Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Congratulations Charles and Jaspreet!!!

Congratulations to Charles and Jaspreet from LA Fellows Cohort 1 on securing full time positions!

Charles is working in I.T. Systems Administration at a large medical center.

Jaspreet was hired at the nonprofit organization where he completed his 100 volunteer hours for LA Fellows, as the Director of Specialty Products.



Charles, second from right, and Jaspreet, right, participate in a
teambuilding activity during LA Fellows training.

Monday, February 7, 2011

A Bright, Shiny Penny

A Bright, Shiny Penny






 The second week of the LA Fellows upped the intensity quite a bit. Lynnette Ward is an amazing instructor, incredibly energized and smart and sure.


Lynnette likes “bright, shiny pennies.”


Now, this is a blog post about my experience and everyone else is welcome to blog about theirs so I will talk about my week.


My week was…exhausting. But worthwhile and in the end made me feel more ready to go out into the job search world with better marketing and a better idea of how to do well at all the steps. Not to mention what all the steps ARE.


But life was happening last week, too. My daughter was in her first school play. My mom came from the east coast to see her in it. We have to make an erupting, EDIBLE volcano for 6th grade science. I was up at 5 every day doing MY homework and she was up every night doing hers.


So, time management becomes an important concept.


There is, in fact, only so much time.


And we have to be Bright, Shiny Pennies whatever’s going on.


‘Cause Bright, Shiny Pennies get jobs. We hope!


And so I’m doing my homework, I have three networking events during Week 3, my resume is ready for another round, my daughter’s project is almost done and tonight, even though my mom is in town, I’m staying home and getting some rest.


Job search has no use for dingy buffalo nickels.


A Bright, Shiny Penny am I!


Peace.


Wendy Stackhouse, Cohort 2 and Blogger since 2005


First week: Buckle up!


Second week: Buckle down.

Friday, February 4, 2011

LA Fellows Cohort 2...The First Week

LA Fellows Cohort 2




The First Week



Watch that first step, it’s a doozy! We thought we were ready, we thought we knew what we were in for.



We thought we had had enough sleep.



And enough coffee.



Oh, that’s just me.



Monday’s topic didn’t look too stressful: Team Building and Attitude Adjustment. Hey, my attitude’s pretty good! And I love community building, it’s one of my non-negotiables. What I didn’t count on was the intense level of listening I would have to do. We are getting information every second of every day at LA Fellows. Important information that could change our lives! Better not miss anything!



Allison did the afternoon and I’ve already learned a lot from her, program stuff, sure, but also pacing and how to bring the class into the discussion. She is so warm and friendly, but also knowledgeable and clever: a great facilitator!



Wednesday was hard for everyone, but in a good way. I don’t know about you, but I did NOT think this job search thing would be so difficult. I don’t know why I thought that, of course. If it were easy, all of these amazing Fellows would already be employed! I had a very funny experience, reconnecting after 18 years and another life with our instructor, Larry Braman. We sang together long ago and far away! Larry was terrific and certainly let us know more of the nuts-and-bolts of job search. Some of that we didn’t want to deal with, but I think we recovered and are moving forward from wherever we are now.



Friday we were treated to a “mind dump” from Andrea Mitchel, Grant Proposal Writer extraordinaire! Now there’s something I could do! Andrea is a font of information and clearly a great mentor to the new Proposal Writers in our midst. I can hardly wait till she comes back!



So now we have begun week 2, more focused, more ready, more determined than ever. If you are interested in joining our Fellowship, please do!



Peace.



Wendy Stackhouse, Cohort 2 and Blogger since 2005

Thursday, January 13, 2011

So much to celebrate...More LA Fellows land!

Congratulations Regina, Kimberly, Peggy and Chris on landing full time positions!!!

We are so very happy for you!

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

LOS ANGELES VALLEY COLLEGE JOB TRAINING LAUNCHES LA FELLOWS PROGRAM





Los Angeles, CA – Los Angeles Valley College Job Training is searching for unemployed men and women for the second class of the LA Fellows program. The program will provide 120 unemployed individuals with skills training and volunteer opportunities while they seek full-time positions.



Interested individuals are invited to attend one of the following informational meetings at Los Angeles Valley College at 5800 Fulton Avenue in Van Nuys:

- Thursday, January 6 at 10 a.m. in the Cafeteria Conference Room

- Friday, January 7 at 10 a.m. in Cafeteria Conference Room



“Valley College is very excited to be working with local industry partners to launch the LA Fellows program,” said Dr. A. Susan Carleo, president of Los Angeles Valley College. “This unique training program will provide job seekers with a combination of professional development and volunteerism to serve as a meaningful pathway to employment.”



LA Fellows participants will be selected through an application and interview process. They will receive seven weeks of training at Los Angeles Valley College covering executive-level topics including critical thinking, advanced computer skills, and how to generate effective business leads. In return, participants will volunteer their time and talents by sharing their professional expertise through project-based roles at local nonprofits.



As a result of this pilot LA Fellows program, 120 unemployed individuals will each receive 140 hours of training and will volunteer 100 hours. The LA Fellows participants will acquire new skill sets, encounter countless opportunities to network with professionals, and project a marketable career candidate impression while presenting a community-focused image. In addition, participating nonprofits will gain a highly skilled volunteer to assist with a project at their organization.



Los Angeles Valley College Job Training created the LA Fellows Program in partnership with Valley Industry & Commerce Association, City of Los Angeles Community Development Department, The Valley Economic Alliance, Employment Development Department, Los Angeles Valley College Foundation, Los Angeles Community College District, and the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. The fellowship was made possible through funding from the City of Los Angeles Community Development Department through the City of Los Angeles Workforce Investment Board.



“This is a much needed bridge to help our local job seekers,” notes Fran Inman, immediate past chair of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. “Los Angeles Valley College, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, and their partners are finding creative and resourceful ways of supporting the essential work of our nonprofits. These job seekers will not only gain marketable career skills but will help these organizations with the important work they do for our community.”



Applications for the LA Fellows Program will be accepted until Friday, January 7. The program will start on January 24.



Job seekers and nonprofits are encouraged to visit www.lafellows.org for more information.



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Monday, January 3, 2011

A New Job for the New Year!!!

Happy New Year!!! We hope your 2011 is off to a wonderful start!

If you've been frustrated with your job search, and career fairs and submitting your resume don't seem to be working, the LA Fellows program could be right for you!

Los Angeles Valley College Job Training is searching for unemployed men and women for the LA Fellows program. The program will provide job seekers with skills training and volunteer opportunities while they seek full-time positions.

LA Fellows participants will be selected through an application and interview process. They will receive seven weeks of training at Los Angeles Valley College covering executive level topics including critical thinking, advanced computer skills, and how to generate effective business leads. In return, participants will volunteer their time and talents by sharing their professional expertise through project based roles at local nonprofits.
The LA Fellows participants will acquire new skill sets, encounter countless opportunities to network with professionals, and project a marketable career candidate impression while presenting a community-focused image.

Orientation Dates and Locations

All orientation meetings will be held at Los Angeles Valley College at 5800 Fulton Avenue, Valley Glen, CA 91401-4096. You may park in Lot B which is located at the corner of Oxnard Street and Fulton Avenue. Parking tickets will not be issued during the orientation meeting. You only need to attend one orientation on one of the following dates:

Thursday, January 6, 2011
10:00am
Cafeteria Conference Room

Friday, January 7, 2011
10:00am
Cafeteria Conference Room
An application is available at http://www.lafellows.org/apply.html and you are encouraged to fill it out prior to attending the orientation – but it is not required to attend.
If you know other job seekers who might be interested in the program, please encourage them to attend .
For more information visit, http://www.lafellows.org/ or email me at deutchag@lavc.edu

Make 2011 the year you get the job you want!