Day 186 - Transition – Additional Elevator Speech Resources

Image via Wik

The exercise of creating an elevator speech is a fantastic exercise.    In the time since I have created mine, I have not repeated the full speech yet, but I use it on a regular basis.  I my LinkedIn site rewrote using information from this.  I constantly rewrite my resume with each job application using the knowledge of my elevator speech to keep the words sharp and crisp.  And I have used the information in interviews (in person and on the phone) and other person  to person interactions. 

The exercise puts your thinking into a concrete form that is readily accessible.  Reducing the number of words you are using forces you to prioritize and reduce to your truly essential message. 

I’m learning that I did of lousy job of marketing my talents in the years leading up to my layoff.  This lack of marketing has made it much harder to play catch up now in trying to convince people of my skills and talents.  For this reason, I highly recommend this exercise, even if you are not looking for a job now, as a tool to use in developing and maintaining your network and in marketing your skills and aspirations now.

Trisha Update III

I wanted to provide a bit of an update on the fundraising activity to support Trisha. 

Your gift is deeply appreciated.  Thank You!

Only seeing the ChipIn! gadget leaves the impression that not much has been raised, but in actuality a lot more has been happening.  My niece Jenny sent me the following email update a few days ago:

I really don't have a total $ amount, but I did update what I know. Last weekend some ladies from church sold bracelets as a craft show and brought in around $1300. They did really well!!! We made around $1500 at the first weekend show. Dad and I did a craft show in Bozeman yesterday, it was exhausting and very slow. Only made around $400, but that was more than when we got there!

Remodel – Slow progress

It has taken a while to understand the best way to move forward on the electrical in the basement, but I think I finally have a handle on it and know how to proceed.  I was thinking that I would add a new circuit and pull a new line from the garage to the other end of the house in the family room.  Instead, I think I will be able to add on to the existing circuit that supplies our guest room.
I’ve also installed insulation in the laundry room, hallway, and in parts of the family room, though some of the installation in the family room will have to come out because in changes to how much new wiring we are doing.
Progress is coming in installing speaker wire for the surround sound system.  Here I want to mount all the speakers high on the walls with the majority of the wiring running in the walls.
The greatest progress has been made by my wife and her friend who put in a massive amount of hours last weekend to tile the laundry room and hallway.  It looks fantastic, well you can judge for yourself by looking at the pictures below.

Day 170 – Transition- ProLango Resources

Image via Wikipedia

After two of the three ProLango classes, I was sent out a list of resources that I thought I would share.  I haven’t made it through reading all of these so I have no idea how good they are.  I do know that I have enjoyed and felt enrich by all of the articles of Paul’s that I have read.

Class 1: Career Optimization Seminar:

• How a Black Mark Can Derail a Job Search - The Wall Street Journal
• How to stay off the recruiter "blacklist" - NWjobs (The Seattle Times)
• The rules for job hunting have changed - The News Tribune
• Why is it so hard to find a job today - ProLango Consulting
• They’re just not that into you - ProLango Consulting

Class 2: Resume Search Optimization

• New cyber-rules for resume writing - NWjobs (The Seattle Times)
• Resume Writing Basics - ProLango Consulting

Class 3 :

• Can’t find any resources for this one.

Here is a link to Paul’s other online articles:

• online column with NWjobs (The Seattle Times)

And this is an interview that Paul did for the Seattle Link Up group that organizes networking sessions each month.  The topic of the interview is how to get the most out of these networking events:

• http://bit.ly/tsnetwork

I hope you find these useful.

I haven’t had a quote for a while here’s today’s:

In times of change, learners inherit the Earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.

-- Eric Hoffer

Related articles

• Day 168 - Transition - Third ProLango class (other-dribblings.blogspot.com)
• Day 153 - Good Courses to Take (other-dribblings.blogspot.com)

• Day 157- Transition - Feelings just below the surface (other-dribblings.blogspot.com)

Day 168 – Transition – Third ProLango class

Today I went to the third ProLango class.  It was actually the first in the series but I had missed it the first time around.  Paul Anderson, writer for the Seattle Times NW jobs is the presenter.  The purpose of the three sessions is to impart enough wisdom that you want to go on and take the advance classes for about $400.
Today’s class was titled: Career Search Optimization.  Paul has interviewed about 35 companies and has access to many recruiters in the area.  This data is used to rebuke the standard claims about how to search for a job.  Paul claims that there has been major changes in just the last three years.  In this down turn there has been a lot on consolidation of HR positions and with this a need to automate practices that HR people were handling before, like processing resumes. 
This has caused changes like using Facebook and LinkedIn as ways to get additional information about candidates.  Studies have shown that LinkedIn has better resume information than resumes turned into companies.  Looking for work is frustrating.  People are sometimes tempted to turn in a resume that has been enhanced in order to appear more hire able.  This can be grounds to become blacklisted (see below).  Also Facebook interactions are evaluated; the lesson is be careful what you put on social networks.
Also Paul claims that advertized positions now gather 900 applications per position.  New ways are needed to combat the sheer volume of the entries.  In addition, hiring managers at many companies are no longer able to work directly with recruiters.  Some places (Paul used Microsoft as an example) have limited recruiting agencies to 4 unique resumes per position.  But even with this over a thousand resumes could show up from its over 400 approved recruiter companies. 
Reduction of HR and severing the recruiter link has put a huge burden on the hiring manager.  Paul’s claim is that this burden is taken up by the hiring manager turning to their network and asking the network to supply suggested candidates.  This is where the power of networking comes in today’s job market.   A large proportion of jobs never get advertised and a large percentage of the overall jobs are obtained not through the internet application so popular today, but rather through networking contacts in person and through social media like Facebook and LinkedIn. 
Paul recommends building a personalize strategy about the companies that you want to target.  And then build a detailed plan about how to network your way into the company.  He also advises not to apply for jobs at these target companies.  Instead, work on making connections.  On helping out others as you find connections into companies.
Paul talked about blacklisting of job applicants for the following reasons:

1. Mass Mailing Resumes
2. Applying for any job list (or all jobs listed)
3. Lying on Resume (found by comparing older version and your linked in versions)
4. Social Media Mistakes (behavior unbecoming a respectable employee)
5. Recruiter Stories (usually from ill treatment of recruiters)

I highly recommend going to the three free classes offered by Prolango.  I think it helps to expand your thinking and to re-evaluate your approach.  Paul claims that coming in November and December will involved some large layoffs.  My suspicious side sees this as fear tactics to attend the paid classes.  I think the classes would be good, but I have to weigh that against the $400 cost.  So far the it hasn’t tipped the scale enough to sign up for the classes.   Part of the reason is that I have seen things that I can do without the classes; changes that I can make on my own and then see what the results of these changes are.
At least one person has been having problems leaving comments on this blog.  I love to get comments, they help assure me that I am not the only one getting some benefit from this blog. I prefer to get comments on the blog, because it leaves a record and I have also have hopes of this blog being less of a soliloquy and more of an interactive dialog.   If you are having problems leaving messages, please feel free to email me at chrisabbey@comcast.net and I will respond as soon as I can.

Related articles

• Day 153 - Good Courses to Take (other-dribblings.blogspot.com)
• Should You Search Social Media Sites for Job Candidate Information? (mashable.com)
• How Job Seekers May Use Social Media in the Future (mashable.com)
• The five "R's" of job search (thehumanracehorses.com)
• Paul Anderson’s Article Archive at NW Jobs

Trisha Liver Transplant Support Fund - II

          Trisha and Mark

The Share Life Fund is growing.  Bracelets are now being sold by many people, a local radio station in Billings and a booth will be set up at the Big Sky Gift Show.  Jenny, my niece indicated that they have sold over a hundred bracelets.  I asked that they add these numbers to the chip in gadget so that we can see the change.

We, as her family and friends, have started a benefit account called Share Life! at First Interstate Bank in Billings, MT. Our goal is to raise funds to help Trisha and her live donor with expenses through these coming months. We are estimating a need of at least $15,000 to pay for the immediate necessities for the donor to give this unbelievable gift of life to Trisha. We feel that this magnitude of generosity and unselfish giving should not have a consequence of any financial burden. These costs include 1. Travel expenses for the Donor and Caregivers, 2. Living expenses for Trisha, her husband Mark, and her Donor, including food and lodging 3. Medical supplies and medications not covered by insurance. 

 

Thank You!

Thank you for all those that have already given.  If you would like to give their are two ways.  First is by using a credit card or PayPal with the ChipIn! Gadget below.  The other way  is through purchasing Bracelets.   Just let me know if you would like to purchase or sell bracelets (My Email)  We are also open to other good ideas. 

A Facebook Fan page is now available to join at Share Life Face Book Page.  Please let others know.  

Also have created a Chip In Site.  This gadget can be copied to other websites and blogs.

In Trisha’s Words:

Here is a short video of Trisha, my beautiful niece:

 

Thank you for all those that have already given.  If you would like to give their are two ways.  First is by using a credit card or PayPal with the ChipIn! Gadget below.  The other way  is through purchasing Bracelets.   Just let me know if you would like to purchase or sell bracelets (My Email)  We are also open to other good ideas.

 

 

 

Your gift is deeply appreciated.  Thank You!

 

More information on Trisha

Trisha Wilson is a 27 year old native of Montana.  When Trisha was 9 years old, she was diagnosed with Auto-Immune Disease of the Liver.   At age 14, she was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, a disease of the large intestine (Colon).

Over the years, both diseases have progressed, leading to her placement on the Liver Transplant List at the age of 18 years.· Because of the progressive worsening of her conditions, and the severe complications the diseases have caused, Trisha and her husband, Mark, left Billings to pursue appropriate care. They moved to Phoenix, Arizona with a "leap of faith" to receive treatment at the Mayo Clinic Hospital.

The Ulcerative Colitis has progressed so severely that Trisha was scheduled to have Colon Removal Surgery (colectomy) on August 25th, 2010, as drug treatment options were exhausted and were unable to control the disease any longer.

In preparation for this surgery, it was determined that the surgery was not possible without first removing her Spleen as it is so enlarged (at least 6 times the normal size) that it is intruding on her stomach and is blocking access to the Colon. However, the spleen is so enlarged because it has been doing the work of the liver for a long time; by removing the Spleen she runs the risk of having severe Liver problems. Therefore, to remove the Colon she must have her spleen removed, and to do that she must have a Liver transplant. Most of her "issues" are due to the progression of her liver disease which has created extreme negative effects on her surrounding organs and major vein structures. As a result of these effects her body has developed a growth of new veins off of the Spleen that also must be removed. Doctors referred to these massive new vein growths that have grown as a virtual " mine field" for the surgeon. Finally, after healing from the liver transplant and spleen removal surgery, she will then have to have her large intestine (Colon) removed, as it is toxic and presents great danger to the rest of her body.

Unfortunately (and fortunately), Trisha is not eligible for a liver from a cadaver because her MELD scores are not high enough (she is at an 11 and most patients don't have a liver transplant until they are around a 20), as set forth by the governing authorities for organ placement in 2002. It is her extenuating circumstances that lead her to the need of the Liver transplant. Therefore, her only option is to receive a partial liver transplant from a living donor; someone who is willing to donate part of their liver, has Type B blood, is physically able to go through the surgery, and passes all the required tests to donate. The live donor will give part of the right lobe of their liver to Trisha. Trisha's body will then continue to grow her liver off of the donor's piece and the donor will regrow their liver to full capacity within 4 weeks time. Truly an amazing gift!

The costs for a live donor transplant are very high, and while Trisha and her husband do have health insurance, there are many costs that aren't covered by insurance.

We, as her family and friends, have started a benefit account called Share Life! at First Interstate Bank in Billings, MT. Our goal is to raise funds to help Trisha and her live donor with expenses through these coming months. We are estimating a need of at least $15,000 to pay for the immediate necessities for the donor to give this unbelievable gift of life to Trisha. We feel that this magnitude of generosity and unselfish giving should not have a consequence of any financial burden. These costs include 1. Travel expenses for the Donor and Caregivers, 2. Living expenses for Trisha, her husband Mark, and her Donor, including food and lodging 3. Medical supplies and medications not covered by insurance.

- Our long term goal is to help bring awareness to live donations and the need to "Share" with those who's medical problems can be helped in this way. We also intend to help support the "Transplant House" in Scottsdale, Arizona, where many transplant patients stay to heal after their surgery.If you are touched by Trisha's story, and would like to help her through contributing funds or spreading her story to others, please share this link.