo is the kind of company where people transition to new roles internally and stay on for many years, it emphasizes work-life balance, encourages community involvement (even pays employees for their time on some volunteer projects!) and has many opportunities to work from home. The Fellows were very impressed with the presentation and the company.

The LA Fellows program welcomes partnerships with employers who would like to target a range of prospective employees who are skilled professionals that are trained and ready to get to work. For more information about Sodexo, you can go to their website: http://sodexousa.com.

New Orientation Dates and Location Added for Cohort 11



 

Opportunity... by LA Fellow Sara Lamog

Have you ever heard of the Thomas Edison quote, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” If you have, well done! If not, no worries -- we’re one in the same. 

Before embarking on the LA Fellows journey I didn’t know a lot of things, this quote being one of the them. Or more accurately, maybe it was that I didn’t know how to do a lot of things. That all began to change when I attended an LA Fellows orientation.

 

It was last May when I first caught wind of the program. Recently returned from serving in the Peace Corps, unemployed, and living at home, I was deep in my job search. One late night, my mom told me she saw a story on the KTLA news about a career opportunity that might be a good fit for everything I’d been looking for. “It’s for non-profits,” she said. “You’d be good at that. It’s called LA Fellows.”

The next morning, I was glued to my computer screen--looking up the website, learning about the program’s mission, and reading the testimonials. When I saw that there were three upcoming orientation sessions scheduled within the next three Fridays, I thought the timing of it all was too good to pass up.

To be completely honest, the time spent between finding LA Fellows and attending the orientation was marked by doubt (“Am I ready for this?”) and insecurity (“What if I’m not what they’re looking for?”), but ultimately belief in the challenge (“Yes I am, I can do this”). There it was: an opportunity dressed in overalls and looking like work. I decided I was ready and I was going to make it work.  

When orientation finally arrived, I remember walking into the room feeling nervous but just as excited to get a glimpse of the program first-hand. For those two hours, I was hooked on the program’s mission to help individuals finding meaningful employment. I was transfixed by the excitement, dedication, and understanding each of the speakers showed the crowd as they spoke about their LA Fellows experience. But what really clinched it for me was how inspiring the Program Director’s enthusiasm was for both the program she led and the people she worked with.

As I left the orientation that day, not only did I feel even more excited and eager to become an LA Fellow, I felt different about myself. Instead of feeling like my career path was taking a step in a new direction, I felt as if my career path was becoming more focused, realigned, and reaffirmed. And that was only after attending the orientation! 
 

Fast-forward to present day. Here I am a proud LA Fellow. I am beyond happy to say that I am employed as part of the LA Valley College Job Training team and have gained a broader outlook on all of the things I’ve learned from the program, including the saying “Opportunity is missed by most people because it's dressed in overalls and looks like work” (thank you Lynnette Ward). Orientation proved to be just the beginning of an eye-opening journey to finding more focus, alignment, and affirmation for both my career goals and for myself. To any future Fellows reading this, I hope you’ll find it does that for you too.

 

Three Orientation Dates Added for Cohort 10

Due to the tremendous response we've received after the recent KTLA story on the program, three additional LA Fellows orientations have been added for the class that will begin training on July 28th, Cohort 10. We are looking for unemployed midcareer professionals who are motivated, hard-working and enthusiastic, with solid work experience, who are looking for their next career opportunity.

LA Fellows receive free professional training covering executive level topics including advanced job search techniques, critical thinking, negotiating, and advanced computer skills. LA Fellows also volunteer their time and talents by sharing their professional expertise at local nonprofit organizations through meaningful project based roles. Throughout the program, LA Fellows will gain invaluable career growth skills, job search assistance, and receive the opportunity to give back to the community while they seek full-time employment.

Interested job seekers will need to attend one orientation in order for their application to be considered.

 

When:             Informational sessions begin at 10:00am.
Be prepared to stay two hours. 
 

                        Friday, June 13^th

Friday, June 20^th 

                        Tuesday, July 1^st   

Where:           Los Angeles Valley College

5800 Fulton Avenue

Valley Glen, CA 91401-4096

 

                        June 13^th & 20^th            Located in the Administration Building

July 1^st                         Located in Library Building, Room 200 A

 

Parking:         Free parking in Lot B at the corner of Oxnard St. and Fulton Ave.

You can read more about LA Fellows on our website, www.lafellows.org, see the recent KTLA story on LA Fellows at http://ktla.com/2014/05/05/a-look-inside-the-hidden-job-market/#axzz30woBrrTO and follow us on Twitter at @LA_Fellows. 

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.

Free Workshop: Emotional Intelligence

It has been predicted that 80% of our success is based on how well we utilize our “emotional intelligence.”  But what is it and how can you make it work for you?

In this complimentary workshop, popular speaker and LA Fellows instructor Jim Marteney details how to use EI as a source of energy, information, connection, and influence. Scheduled for Wednesday, May 14 (2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.), Jim will show how to use EI to create better personal and professional relationships.

As always, there is no charge to attend this workshop and it is open to the public. To learn more, view the descriptive flyer below.

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

Workshops like this one are a sampling of the type of professional career instruction you will find in the LA Fellows program, in addition to job search skills and the nonprofit instruction and experience. If you enjoy this workshop and are currently unemployed, consider coming to the next LA Fellows orientation to find out more. Our next session is Friday May 16, 2014 at 10:00 AM. For location and more information, go to lafellows.org/apply. Let us help you get back to work faster.

Career Fair & Health Expo at Los Angeles Valley College

Los Angeles Valley College, home of the LA Fellows program, is hosting a Career Fair and Health Expo on April 17th in conjunction with the Valley Economic Alliance. This event is a great opportunity for job seekers to network and meet employers with a wide range of career positions and is open to all. Additionally there will be free health screenings and activities:

As has been our tradition in years past, LA Fellows will be on hand to assist exhibitors and guests. Look for them - they'll be the "bright shiny pennies" who are smiling, being helpful, and wearing the nifty lapel pin with our logo. (Sorry, those pins are not for sale - you have to earn them!) If you're considering joining our next cohort in July, take the time to meet them and learn about their experience first-hand.

Also, if you're doubting the value of job fairs and need some inspiration, read our previous post from LA Fellow Ara Easley, who got her position after attending this event a few years ago:  http://lafellows.blogspot.com/2011/09/ara-easley-shares-how-her-la-fellows.html  You never know which networking connection can lead to that next step in your career, so take a page from the LA Fellows philosophy and "Say Yes" to this opportunity!